Job Description
Senior Payroll Specialist
Department: Finance
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Austin, TX
The Senior Payroll Specialist manages end-to-end payroll operations for a 1,000–2,000+ employee, multi-location organization, covering both exempt and non-exempt populations. This role requires deep expertise in payroll processing, payroll tax compliance, benefits and 401(k) administration, and the accounting knowledge needed to support accurate payroll-related journal entries and reconciliations.
In addition, this role serves as the company’s primary point of contact for employee benefits — fielding day-to-day questions from employees, safeguarding the accuracy of what the company pays for coverage, and partnering with our broker on claims trends and employee education to help manage cost over time.
Key Responsibilities
Payroll Processing
- Process multi-state, multi-location payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees, including hourly and salaried pay structures, overtime, shift differentials, and multiple pay frequencies
- Ensure accurate calculation of wages, deductions, garnishments, and off-cycle payments
- Maintain payroll system configuration (rates, earnings/deduction codes, GL mapping)
Tax & Compliance
Manage federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and remittances across multiple jurisdictions
Monitor changing wage and hour laws (FLSA, state-specific requirements) and ensure compliance
Respond to tax notices and coordinate with third-party tax filing vendors
Support year-end processes (W-2s, W-2c, ACA reporting)
Benefits & 401(k) Administration
- Administer payroll-related aspects of benefits enrollment, deductions, and reconciliation
- Manage 401(k) contribution funding, employer match calculations, and compliance testing support (ADP/ACP, nondiscrimination)
- Serve as the primary resource for all employees on benefits questions — medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life, and disability — providing timely, accurate guidance and escalating complex issues appropriately
- Reconcile benefits invoices monthly against the active employee census to confirm the company is billed only for active, eligible employees; resolve discrepancies directly with the broker and carriers
- Reconcile benefits activity to the general ledger each month to ensure premiums, employer/employee contributions, and accruals are recorded accurately
- Partner with the broker to resolve enrollment, billing, eligibility, and claims issues as they arise
- Track claims history and utilization trends over time; use this data with the broker to inform renewal strategy and plan design
- Lead employee education efforts (open enrollment communications, benefits fairs, one-on-one guidance) aimed at improving benefits literacy and driving down costs over time
Accounting & Reconciliation
- Prepare and post payroll and benefits journal entries (wages, taxes, benefits, 401(k), accruals)
- Reconcile payroll GL accounts, including clearing/offsetting accounts, monthly
- Partner with Accounting on payroll accruals, PTO liability, and month-end close deadlines
- Investigate and resolve discrepancies between payroll system and GL
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- 5+ years of payroll experience, including multi-state/multi-location environments
- Experience with 750+ employee population
- Strong knowledge of federal/state payroll tax and wage & hour compliance
- Hands-on experience with 401(k) administration and benefits reconciliation
- Working knowledge of payroll accounting: journal entries, GL reconciliation, accruals
- Experience serving as a benefits point of contact for employees, including plan education, open enrollment support, and resolving day-to-day coverage questions
- Experience working directly with benefits brokers/carriers on invoice reconciliation, eligibility audits, and claims issues
- Proficiency with Rippling preferred
