Payroll Specialist

Operating in a deadline-driven environment, the Payroll Specialist balances technical compliance (such as certified payroll disbursements, fringe benefit taxation, and garnishments) with active customer service for internal staff and management. This position serves as a key operational specialist within the payroll department, taking primary responsibility for processing, reconciling, and recording union payroll for bargaining employees.

Payroll Specialist
Location: NW Portland
Salary: $60,000 - $65,000

This position serves as a key operational specialist within the payroll department, taking primary responsibility for processing, reconciling, and recording union payroll for bargaining employees. Operating in a deadline-driven environment, the Payroll Specialist balances technical compliance (such as certified payroll disbursements, fringe benefit taxation, and garnishments) with active customer service for internal staff and management. It is an exceptional fit for a meticulous, grounded professional who carries themselves with a steady energy and thrives within a collaborative team.

Key Responsibilities

• Union & Bargaining Payroll Execution: Manage full-cycle payroll transactions for unionized personnel, ensuring accurate taxation, garnishment compliance, and timely distribution.
• Compliance & Specialized Reporting: Execute weekly certified payroll review and disbursement, process monthly MER and Market Recovery reports, and handle OCIP reporting.
• Regulatory Filings: Prepare weekly Intents and Affidavits for L&I, process unemployment claims, and manage compliance procedures for unclaimed property checks.
• Time & System Integration: Interface daily time and attendance data through KeyStyle software, loading external departmental import files and reconciling batch data prior to transmission.
• Internal Customer Service: Serve as a responsive point of contact for employees and management, resolving pay discrepancies, processing manual checks, and issuing stop payments.
• Onboarding & Administration: Process weekly new hire packets and generate ad hoc financial or operational reports as needed by leadership.

Requirements

• Proven experience processing complex, high-volume payroll operations; direct union or bargaining agreement payroll experience is highly desired.
• Strong background in construction accounting or project-based office environments is highly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with certified payroll processing, prevailing wage rules, and regulatory reporting is highly preferred.
• Experience utilizing enterprise payroll platforms; familiarity with Viewpoint or similar ERP/payroll software is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, specifically Excel and Word.
• Exceptional organizational skills, high attention to detail, and the ability to maintain accuracy despite frequent interruptions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Timing is everything. Whether you are aggressively in a job search or simply passive for the ideal position, we would like to have the chance to share our opportunities with you. We specialize in placement for accounting and finance professionals. Many of our positions are not posted on the internet. Please contact me for more information about this role as well as other opportunities.

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