Payroll Specialist - Cox Farms

About Cox Farms

Cox Farms, which operates across North America, is part of the Cox Enterprises family of businesses and a pioneering leader in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. Backed by Cox Enterprises’ long-standing commitment to building stronger businesses and a better world, Cox Farms is dedicated to revolutionizing food production through sustainable and innovative technology. Our cutting-edge facilities leverage advanced agronomic, production, and greenhouse systems to deliver fresh, high-quality produce to consumers year-round—minimizing environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency.

Position Overview

The US Payroll Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of United States payroll, working with a moderate degree of independence within established procedures. This role executes the full US payroll cycle end to end — from data intake through post-processing support — and serves as a working-level resource on payroll systems and processes, escalating only complex, ambiguous, or policy-level issues to the Manager, Payroll. The Specialist partners closely with HR, Finance, operations, and payroll vendors to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing

• Process biweekly (and, where applicable, weekly) US payroll end to end using ADP Workforce Now and Workforce Manager, ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery.
• Gather, review, and enter payroll changes submitted from multiple US locations and headquarters within established deadlines.
• Process temporary and hourly payroll submissions on a weekly basis, validating hours and pay inputs for accuracy.
• Enter and audit employee changes in ADP — including new hires, promotions, transfers, and terminations — and issue related employee change letters.
• Calculate and apply off-cycle payments, adjustments, and corrections as needed, following established approval procedures.
• Identify payroll discrepancies and resolve routine issues independently and quickly; escalate complex or unusual discrepancies to the Manager, Payroll with a clear summary and recommended resolution.
• Generate, review, and reconcile payroll General Ledger reports in ADP to ensure accurate financial reporting and month-end accounting processes.

Systems & Process Support

• Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for ADP system questions, troubleshooting issues raised by employees, HR, and operations before escalating.
• Create, update, and maintain ADP-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) and process documentation for the payroll function.
• Build, run, and validate standard payroll reports; support report configuration and testing for system updates.
• Create and maintain employee-facing request forms (e.g., JotForms) for payroll inquiries and resolve related questions.

Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Support compliance with applicable federal and state payroll regulations, including wage and hour rules, garnishments, and statutory deductions.
• Assist with year-end processes, including W-2 preparation and distribution support.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and documentation to support audits, filings, and government remittances.
• Apply established time-off, sick leave, and error-correction procedures consistently across employee payroll records.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with HR and Finance to ensure payroll data integrity across systems, including month-end support as needed.
• Act as a liaison between operations and other departments to resolve routine payroll and system issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and recommend enhancements to the Manager, Payroll.
• Contribute to team documentation and share working knowledge with colleagues to support consistent service delivery.

Performance Expectations

• US payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements across every pay cycle.
• Routine and moderately complex payroll issues are resolved using sound judgment and established procedures; complex or sensitive issues are escalated with a clear recommendation.
• Employee, HR, and cross-departmental payroll inquiries are handled promptly and with a customer-service mindset.
• Payroll records, reports, and documentation are complete, accurate, and audit-ready.
• SOPs and process documentation are kept current and support consistent execution.
• Operates with moderate autonomy on standard work, escalating ambiguous or policy-level matters to the Manager, Payroll rather than working through them alone.

Required Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience in payroll processing or a related Total Rewards function, with direct exposure to US payroll.
• Working knowledge of US payroll fundamentals, including wage and hour rules, garnishments, and statutory deductions.
• Experience using ADP, Workday, or a comparable enterprise payroll system.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage recurring deadlines and multiple priorities under general supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and standard office systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multi-location or multi-entity US payroll.
• Experience with ADP, Workday, or comparable enterprise payroll/HRIS platforms.
• Exposure to payroll year-end processes (e.g., W-2 preparation) and basic audit support.
• Familiarity with payroll SOP development and process documentation.

Culture & Values at Cox Farms

At Cox Farms, we live out our Rooted Together culture:
 
 Our Purpose, Vision & Mission 

Our Core Values
At Cox Farms, our culture is Rooted Together. We live our values every day: