Payroll Operations & Employee Service Specialist

Position Overview

The Payroll Operations & Employee Service Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day coordination and execution of employee payroll activities in partnership with a Managed Services Provider. This position supports payroll processing, reporting, data validation, auditing, employee inquiries, and issue resolution while ensuring compliance with internal controls, tax regulations, data privacy requirements, and established payroll procedures.

The ideal candidate has strong high-volume, multi-state payroll experience, a thorough understanding of the end-to-end payroll cycle, and the ability to analyze and resolve payroll discrepancies in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Work Schedule

• Location: Greenville, SC
• Employment Type: Temp-to-Perm
• Work Model: Hybrid
  • Monday – Wednesday: On-site
  • Thursday – Friday: Remote
• Training: First 2–3 weeks will be fully on-site.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing & Administration

• Coordinate and execute payroll activities in partnership with the Managed Services Provider.
• Perform accurate and timely entry of job, salary, and employee data that does not interface directly from the HRIS into the payroll system.
• Manage payroll processing schedules and deadlines to ensure payroll is accurate, complete, and processed on time.
• Review, correct, and approve payroll data inputs.
• Prepare and process off-cycle payrolls to ensure compliance with state regulations regarding final pay.
• Maintain payroll documentation and records required for legal, tax, audit, and compliance purposes.

Payroll Auditing & Data Analysis

• Analyze and resolve data discrepancies between HRIS and payroll systems.
• Review pre-payroll and post-payroll audit reports to identify and correct errors.
• Research payroll discrepancies and determine appropriate resolutions.
• Ensure payroll transactions comply with established internal controls and documentation requirements.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and supporting documentation.

Employee Service & Issue Resolution

• Respond to payroll-related inquiries from employees, managers, and business-unit stakeholders.
• Provide support regarding:
  • Personnel records
  • Time entry
  • Earnings
  • Payroll deductions
  • Taxes
• Research employee concerns, identify root causes, and communicate accurate resolutions.
• Enter, track, follow up on, and resolve service tickets through ServiceNow and ADP CRM.
• Maintain strong working relationships with employees, business partners, and internal departments.

Payroll Systems & Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) regarding timekeeping and payroll system functionality.
• Support payroll activities involving ADP GlobalView, Ceridian Dayforce, SAP, or similar payroll platforms.
• Partner with payroll associates and functional business partners to troubleshoot system and processing issues.
• Support the garnishment process in partnership with the Managed Services Provider as needed.

Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate with HR Operations, Benefits, Compensation, Finance, and other internal teams.
• Provide payroll data and support in response to internal business requests.
• Partner with stakeholders to resolve payroll, employee data, and system-related issues.
• Work collaboratively with payroll team members to meet processing deadlines and service expectations.

Compliance & Controls

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Follow established audit requirements and internal control standards.
• Maintain compliance with SOX, data privacy, data security, and confidentiality requirements.
• Protect the confidentiality of employee information and payroll records at all times.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• 3–5 years of multi-state payroll processing experience.
• Experience supporting high-volume payroll environments of 5,000+ employees.
• Experience with ADP GlobalView, Ceridian Dayforce, SAP, or similar payroll systems preferred.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of the complete end-to-end payroll processing cycle, including input, processing, auditing, and output.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll, labor, tax, and employment regulations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to research and resolve complex payroll discrepancies.
• Exceptional attention to detail and data-entry accuracy.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and strong overall Microsoft Office skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and payroll deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer-service orientation with the ability to effectively support employees and business stakeholders.
• Ability to identify root causes, resolve issues proactively, and clearly communicate solutions.
• Ability to work effectively within an interdependent, fast-paced, and deadline-driven team environment.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and payroll information.