Payroll Associate

About the Role

This position sits within a company that helps independent pizza restaurants access the kind of tools and operational advantages often reserved for large franchise systems, while preserving their autonomy. The business supports a large network of restaurants with technology, services, and collective strength to help them serve digital-first customers and grow sustainably.

The team is hiring a Payroll Associate to manage end-to-end U.S. payroll for a workforce of 300+ employees, including both salaried exempt and hourly non-exempt staff. The role requires strong accuracy, sound judgment, and the ability to work across Finance, People, and external vendor teams in a fast-moving environment.

This is a high-impact position with ownership of payroll accuracy, compliance, and process improvement during a major systems change from UKG Pro to ADP, along with HRIS integration work involving HiBob.

Payroll Processing and Operations

• Run U.S. payroll from start to finish on a biweekly or semi-monthly schedule using UKG Pro, with a transition to ADP.
• Check that pay, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and deductions are calculated correctly.
• Review payroll inputs such as new hires, exits, pay updates, and timekeeping records.
• Handle off-cycle payrolls, corrections, and retroactive payments.
• Support multi-state payroll compliance, including tax withholding and registrations.

Deductions, Benefits, and Garnishments

• Administer employee deductions for pre-tax and post-tax benefits through Bswift.
• Reconcile and oversee 401(k) contributions with Principal, including funding and reporting.
• Manage garnishments, levies, and child support orders in line with federal and state rules.
• Ensure accurate treatment of FSA, HSA, and other benefits-related deductions.

Compliance and Reporting

• Handle state payroll tax registration.
• Maintain adherence to federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.
• Support tax filings, audits, and reconciliations with external partners.
• Prepare payroll reporting, variance reviews, and general ledger reconciliations.
• Assist with year-end work such as W-2 processing and audit support.

Systems and Process Improvement

• Contribute to the migration from UKG Pro to ADP, including parallel testing and data checks.
• Partner on the HiBob HRIS rollout to support clean payroll integration.
• Look for opportunities to automate payroll and accounts payable tasks.
• Improve workflows and controls across payroll operations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with the People team on employee changes that affect payroll.
• Coordinate with Finance and Accounting on payroll journal entries and reconciliations.
• Partner with external vendors such as ADP, Principal, and Bswift to resolve issues and align processes.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 3 to 5 years of U.S. payroll processing experience.
• Practical experience with UKG Pro or a comparable payroll system.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or a similar ADP platform.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. FLSA requirements.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll and hourly/non-exempt employee groups.
• Comfort using Excel, including pivot tables, lookups, and data validation tools.

Preferred Background

• Exposure to HiBob or another modern HRIS platform.
• Experience with benefits administration systems such as Bswift.
• Familiarity with 401(k) administration, especially Principal.
• Experience with payroll system implementations or platform migrations.
• CPP or a comparable certification.

Key Strengths

• Strong attention to detail and a high standard for accuracy.
• Good analytical thinking and structured problem-solving ability.
• Comfort handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Clear communication and collaborative working style.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work to deadlines in a busy environment.
• Interest in continuous improvement, automation, and AI-enabled efficiency.

Benefits and Extras

• Flexible paid time off.
• Medical, vision, and dental coverage at a competitive market level.
• 401(k) match of up to 4%.
• Wellness reimbursement or stipend.
• Weekly pizza stipend.

Compensation

The expected pay range for this role is $75,000 to $95,000 per year, plus benefits. Final compensation will depend on location, experience, and other role-related considerations.

Hiring Process

• Application review.
• 30-minute introductory conversation with a recruiter.
• 30-minute meeting with the hiring manager.
• 30-minute panel interview.
• 30-minute final leadership interview.
• Offer stage.

Privacy and Data Use

Application data will be collected and processed by the employer for hiring and employment purposes, as well as for legal obligations. The employer states that it uses reasonable safeguards to protect personal data from accidental or unlawful loss, alteration, destruction, or unauthorized access.

If a candidate is not selected and has provided consent, the employer may keep application data and CV documents for up to 365 days to assess future suitability for employment. Candidates may withdraw that consent at any time.

For questions about data protection or to exercise privacy rights, candidates may contact the Data Protection Officer at privacy@slicelife.com.