Payroll Specialist

We’re Pinnacle — an experiential marketing house. Strategists, creatives, builders, and your future besties, all fueled by the same pursuit: we’re never satisfied. Our name is an ambition. We chase down the next “holy smokes, they actually did that” moment. And then, we do it again.

Now we’re looking for a Payroll Specialist who brings that same energy to the employee experience.

This role is the heartbeat behind getting people paid accurately and on time for our 400 employees, multi-state workforce. You’ll own the full payroll process from start to finish, making sure everything runs smoothly, stays compliant, and never misses a beat. Payroll is the primary focus for us at this time. Having experience with benefits is the perfect foam on the best Portland-based coffee shop’s cappuccino.

On the benefits side, you’re the go-to for the day-to-day support, including enrollments, answering questions, and helping employees navigate their options with clarity and confidence.

We take a hands-on, employee-first approach to HR, payroll, and benefits. That means showing up, being responsive, and making things easy. Our employees are across every time zone, so urgency matters, but so does accuracy. You’ll be someone who removes friction, solves problems before they grow, and believes payroll and benefits should be the easiest part of someone’s workday.

What You’ll Do

• Run bi-weekly payroll for 400 employees across multiple states using ADP Workforce Now
• Make sure payroll taxes, withholdings, and compliance are handled correctly at every level
• Review payroll details like wages, overtime, garnishments, and deductions to keep everything accurate
• Keep payroll processes up to date as regulations change
• Act as our go-to ADP expert, managing employee records, pay codes, and system updates
• Partner with Finance on payroll reconciliations and reporting
• Support year-end payroll work, including W-2s and audits
• Respond to employee questions around payroll and benefits, helping resolve issues quickly and clearly
• Handle employee changes like new hires, status updates, terminations, and leave impacts on pay
• Ensure benefit elections and deductions are set up and maintained accurately in ADP (medical, dental, vision, 401(k), FSA/HSA)
• Participate in open enrollment including plan setup, carrier connections, employee communications and testing
• Ensure compliance with local payroll regulations, stay current with emerging legislation and compliance requirements for each jurisdiction
• Be a reliable resource for employees, answering benefits questions and pointing them in the right direction
• Look for ways to improve processes so payroll is even more accurate and efficient
• Manage payroll data integrity and maintain employee records in compliance with data protection regulations
• Manage state and local reporting and filing requirements, workers' compensation reporting, payments, and annual audit
• Administer ongoing 401k processes and employee-employer contribution plans, including audit-related activities

Who You Are

• You truly love payroll. You subscribe to the mantra of making payroll sexy again. You want to live in the details, match totals between various reports, set up new states, all of that
• You have 5 years of hands-on payroll experience, including at least 2 years supporting a multi-state workforce of 200 employees
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, or related/equivalent experience
• Strong experience with ADP Workforce Now. You’re comfortable navigating it and making it work for you
• Experience in a marketing or manufacturing environment is a plus
• Working knowledge of federal and state wage and hour laws (FLSA, FMLA, and state-specific regs), payroll deductions and tax filings.
• Comfort in Excel for reviewing data, running basic formulas, and pulling reports
• Experience working in HRIS/payroll systems, including reporting, audits, and ongoing maintenance. You can pick up new tools quickly
• A solid understanding of benefits administration
• A genuine curiosity about how the business operates and what drives it
• A mindset focused on making things more efficient for everyone, not just HR
• Interest in technology, including AI and SaaS tools
• Experience working in a culture-driven organization
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion
• The ability to balance being supportive with holding the line when needed
• Comfortable working against deadlines and adjusting when priorities shift
• You don’t enjoy digging into details or double-checking your work
• You’d rather stay in your lane than jump in and help someone out
• You get frustrated by questions instead of seeing them as part of the job
• You’re quick to point out problems but slow to build solutions

Not For You If…

• You don’t enjoy digging into details or double-checking your work
• You’d rather stay in your lane than jump in and help someone out
• You get frustrated by questions instead of seeing them as part of the job
• You’re quick to point out problems but slow to build solutions

Why Pinnacle?

• You’ll support a team that values the employee experience. Payroll and benefits aren’t an afterthought here—they’re part of how we show up for our people
• Reporting to the Director of People Operations, you’ll be the third member of a very efficient and motivated HR team
• Competitive pay, benefits, and flexibility to do your best work where you work best