Payroll Accountant

Payroll Accountant

Pavago seeks a Payroll Accountant to manage payroll operations for client organizations. This role is critical for ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time, taxes are filed correctly, and records are compliant and audit-ready. You will handle the end-to-end payroll lifecycle, integrating payroll data with accounting systems, resolving discrepancies, and delivering high-quality reporting.

Payroll Processing:

• Administer bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly payrolls for 50500 employees.
• Validate employee time entries, overtime, bonuses, and deductions before each run.
• Process payroll through systems like ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Quick Books Payroll, or Bamboo
  
  HR.

Journal Entries & Reconciliations:

• Post payroll transactions into Quick Books, Net Suite, or Xero.
• Reconcile payroll clearing accounts with bank statements.
• Record benefit deductions and employer contributions accurately.

Tax & Compliance:

• Prepare and submit payroll taxes at federal, state, and local levels.
• File quarterly/annual forms (941, W-2, 1099, state equivalents).
• Track changes in labor/tax regulations and adjust processes accordingly.

Benefits Administration:

• Reconcile healthcare, retirement, and other benefit contributions with provider invoices.
• Ensure deductions align with employee elections and company policy.

Employee Support:

• Respond to payroll inquiries (pay stubs, direct deposit, tax withholding changes) within SLA.
• Assist employees with onboarding payroll setup.

Reporting:

• Generate recurring payroll and headcount reports for HR and finance.
• Support audits with detailed payroll documentation.
• Provide variance analysis of payroll vs. budget.

Process Improvement:

• Streamline workflows using Excel macros, payroll integrations, or APIs.
• Document payroll SOPs for consistency and compliance.

What Makes You a Perfect Fit:

• Precision with numbers and attention to detail.
• Discretion in handling confidential data.
• Ability to troubleshoot discrepancies under tight deadlines.
• Proactive in ensuring compliance across multiple states or entities.

Required Experience & Skills (Minimum):

• 2+ years payroll processing experience.
• Hands-on use of at least one payroll system (ADP, Paychex, Quick Books, Gusto, Bamboo
  
  HR).
• Intermediate Excel/Google Sheets (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, reconciliations).
• Knowledge of U.S. payroll tax regulations.

Ideal Experience &

Skills:

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
• Multi-state or international payroll.
• Experience reconciling payroll with accounting entries.
• Familiarity with HRIS/payroll integrations (Bamboo
  
  HR, Zenefits, Workday).

What Does a Typical Day Look Like?

Morning: Log into payroll dashboard (ADP or Gusto). Verify new hires/terminations, review overnight timecard entries, and check pending direct deposit changes. Run preliminary payroll reports to identify anomalies (missing hours, duplicate entries).

Midday: Finalize payroll run for approval, reconcile payroll register against general ledger accounts, and prepare bank funding file. Respond to 35 employee payroll inquiries (pay stubs, deductions).

Afternoon: File payroll tax payments online, reconcile benefit contributions with invoices from health insurance providers, and update payroll compliance log. Work with HR to update PTO accruals and ensure policy alignment.

End of Day: Prepare daily payroll dashboard for management (headcount, gross pay, tax liabilities). Document workflows and update SOP checklist for audit readiness.

Key Metrics for Success (KPIs):

• 100% payroll runs completed on schedule.