Payroll & Operation Specialist

Payroll & Operations Specialist

• Department: Finance
• Reports To: Controller (Finance)
• Dotted Line: Vice President, Human Resources
• FLSA Status: Exempt or Non-Exempt (based on role scope)
• Key Partnerships: Human Resources, Accounting, External Payroll Vendors
• Location: Blythewood, South Carolina (Columbia South Carolina area)

Position Summary

The Payroll & Operations Specialist is a Finance-based role responsible for the accurate execution of payroll, financial reconciliation, and compliance with regulatory and accounting requirements. This role maintains a strong dotted-line relationship to Human Resources to ensure alignment of employee data, payroll-impacting transactions, and employee experience, while upholding financial controls and reporting integrity.

Payroll Administration & Financial Management

• •End-to-end ownership of payroll processing, including all earnings types (standard, variable)
• •Validate all payroll-impacting transactions in partnership with HR
• •Maintain compliance with wage and hour laws, payroll regulations, and internal policies
• •Perform tasks related to funding, accruals, and reconciliations
• •Prepare payroll journal entries and support close activities
• •Reconcile payroll accounts and resolve discrepancies
• •Oversee payroll taxes, garnishments, and deductions
• •Coordinate 401(k) funding and reconciliation

Financial Reporting & Controls

• •Prepare payroll accruals and support financial close timelines
• •Ensure strong internal controls aligned with compliance requirements
• •Support internal and external audits
• •Maintain data integrity across systems
• •Provide reporting for forecasting and workforce planning

HR Systems & Operational Alignment

• •Maintain accurate employee data across HRIS and payroll systems
• •Partner with HR to align data and transactions
• •Support lifecycle transactions (hire, change, LOA, termination)
• •Support onboarding and offboarding from payroll perspective
• •Manage system access provisioning and removal
• •Maintain SOP documentation

Stakeholder Support & Continuous Improvement

• •Serve as primary contact for payroll inquiries
• •Act as liaison between Finance, HR, and vendors
• •Identify process improvements
• •Support cross-functional initiatives

Qualifications - Required

• •Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Finance, Accounting, or related field
• •3-5 years payroll experience
• •Experience with ADP
• •Knowledge of multi-state payroll and compliance
• •Experience with reconciliations and audits
• •Proficiency in payroll systems and Excel
• •Strong analytical skills and attention to detail

Qualifications - Preferred

• •Experience in SOX environment
• •Advanced Excel skills
• •Fidelity PSW experience
• •Experience in multi-entity organizations

Core Competencies

• •Financial accuracy and controls mindset
• •Cross-functional collaboration
• •Analytical and problem-solving ability
• •Clear communication
• •Continuous improvement