ABOUT OUR COMPANY

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. Operating as a full-service agency partner or through embedding specialist talent into client teams, FIRST brings brands and people together through creative, connected experiences. Spanning 12 countries with more than 700 team members, FIRST works with clients across industries including financial services, technology, media, consumer electronics, medical and healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and the nonprofit sector.

Most recently, Eventex honored FIRST as one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA, while Chief Marketer listed FIRST among their “200 Top Marketing Agencies" for both 2022 & 2021, and Special Events recognized FIRST as one of their “50 Top Event Companies” at the end of 2020. Crain’s New York Business included FIRST in the Top 100 “Best Places to Work in NYC” for 2020, and The London Stock Exchange Group once again listed FIRST as one of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ in 2020.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

JOB DESCRIPTION

FIRST is seeking a highly professional and financially adept Payroll Associate to assist in processing company-wide payroll for the Americas. The ideal candidate should have a degree in accounting or business administration and has directly processed payroll in previous positions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in preparation of semi-monthly salaried and bi-weekly hourly employee payrolls for individual companies
• Maintaining, creating, and terminating employee payroll records as needed
• Onboard new hires onto the payroll system and lead orientations for new employees regarding the payroll process
• Track reimbursements and timesheets
• Administer and maintain time-tracking systems for payroll payments, data and analytics
• Track overtime and ensure employees are being paid an appropriate differential rate where applicable
• Liaise with the People & Culture team on benefits & vacation tracking and tracking changes for accurate payroll runs
• Prepare and maintain 401k records
• Interface with employees via email and face-to-face to discuss and resolve payroll questions or concerns
• Helping to prepare regular entries for entry into the accounting system (SAP ByDesign)
• Manage employee access to credit cards (limits, submitting applications for new hires and cancelling terminated employees cards)
• Assist with monthly budget reconciliations for salary control accounts and compiling employment reports
• Assist with Payroll Compliance and Audit procedures (Employer Shared Responsibility, Third Party Sick Pay, etc.)
• Updating Concur with new hires/terminations
• Assist with monthly budget reconciliations for salary control accounts and compiling employment reports

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• 3 years’ related accounting and finance experience (preferably in a creative industry such as Marketing/Advertising, Events, Fashion, Technology, etc.)
• Knowledge of payroll systems and processes is required (experience working with Paychex & SAP is a plus but not required)
• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Focus on US GAAP (knowledge of UK GAAP a plus but not required)
• Experience working with and reporting from a timesheet database an advantage
• Proven ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and multi-task as necessary to meet a deadline
• Strong accounting knowledge and project management skills
• Strong attention to detail and highly organized
• Welcomes change and improvements to working methods and is comfortable with new approaches
• Ability to work well, both independently and as part of a team, and meet professional challenges

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel (including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, data validation, etc.)
• CRM system experience is a plus
• Paychex experience
• Multi-state accounting and bookkeeping experience
• Financial reporting system experience (SAP familiarity helpful but not required)

ADMINISTRATION & GENERAL:

• Assume responsibility for own environment, ensuring adherence to health and safety policies while having clean smart surroundings
• Work intelligently and ensure management is aware of problems or issues which negatively affect productivity
• Build excellent relationships with the team through positive communications
• Ensure knowledge is shared within the team to enable them to work