Payroll Specialist

We are looking for a Payroll Specialist to join one of our clients based in Portland, Oregon in a contract-to-permanent capacity. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, brings strong attention to detail, and can manage complex payroll activity across multiple states with confidence. The role supports a sizable employee population and requires a proactive, detail-focused individual who can balance accuracy, responsiveness, and excellent service.

Responsibilities:

• Process end-to-end payroll for a designated group of employees while maintaining accuracy and timeliness.

• Administer payroll across numerous U.S. states, researching state-specific rules as needed to resolve pay questions and ensure compliance.

• Review earnings such as hourly pay, salaries, commissions, and bonus payments, verifying calculations and investigating discrepancies before finalizing payroll.

• Track payroll exceptions, follow up on outstanding items, and maintain organized records in a high-volume environment.

• Provide responsive support to employees and internal stakeholders by addressing payroll inquiries with care and courtesy.

• Adapt to unique payroll scenarios and varied processing requirements, applying sound judgment when standard procedures do not fully apply.

• At least 2 years of payroll experience, including full-cycle payroll processing.

• Hands-on experience managing payroll for employees in multiple states.

• Knowledge of payroll practices for varied compensation types, including hourly, salaried, commission-based, and bonus earnings.

• Experience with payroll platforms such as Dayforce, Paychex, Paylocity, or Paycom.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage heavy tracking and multiple exceptions.

• Excellent customer service and communication skills, with a proactive and flexible approach to problem-solving.

• California payroll processing experience is preferred.