What are the responsibilities and job description for the Payroll & Operation Specialist position at Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
Payroll & Operations Specialist
Department: Finance
Reports To: Controller (Finance)
Dotted Line: Vice President, Human Resources
FLSA Status: Exempt or Non-Exempt (based on role scope)
Key Partnerships: Human Resources, Accounting, External Payroll Vendors
Position Summary
The Payroll & Operations Specialist is a Finance-based role responsible for the accurate execution of payroll, financial reconciliation, and compliance with regulatory and accounting requirements. This role maintains a strong dotted-line relationship to Human Resources to ensure alignment of employee data, payroll-impacting transactions, and employee experience, while upholding financial controls and reporting integrity.
Payroll Administration & Financial Management
End-to-end ownership of payroll processing, including all earnings types (standard, variable)
Validate all payroll-impacting transactions in partnership with HR
Maintain compliance with wage and hour laws, payroll regulations, and internal policies
Perform tasks related to funding, accruals, and reconciliations
Prepare payroll journal entries and support close activities
Reconcile payroll accounts and resolve discrepancies
Oversee payroll taxes, garnishments, and deductions
Coordinate 401(k) funding and reconciliation
Financial Reporting & Controls
Prepare payroll accruals and support financial close timelines
Ensure strong internal controls aligned with compliance requirements
Support internal and external audits
Maintain data integrity across systems
Provide reporting for forecasting and workforce planning
HR Systems & Operational Alignment
Maintain accurate employee data across HRIS and payroll systems
Partner with HR to align data and transactions
Support lifecycle transactions (hire, change, LOA, termination)
Support onboarding and offboarding from payroll perspective
Manage system access provisioning and removal
Maintain SOP documentation
Stakeholder Support & Continuous Improvement
Serve as primary contact for payroll inquiries
Act as liaison between Finance, HR, and vendors
Identify process improvements
Support cross-functional initiatives
Qualifications - Required
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Finance, Accounting, or related field
3-5 years payroll experience
Experience with ADP
Knowledge of multi-state payroll and compliance
Experience with reconciliations and audits
Proficiency in payroll systems and Excel
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
Qualifications - Preferred
Experience in SOX environment
Advanced Excel skills
Fidelity PSW experience
Experience in multi-entity organizations
Core Competencies
Financial accuracy and controls mindset
Cross-functional collaboration
Analytical and problem-solving ability
Clear communication
Continuous improvement