Payroll Specialist

Job Title: Payroll Specialist

Industry: Finance & Accounting, Real Estate/Property Management

Location: Englewood, NJ

Compensation: $65,000 - $80,000 / Year

Benefits: This position is eligible for medical, dental, vision, and 401(k) benefits

Work Schedule: Full-time in office, 9am - 6pm, 1 hour lunch

Position Overview

We are looking to add an experienced Payroll Specialist to support a complex, multi-entity payroll environment. This individual will own the full bi-weekly payroll cycle for approximately 500 employees across multiple states, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness.

The role covers payroll for a mix of salaried and hourly employees, including both union and non-union populations, spanning several legal entities. This person will play a key role in maintaining accurate records, supporting compliance requirements, and ensuring payroll processes run efficiently end-to-end.

In addition to payroll execution, this position partners closely with Accounting, HR, and operational leadership on compensation-related initiatives, employee data integrity, benefits processing, and regulatory adherence. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, responsive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner cross-functionally with HR and Finance to ensure employee data is accurate and payroll processing runs smoothly
  • Review and validate new hire setup in the payroll system (including pay classification, compensation, department assignment, tax setup, and allocations)
  • Maintain and update training materials; support onboarding and ongoing payroll-related training as needed
• Execute end-to-end payroll processing using ADP or a comparable system
  • Validate time and attendance data including regular hours, overtime, and PTO; ensure approvals are completed prior to processing
  • Input and review payroll-related data such as bonuses, reimbursements, and deductions
  • Reconcile payroll reports, investigate discrepancies, and resolve issues prior to finalization
  • Process adjustments including garnishments, benefit deductions, and tax withholdings
• Administer union-related payroll components, including dues, benefits, and pension contributions on a recurring basis
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations by staying current on applicable laws and requirements
• Serve as a point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, providing timely and professional support
• Prepare and distribute payroll reporting to internal stakeholders as needed
• Coordinate with ADP (or provider) on year-end activities including W-2 preparation and payroll tax filings
• Support Accounting with payroll-related journal entries and proper cost allocation across entities or properties
• Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll and employee data
• Take on additional responsibilities as needed to support the payroll function

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of hands-on payroll experience in a multi-state environment, with full-cycle ownership
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field preferred; CPP designation is a plus
• Strong proficiency with payroll systems (ADP preferred) and Microsoft Excel
• Solid understanding of payroll compliance, including tax regulations and labor requirements
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Effective communicator with the ability to work across departments and levels of the organization
• Demonstrates discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive information
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience improving or refining processes

Salary : $65,000 - $80,000