Sr Payroll Specialist - Qualified Staffing

Senior Payroll Administrator

Our client is a premier business law firm with an international practice. Consistently recognized in Metropolitan Detroit as one of the Best and Brightest Places to Work, we earned this recognition by recruiting attorneys and staff members with outstanding credentials. We are looking for an experience Senior Payroll Administrator for our Detroit Office. 

The Senior Payroll Administrator will report to the Partner Accounting & Payroll Manager with dotted line reporting into FP&A (Partner Finance) Manager and will be responsible for day-to-day staff payroll activities, staff compensation planning and reporting, and will handle audits and account reconciliations relative to the payroll process. The Senior Payroll Administrator will also support the partner payroll process, accounting for all aspects of partner capital, partner shares, and partner tax accounts. This position will work closely with the tax department, general ledger group, and financial planning and analysis group. The Senior Payroll Administrator should have excellent communications skills, organization skills, have a positive attitude and be highly detail-oriented.

Responsibilities

Staff Payroll

• Process payroll for approximately 450 staff and associates using ADP software.
• Maintain and approve hourly employee timesheets through the firm's time tracking software (eTIME).
• Prepare journal entries for all processed payrolls.
• Enter data for new hires, terminations, expense reimbursements, employee receivables, employee loans, garnishment updates, 401k/ROTH updates, pay rate changes, prorated pay, LOA updates, transfers and miscellaneous other updates.
• Process employee garnishments and employee charitable contributions.
• Respond to requests for employment verification.
• Handle unemployment related matters.
• Post client chargeable time worked by secretaries to initiate invoices to clients.
• Look for ways to improve and develop efficiencies and document Policies and Procedures.
• Complete projects on various issues when needed.

Partner Payroll Support

• Prepare the monthly draws, periodic distributions, and special compensation payments for all Firm partners (200+ inpiduals). This includes use of the firm’s partner payroll system.
• Compute and process mid-month contract payments.
• Prepare annual pay schedules for partners as well as any materials needed by the Attorney Compensation Committee.
• Maintain accurate listing of compensation deals. Review and track partner compensation agreements, ensure compliance with guaranteed payments and agreed bonus amounts.
• Maintain monthly schedule of Equity Partner units.
• Research and troubleshoot pay discrepancies, and resolve any compensation-related issues.
• Assist with partner capital buy-ins, withholds and returns including coordination of partner loans from participating banks.
• Reconcile quarterly partner capital loan balances.
• Perform routine audits to ensure accuracy between payments, partner payroll system and general ledger.
• Prepare monthly attorney compensation analyses and variance explanations.
• Process general ledger files from each draw and distribution, and post timely and accurately.
• Reconcile tax liability accounts in the general ledger to ensure that all taxes and other compensation withholdings are deducted and settled accordingly.
• Investigate all material or unexpected variances before transmitting the compensation each pay period; prepare an analysis of compensation expenses comparing the amounts to prior periods.
• Prepare income verification letters when requested.
• Prepare monthly partner compensation details to FP&A.
• Compute annual benefit for newly retired partners.
• Prepare withdrawal statements for departing and retiring partners.

Compensation Planning and Reporting

• Create the annual compensation budget for all staff employees.
• Generate various reports per management request including monthly overtime reports, vacation time and salary projection reports.

Audits and Reconciliations

Tax Compliance

• Reconcile various payroll-related accounts.
• Reconcile and process payment for Long Term Disability insurance premiums.
• Compile data for annual Workers’ Compensation audit.
• Strong familiarity with local tax laws to identify those issues to be escalated for further consideration and review.
• Process required state and local tax withholdings as provided by the Tax Department.
• Coordinate with Tax, Retirement, Benefits and Accounts Payable teams to ensure correct withholdings and treatment, and coordinate with General Ledger team to ensure proper accounting treatment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience in handling comprehensive payroll functions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of payroll, tax and accounting principles and requirements.
• Proficiency in payroll-related applications (ADP Workforce Now, ADP HRB, eTIME).
• Advanced Excel skills are required. Strong working knowledge of MS Office and accounting software (preferably Aderant).
• Demonstrated effective time management skills, ability to plan, set priorities, meet deadlines and to find solutions to problems.
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary in order to communicate with a perse group of attorneys and staff and provide information with courtesy and tact.
• Analytical skills necessary in order to conduct complex and detailed analysis of various accounting problems.
• Possesses agile, execution-minded work style to resolve varying problems with strong analytical skills and high attention to details.
• Demonstrated ability to write, communicate, facilitate, and present cogently and communicate complex concepts across all levels of staff and leadership management.

Ourt client is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other category prohibited by applicable local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, and termination.

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