Certified Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist (Certified & Union Payroll) Location: Oakland, CA Job Type: Contract-to-Hire Schedule: Full-Time, Onsite About the Opportunity We are partnering with a growing organization in Oakland seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist with a strong background in certified and union payroll. This is a contract-to-hire opportunity offering the chance to join a collaborative team and play a critical role in ensuring accurate, compliant payroll processing for a unionized workforce. This position is fully onsite and ideal for a payroll professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, values accuracy, and has experience navigating prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Process weekly and biweekly payroll for union and non-union employees.
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports in compliance with prevailing wage regulations.
• Ensure payroll accuracy, including wages, deductions, garnishments, benefits, and tax withholdings.
• Maintain compliance with collective bargaining agreements and union reporting requirements.
• Perform payroll audits, reconciliations, and resolve payroll discrepancies.
• Track employee hours, job allocations, and prevailing wage classifications.
• Prepare union benefit reports and coordinate related payments.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Assist with month-end reporting and payroll-related accounting functions.
• Support payroll process improvements and special projects as needed.
• 3+ years of payroll processing experience.
• Demonstrated experience with certified payroll and union payroll administration.
• Strong understanding of prevailing wage requirements and labor compliance reporting.
• Knowledge of union contracts, benefit contributions, and payroll reporting obligations.
• Proficiency with payroll systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a high-volume environment.
• CPP certification is a plus.

Preferred Experience

• Construction, engineering, manufacturing, or other unionized workforce environments.
• Experience preparing certified payroll reports for public works projects.
• Familiarity with payroll tax regulations and labor compliance requirements.