Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Payroll Specialist | Careerscape

The Tone:
This is an entry-level, fully remote Payroll Specialist role for Careerscape’s client, joining their growing finance team. This position offers an excellent opportunity for early-career professionals to gain a solid foundation in payroll operations, compliance, and HRIS systems. The role is vital for ensuring accurate and timely compensation for all employees, directly impacting their financial well-being. You will work closely with experienced accounting and HR professionals, contributing to the financial health and operational efficiency of the organization.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Remote, United States
• Pay: $65000–$85000 yearly
• Team: Works alongside experienced accounting and HR professionals and reports to senior payroll staff.
• Mission: Ensure accurate and compliant payroll processing for a defined employee population, providing timely and correct paychecks.
• Tech Stack: HRIS, payroll system, Microsoft Excel

What You’ll Actually Do
• Payroll Processing: Process biweekly or semimonthly payroll for assigned employee groups.
• Data Integrity: Validate timekeeping data for accuracy and maintain precise payroll records within HRIS and payroll systems.
• Employee Support: Respond to employee inquiries about pay, deductions, and tax withholdings, assisting with new hire, termination, and status change entries.
• Compliance & Reporting: Support reconciliation of payroll accounts, help prepare reports for finance, HR, and compliance, and assist with year-end tasks like W-2 preparation, ensuring compliance with federal and Massachusetts state regulations.
• Issue Resolution: Escalate any discrepancies or system issues to senior payroll staff for timely resolution.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-Level. High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Experience: 0 to 1 year of experience in payroll, accounting, or related administrative roles.
• Skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Excel; strong attention to detail and comfort with numerical data; good written and verbal communication; ability to handle confidential information; strong organizational skills and adherence to recurring deadlines.
• Bonus: Associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business; basic understanding of payroll concepts and wage and hour laws; willingness to learn payroll software and HRIS platforms on the job.