Payroll Specialist III

Overview Location(s): Encinitas / San Diego Practice/Department: Finance Work Environment: On-site* Compensation: $43-$48 hourly Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies.  Today, we are a 100% employee-owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards.  Our employee-owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience.  Learn more about our  award-winning culture , the  benefits and perks  of being a Dudekian, and the  projects  you will have the opportunity to shape.   Position Overview Who You Are   As an  employee-owner , you embrace accountability, working safely, and collaboration while thinking resourcefully and independently.  Like all Dudekians, you are curious and  solution-oriented , with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and approach challenges with a spirit of  innovation .   How You’ll Make an Impact   Dudek is seeking a meticulous and organized Payroll Specialist to support accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing across multiple states. This role requires hands on payroll expertise, including weighted average overtime, wait time rules, multi state taxation, and end to end payment processing.You’ll partner closely with Accounting, Benefits, and HR to deliver seamless payroll operations and exceptional service. We’re looking for someone who values accuracy, collaboration, and payroll as a long term career. *Work Environment: This role will be on-site for the first 90 days after which eligibility for hybrid work will be evaluated. Duties and Responsibilities   Payroll Processing: Oversee and execute end-to-end payroll processing for 900+ employees accurately and by deadline. Efficiently review and validate payroll data for completeness and accuracy. Ensure timecards are compliant and submitted by the employees prior to payment processing. Process payroll adjustments missed payments, salary changes, bonuses, gift cards, and other payments. Manage complex payroll issues and resolve discrepancies thoroughly and promptly. Payroll Compliance: Engage current payroll tax and mandates to all facets of the payroll payment process, impounds, reporting, distribution and filings. Detail processing of voids, reissues, and stop payments to ensure the proper impact on the tax documents. Reconcile, enter, and approve payroll entries, labor detail, and checks to the general ledger in correlation to the monthly accounting schedule. Taxation and Reporting: Understand and review the federal and multiple state payroll tax requirements and mandates. Maintain timely reviews, reconciliations, escalations, and payment processing to various tax agencies. Ensure tax records are updated and organized within the payroll digital library and designated portals. Process registration forms, SUI rate updates, POAs and agency notices. Review quarterly and annual filings, for any form of discrepancies. Apply the proper payroll taxation in accordance with IRS regulations for various payment types. Audits and Documentation: Prepare for and assist leadership with payroll audits, such as Benefit, Labor Detail, Workers' Comp and 401k annual audits. Ensure requested documentation and records are readily available and managed. Maintain thorough documentation associated with all collaborations with third-party administrators and internal departments. Cooperate with various audits by consolidating data requested timely to meet periodic, quarterly, and annual audit deadlines. Communication: Interaction with outside entities, government agencies, third party administrators, and insurance companies is required for research, reporting or processing. Work as the liaison between payroll and other internal departments to ensure employee data remains in-sync between all business functional systems. Research Masterfile or labor discrepancies to avoid reporting issues. Continuous Improvement: Perform Dayforce Ceridian payroll module upgrade testing and audits. Stay current with payroll and benefit regulations, industry best practices, technological advancements to recommend and implement process improvements. Adapt to new department and firmwide systems as provided for business operations and engage in routine training. Participate in special projects including implementation of new time and attendance system. Minimum Qualifications  Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or a related field preferred. Minimum of 5+ years of experience processing full-cycle, multi-state payroll for 500+ employees, including tax filings, reconciliations, and general ledger integration. Demonstrated hands-on experience managing federal and multi-state payroll tax compliance, quarterly and annual filings, audits, and agency communications. 3+ years of payroll tax experience Strong knowledge of payroll laws, compliance, and operations Excellent organizational, communication, and attention‑to‑detail skills Ability to manage confidential information. Ability to work independently. Must possess a valid driver’s license and have active personal automobile liability insurance by the first day of employment  Preferred Qualifications  3 years Experience with Dayforce Experience with Deltek VantagePoint or similar systems Professional services industry experience Prevailing Wage Certified Payroll experience Experience with systems implementations and special projects CPP or FCP certification. Compensation: $43.00-$48.00 hourly*  *Final agreed-upon compensation will be bas