Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist About the Opportunity We are seeking a Payroll Specialist to join our team in the Santa Monica area on a temp-to-hire basis. This is a great opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys a hands-on role and is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will have experience processing payroll from start to finish, strong attention to detail, and the ability to research and resolve payroll discrepancies independently.

Responsibilities

• Process full-cycle payroll accurately and timely for employees
• Review and audit timesheets, timecards, and payroll data prior to processing
• Calculate regular wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, retroactive pay, and other adjustments
• Process employee changes including new hires, terminations, transfers, and pay-rate changes
• Review and reconcile payroll reports to ensure accuracy
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee questions
• Process payroll deductions, garnishments, benefits, and other adjustments
• Ensure payroll is processed in compliance with company policies and applicable regulations
• Maintain accurate and confidential payroll records
• Assist with payroll-related reporting and reconciliations
• Partner with HR and other internal teams to resolve payroll and employee data issues
• Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation and reconciliation
• Assist with other payroll and accounting-related projects as needed

Qualifications

• 3+ years of payroll experience, preferably in a high-volume environment
• Experience processing full-cycle payroll
• Strong knowledge of payroll processes, deductions, overtime, garnishments, and payroll adjustments
• Experience working with an HRIS/payroll system such as ADP, Paycom, Paylocity, Workday, UKG, Rippling, or similar
• Strong Excel skills, including sorting, filtering, formulas, and basic reconciliations
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Ability to commute to Santa Monica

Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is someone who can hit the ground running, take ownership of payroll responsibilities, and confidently identify and resolve discrepancies. Experience with payroll audits, retro pay calculations, garnishments, and employee changes is highly preferred. Temp-to-Hire Opportunity: This position is intended to transition to a permanent role for the right candidate based on performance and business needs.

By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.