Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

Consulting to Hire (Hybrid / In Office and Remote)

Midtown Manhattan, NYC HQ

Our client, a phenomenal financial services firm based in Midtown Manhattan NYC, is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to join their team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and has a passion for accuracy, compliance, and service excellence. You’ll work closely with internal partners across HR, accounting, and tax to ensure payroll operations run smoothly while contributing to ongoing improvements in efficiency and process.

The role is hybrid, with 3 days a week in office and the rest as "work from home".

Key Responsibilities

• Process weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payroll cycles across various employee groups, ensuring timely and accurate execution.
• Respond to payroll-related inquiries, resolve complex issues, and collaborate with internal teams to support employee needs.
• Conduct internal audits, assist with external audit documentation, and perform root cause analyses to proactively address discrepancies.
• Manage quarterly payroll tax reconciliations and year-end reporting, including W-2s and other required filings.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Review and reconcile vendor invoices tied to payroll and benefits, and support open enrollment through data validation and reconciliation efforts.
• Assist with payroll-related reporting, contribute to special projects, and support the implementation of new tools and scalable processes.

Qualifications

• 3–4+ years of hands-on, multi-state payroll experience.
• Hands on experience running weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payrolls.
• Proficiency in ADP Workforce Now or similar HRIS/payroll platforms.
• Solid understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and payroll control procedures.
• Excellent attention to detail, strong data integrity skills, and the ability to manage confidential information with professionalism.
• Advanced Excel skills (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, data analysis tools).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a dynamic environment.