Payroll Associate- Multi-State Payroll | Dayforce | California Payroll | Hybrid
Location: Santa Monica, CA (Hybrid - 4 Days Onsite / 1 Day Remote)
Job Type: Contract (Long-Term)
Pay: $25.00 - $28.00 per hour
We are seeking an experienced Payroll Associate/Specialist to join a collaborative payroll team supporting a large, multi-state workforce. This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional with strong knowledge of California payroll laws, multi-state payroll processing, and Ceridian Dayforce experience.
The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and is passionate about delivering accurate payroll while providing exceptional customer service to employees.
What You'll Do
- Process accurate and timely payroll for hourly and salaried employees across multiple states.
- Review payroll data, reports, and calculations to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance.
- Enter and maintain payroll-related employee information, including new hires, terminations, promotions, transfers, and position changes.
- Process payroll adjustments, corrections, and journal entries as needed.
- Audit payroll and timekeeping data to identify and resolve discrepancies.
- Manage employee wage garnishments and ensure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations.
- Research and resolve payroll-related questions from employees and external agencies.
- Process and audit HRIS and timekeeping system interfaces.
- Prepare standard and ad hoc payroll reports and maintain accurate payroll records.
- Partner with Finance, HR, and other departments on payroll-related projects and process improvements.
- Provide outstanding customer service by responding promptly to payroll inquiries via phone and email.
Qualifications
- Minimum 2 years of payroll processing experience.
- Experience processing multi-state payroll for hourly and salaried employees.
- Strong, current knowledge of California payroll laws and regulations.
- Experience with payroll systems; Ceridian Dayforce is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with HRIS and time and attendance systems.
- Knowledge of payroll audits, payroll corrections, and payroll compliance.
- Experience administering employee garnishments.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including:
- Pivot Tables
- VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP
- Formulas and reporting functions
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong communication and customer service skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive payroll information.
- Strong time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting large employee populations.
- SAP or HRIS interface experience.
- Experience partnering with Finance or Accounting teams.
- Continuous improvement or payroll process optimization experience.
Why You'll Love This Opportunity
- Competitive hourly pay
- Long-term contract opportunity
- Hybrid work schedule (4 days onsite, 1 day remote)
- Collaborative and supportive team environment
- Opportunity to work with a large, multi-state payroll operation
- Gain experience with industry-leading payroll and HR systems