Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll Specialist (Remote - Washington, DC)

Cherry Bekaert Recruiting & Staffing is partnered with a prestigious professional services organization seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to join its Finance & Accounting team. This fully remote opportunity offers a 37.5-hour workweek, excellent benefits, and the chance to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment supporting a large, multi-state employee population.

Position Overview

The Senior Payroll Specialist will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of U.S. payroll, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while partnering closely with HR, Benefits, and Accounting teams. This role is ideal for a payroll professional who thrives in a complex, multi-state environment and enjoys balancing compliance, analysis, and customer service.

Key Responsibilities

• Process and manage end-to-end U.S. payroll operations, including multi-state payrolls.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage laws.
• Review payroll transactions including direct deposits, tax elections, deductions, PTO payouts, and final pay calculations.
• Perform payroll reconciliations, prepare supporting documentation, and maintain audit-ready records.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee payroll inquiries.
• Partner with HR on employee lifecycle events, including onboarding, terminations, compensation changes, and leave administration.
• Collaborate with Benefits and Accounting teams to ensure accurate deductions, reporting, and general ledger activity.
• Support payroll audits and year-end payroll processing activities.
• Maintain payroll controls, tracking tools, and reconciliation schedules.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience.
• Strong experience with multi-state payroll processing and payroll tax compliance.
• Experience within a professional services environment highly preferred.
• Proficiency with UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) or a similar enterprise payroll platform.
• Advanced Excel skills, including data analysis, lookups, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, payroll accounting, and compliance requirements.
• CPP or FPC certification is a plus.
• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to meet deadlines.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $63,000 – $90,000 base salary
• Fully Remote (must be local to Washington, DC or New York City, NY)
• 37.5-hour workweek
• Overtime eligible position
• Comprehensive benefits package

If you are an experienced payroll professional with multi-state tax expertise and advanced UKG experience, we encourage you to apply.