Sr. Payroll Specialist

We are looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist to join a popular organization in Portland, Oregon. This Long-term Contract position is ideal for a detail-oriented payroll specialist who thrives in a high-volume setting and can support a diverse employee population that includes union and non-union staff. The role requires strong technical payroll knowledge, sound judgment, and a sharp focus on accuracy, compliance, and timely execution.

Responsibilities:

• Administer bi-weekly payroll for approximately 800 employees, ensuring accurate pay for hourly, salaried, union, and multi-state team members.

• Reconcile payroll data by reviewing pre-processing reports, validating totals, and preparing summary analysis using Excel.

• Examine weekly time records, identify inconsistencies, and work closely with leaders to correct issues before payroll is finalized.

• Maintain payroll-related timekeeping data, helping support system setup and integrations that improve the quality of incoming payroll information.

• Update employee compensation records, including rate changes, retroactive adjustments, and prior-period time corrections.

• Oversee garnishment processing, union-related payments, and associated reporting and remittance activities.

• Execute off-cycle payroll runs and final pay processing for terminations in accordance with applicable requirements.

• Produce payroll and labor reporting that helps finance and operations teams monitor workforce costs and payroll activity.

• Contribute to special payroll initiatives such as variance reviews and reporting or process enhancements.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience managing full-cycle payroll in a high-volume environment supporting more than 500 employees.
• Strong background in multi-state payroll administration with knowledge of union payroll practices.
• Advanced hands-on experience with UKG Pro.
• Familiarity with timekeeping systems, with UKG timekeeping experience preferred.
• Proven ability to audit payroll inputs, resolve discrepancies, and maintain a high level of accuracy under tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in Excel for reconciliations, reporting, and payroll analysis.
• Strong understanding of payroll compliance, deductions, garnishments, and final pay processing.

Compensation

$35.00-$40.00 Hourly

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