Payroll Specialist

Job Description - Payroll Specialist

Location:  Remote

Job Type: Full-Time

About Us:

At WGP Property Management, a Three Pillar Company, we’re passionate about creating communities people are proud to call home. From great manufactured housing neighborhoods to welcoming RV parks and apartment communities, we make sure every resident feels valued and cared for.

Headquartered in Spring, Texas, we proudly manage 80 communities across 14 states, representing more than 7,400 homes — and growing!

At WGP Property Management, we live by our VALUES: Take action. Be thoughtful and thorough. Obligation to speak up. Strive to be better. One team. These values shape how we work, lead, and collaborate, driving our decisions, teamwork, and commitment to excellence. Our MISSION is clear and meaningful: To provide safe, reliable housing for our residents and safe, reliable returns for our investors. Guided by this mission and our core values, we work together to create communities where people feel at home and proud to belong.

Position Overview:

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for managing all payroll processes, supporting onboarding and offboarding workflows, and ensuring accurate, timely compensation for all employees. This role plays a critical part in maintaining the integrity of time and attendance records by reviewing timesheets, verifying accuracy, and resolving discrepancies in coordination with managers and employees. The Payroll Specialist will also work cross-functionally with Accounting, HR, and field leadership to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and proper setup of locations, divisions, positions, and stipends across multiple properties and departments.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Processing & Timesheet Management

• Process payroll for hourly, salary, and multi-location employees.
• Send reminder emails to employees and Regional Managers regarding pay period deadlines.
• Review timesheets throughout the week to ensure accuracy and resolve discrepancies proactively.
• Ensure all employees and managers approve timesheets before processing.
• Import payroll spreadsheets into Paychex and verify all data transfers correctly.
• Make manual adjustments in Paychex Oasis as needed.
• Enter all bonuses, including one-off bonuses, commissions, RV bonuses, organic bonuses, and KPI bonuses.
• Organize and store peer coach forms and ensure bonus payouts are processed.
• Approve payroll after confirming accuracy and Paychex backend verification.
• Process salary changes, including transitions between hourly and salary.
• Respond to employee inquiries related to compensation, including commission breakdowns. 
• Send payroll invoices to Accounting and GL report spreadsheets to the accounting/finance team.
• Provide monthly breakout data to the Finance Department.
• Send allocation-related invoices to accountants.
• Review and approve (or reject) time-off requests in the HRIS, ensuring that the requested hours align with employees’ available accruals.
• Audit accrual balances for vacation, sick leave, and other paid time off to confirm accuracy.
• Reconcile accruals in the HRIS system to ensure earned, used, and remaining balances are properly tracked.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in time-off data, communicating with HR, managers, and employees as needed.
• Generate and maintain reports on time-off usage and accruals for payroll and HR forecasting purposes.
• Maintain and update user access permissions, ensuring accurate and secure system access.
• Provide first-line support to employees for HRIS issues (navigation, timekeeping, time off, logins issues) and troubleshoot system issues.

Onboarding Payroll Setup

• Collaborate with Accounting to gather the information needed for onboarding payroll tasks.
• Create new locations in Vensure and Paychex (as applicable).
• Create new divisions (bank setups) in Vensure and Paychex (as applicable).
• Set up new positions in Vensure and Paychex (as applicable).
• Build allocation templates for employees working across multiple properties or requiring split payments.
• Add employees to phone/gas stipend imports for multi-property roles.
• For single-property employees, add phone/gas stipends directly into Paychex or coordinate with HQ via email.
• Reset system passwords upon request.

Offboarding & Payroll Completion

• Coordinate with managers to identify any bonus payouts for sold communities.
• Terminate employees in the PEO system.
• Process final payouts including hours worked and unused vacation time.
• Remove departing employees from calendars, property maps, and employee maps.
• Move separated employees to the designated “Separated” tabs on new hire and employee info sheets.
• Compliance, Reporting & Administrative Support
• Maintain accurate payroll documentation and employee records.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting teams to deliver necessary data, reports, filings, and assist support with any requests 
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage-and-hour laws.Prepare payroll reports, GL files, and required supporting documentation.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll and employee information.
• Support internal audits and ensure accuracy and completeness of payroll data.
• Update and maintain employee personal information in the HRIS system, including tax withholding (W-4), direct deposit details, home address, and other personal records.
• Assist employees with changing their tax elections, obtaining annual W2 forms, direct deposit, and address updates, ensuring accurate and timely system entry.
• Reconcile and verify that tax and payroll deductions reflect employees’ most current information.
• Serve as a point of contact for employees with questions about updating their personal payroll data in the HRIS.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in Accounting, HR, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• 2 years of payroll processing experience; experience with Paychex or similar payroll platforms strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of HRIS systems such as Paychex, Paychex Oasis, or similar.
• Knowledge of payroll regulations, compliance standards, and multi-location payroll structures.
• Experience working with PEO systems is a plus.
• Strong Excel skills, including data imports, spreadsheet management, and reporting.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to interact effectively with employees, managers, and accounting staff.
• Strong organizational skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism.
• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of working independently while managing multiple priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to professionalism, integrity, and creating positive community experiences

Requirements

• Ability to use company-provided computers, HRIS software, and related technology tools
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines across various payroll cycles.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Strong problem-solving ability and willingness to proactively resolve payroll discrepancies.
• Proficiency in payroll software (Paychex, Paychex Oasis, or similar).
• Must be able to work collaboratively across departments and communicate clearly with field teams.
• Willingness to complete random drug testing as required, in compliance with all applicable Local, State, and Federal regulations
• Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of any lawfully permitted background check conducted after a conditional job offer, consistent with Local, State, Federal, and other applicable laws
• Must meet company standards for reliability and trust appropriate for a position of responsibility within a residential community

WGP Property Management is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic, and we fully comply with all Local, State, and Federal employment laws, including “ban the box” and fair hiring requirements.