Payroll Specialist

We are looking for a detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to join a team in California. This role is responsible for delivering accurate, timely payroll processing for a large employee population while supporting compliance with tax rules, labor requirements, and union-related obligations. The ideal candidate brings strong payroll systems experience, sound judgment when resolving discrepancies, and the ability to work closely with HR and finance partners.

Responsibilities:

• Manage full-cycle payroll processing for weekly, biweekly, and monthly pay periods across multi-state operations and union environments.

• Review and calculate regular pay, overtime, incentive earnings, commissions, bonuses, and employee deductions with a high degree of accuracy.

• Maintain payroll information in designated payroll platforms and ensure employee records, earnings, and withholdings remain current and correct.

• Administer union-related payroll items such as dues, benefit contributions, and contract-based pay rules or schedules.

• Coordinate the delivery of employee payments through direct deposit or check processing and support access to pay statements.

• Reconcile payroll registers and investigate variances by partnering with internal teams to correct issues promptly.

• Prepare and submit payroll tax filings to applicable federal, state, and local agencies within required deadlines.

• Process garnishments, levies, and other court-ordered deductions in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.

• Preserve organized payroll documentation to support audits, compliance reviews, and employee questions.

• Work cross-functionally to align payroll activity with timekeeping, benefits administration, and related business systems.

Qualifications:

• Experience managing full-cycle payroll for a workforce of 500 or more employees.

• Hands-on background processing multi-state payroll with strong knowledge of related tax and wage requirements.

• Proficiency with Paychex and comfort working within payroll systems and reporting tools.

• Understanding of payroll practices in unionized environments, including deductions and contract-based pay considerations.

• Ability to review payroll data carefully, identify discrepancies, and resolve issues efficiently.

• Knowledge of payroll compliance requirements, including garnishments, tax filings, and record retention standards.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with HR, finance, and other stakeholders.

Experienced with Prevailing Wage required

Compensation

About Us

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.

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All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.

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