Payroll Specialist

Description: General Summary: The Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing all payroll activities including carrying out responsibility for payroll preparation, processing, tax reporting, payroll systems maintenance, reporting, and audit responsibilities.
This role partners closely with the accounting team and the HR team in processing and maintaining payroll reports, tax administration, annual reviews, pay increases, bonuses, and personnel records administration.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities: Responsible for preparation and processing of all related employee compensation activities including wage garnishment.
Updates payroll records by reviewing and approving changes in exemptions, job titles, tax information, and department or division transfers.
Educates management and employee of payroll procedures.
Prepares reports by compiling summaries of earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability, and nontaxable wages.
Determines payroll liabilities by approving the calculation of employee federal and state income and social security taxes, and employer's social security, unemployment, and workers compensation payments.
Process W-4 and direct deposit information.
Balances the payroll accounts by resolving payroll discrepancies.
Provides payroll information by answering questions and requests.
Maintains payroll guidelines by writing and updating policies and procedures.
Complies with federal, state, and local legal requirements by studying existing and new legislation; enforcing adherence to requirements; advising management on needed actions.
Maintains employee confidence and protects payroll operations by keeping information confidential.
Must maintain current knowledge of applicable state and federal wage and hour laws.
Must maintain current on Payroll systems to achieve alignment with HR benefits and other related functions and to ensure effective accounting support.
Partners with HR department to be able to track and manage bonus programs for the organization.
Responsible for quality assurance and reporting activities related to employee compensation.
Complies and reports year-end reporting; prepare W-2’s.
Requirements: Education and Experience: Associates’ degree required, or equivalent experience.
2 years payroll experience is required, and 5 years of experience is preferred.
Proficiency in HRIS payroll software.
(Paylocity a plus.
) FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) or CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) preferred.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: Business Acumen: Increasing payroll expertise.
Actively seeks knowledge on new legislation and payroll systems including preparation, balancing, internal control, and payroll taxes.
Customer Focus: Approachable, consistently positive interaction with all customers in their written and verbal communication.
Accountability: Willingness to collaborate or champion an idea to provides the best possible outcomes to support the mission & organization.
High level of integrity and confidentiality in handling sensitive financial information.
Continuous Improvement: Open to change, finds solutions and proactively addresses challenges in a fast-paced, complex environment.
Drive for Results: Ability to solve practical problems and to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
Description of physical working environment: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability to maintain a stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment, mostly indoor office environment.
Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus.
Other duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.
Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: Goodwill of South Central of Wisconsin provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.