Payroll Specialist

About the Role

Our firm is a private equity organization overseeing a growing portfolio of operating companies. We are seeking a detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to manage end-to-end payroll operations across multiple portfolio companies. This role is critical to ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing for employees across various entities, each with its own pay schedules, benefits structures, and state/local requirements.

This is an in-office position, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-entity environment and enjoys building consistent processes across diverse business units.

Key Responsibilities

Process full-cycle, multi-state payroll for employees across several portfolio companies on varying pay schedules (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly)

Ensure accurate calculation of wages, overtime, commissions, bonuses, and deductions across each entity

Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and wage/hour regulations across all jurisdictions where portfolio companies operate

Reconcile payroll data across multiple entities and general ledgers; partner with accounting/finance teams on payroll-related journal entries and month-end close

Administer garnishments, benefit deductions, 401(k) contributions, and other withholdings accurately per entity

Maintain and update employee payroll records, including new hires, terminations, pay changes, and status updates across each company

Process year-end payroll activities, including W-2s, 1099s, and annual tax filings for each entity

Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related questions from employees and managers across the portfolio

Identify opportunities to standardize and streamline payroll processes across entities as the portfolio grows

Stay current on multi-state and multi-entity payroll compliance requirements, including new state legislation affecting portfolio company locations

Support internal and external audits with accurate payroll documentation and reporting

Collaborate with HR and Talent Acquisition to ensure smooth onboarding-to-payroll handoffs for new hires

Qualifications

3+ years of payroll processing experience, ideally supporting multiple companies, locations, or entities simultaneously

Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax compliance and wage/hour laws

Experience with payroll platforms such as ADP, Paycom, Paylocity, or similar systems

Strong Excel skills; comfort working across multiple data sets and reconciling discrepancies

High attention to detail and a strong sense of confidentiality with sensitive employee data

Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines across entities

Experience in a private equity, holding company, or multi-unit operating environment is a plus