Payroll Lead

Job Summary

Santa Cruz Staffing is the premier recruiter specialist in Santa Cruz County, offering PERMANENT, DIRECT HIRE roles!

Our amazing client is seeking a full-time, exempt Bilingual Payroll Lead for their expanding business in Watsonville, CA. This DIRECT HIRE role will be responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant administration of payroll for all U.S.-based employees of the Company. This position oversees weekly and bi-weekly payroll processing, maintains payroll system integrity, ensures compliance with applicable federal and California labor laws, supports seasonal workforce payroll administration, and serves as the primary internal subject matter expert on payroll-related matters.

This is an on-site, DIRECT HIRE role. The position also offers strong potential for career growth as the organization expands.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Process and oversee all U.S. payroll activities (weekly and bi-weekly payroll cycles).
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation.
• Review payroll audits prior to final processing.
• Validate employee earnings, deductions, taxes, direct deposits, and benefit withholdings.
• Process off-cycle payrolls as needed.
• Coordinate final pay calculations for employee separations.
• Ensure proper handling of garnishments, levies, child support orders, and wage assignments.

Seasonal Workforce Payroll

• Administer payroll for seasonal and temporary employees.
• Coordinate with operations leaders regarding labor reporting and timekeeping.
• Oversee harvest-period payroll activities, including piece-rate calculations.
• Review payroll calculations for compliance with California wage-and-hour requirements.
• Verify minimum wage true-up calculations when applicable.
• Resolve payroll discrepancies related to seasonal labor activities.

Paycom Administration

• Serve as primary administrator for the Paycom platform payroll functions.
• Maintain employee payroll records and system configurations.
• Configure earnings codes, deduction codes, pay groups, and tax settings.
• Support implementation of upgrades, enhancements, and process improvements.
• Provide system training and support to managers and employees as needed.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Maintain current knowledge of California wage-and-hour laws.
• Support compliance related to H-2A and other agricultural workforce programs.
• Coordinate payroll tax filings and responses to agency inquiries.
• Assist with audits, compliance reviews, and government reporting requirements.

Employee and Manager Support

• Serve as primary point of contact for payroll-related questions.
• Research and resolve payroll issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Provide support regarding earnings, deductions, taxes, timekeeping, direct deposit, and payroll policies.
• Educate managers on payroll procedures and requirements.

Internal Controls and Reporting

• Maintain strong payroll controls and documentation practices.
• Prepare payroll reports for HR, Finance, and leadership.
• Partner with Accounting on payroll reconciliations and month-end processes.
• Support annual audit requests and year-end reporting activities.
• Assist with labor cost analysis and workforce reporting initiatives.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve payroll efficiency, accuracy, employee experience.
• Recommend process improvements and automation opportunities.
• Develop and maintain payroll procedures and documentation.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Depending on organizational structure, this position may help supervise, either directly or indirectly, one to two additional Payroll Coordinators. The Payroll Lead is expected to provide guidance, training, and oversight for payroll-related processes and departmental standards.

Qualifications

Required

• Associate's degree in Accounting, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of payroll administration experience.
• Experience with piece-rate compensation.
• Experience processing payroll in a multi-department, hourly workforce environment.
• Experience with payroll systems and HRIS platforms.
• Strong knowledge of payroll compliance requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Bilingual English and Spanish.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field.
• Experience with Paycom.
• Experience in agriculture, manufacturing, food production, nursery, or other labor-intensive industries.
• Experience administering weekly payrolls and seasonal workforce payrolls.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification.
• California payroll experience.
• Experience supporting H-2A or other seasonal workforce programs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough understanding of payroll regulations and best practices.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and competing deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.