Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll Specialist | Full-Time | Location: Atlanta, Georgia | Starting Salary: $80,000 (based on experience)
Health, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Paid Time Off Included 

Superior Rigging and Erecting is a specialty crane, rigging, and steel erection contractor built on safety, discipline, and accountability. We support complex industrial and commercial projects across the Southeast and are known for engineered lift execution, field precision, and a culture that makes the Tough Look Easy. Our work includes critical lifts, machinery moves, structural steel erection, and high-risk engineered operations where technical accuracy and field execution must align without compromise.

Accurate payroll execution is critical in a field-based construction environment where employee trust, compliance, and labor cost accuracy directly impact operations. The Senior Payroll Specialist plays a key role in ensuring payroll processes operate with precision, compliance, and reliability.

Position Summary

Superior Rigging and Erecting is seeking an experienced Senior Payroll Specialist responsible for the end-to-end execution, accuracy, and compliance of payroll operations across the organization.

This role serves as the company’s subject matter expert for payroll processing, payroll compliance, payroll systems, and payroll reporting within a complex multi-state construction environment. The Senior Payroll Specialist works closely with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and field leadership to ensure payroll integrity, labor cost accuracy, and employee confidence in payroll.

This position operates with a high level of independence and accountability, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. This position reports to the Vice President of Human Resources.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing and Execution

• Process accurate and timely weekly and biweekly payroll for hourly and salaried employees
• Ensure proper calculation of all earnings including regular pay, overtime, double time, shift differentials, per diem, bonuses, and special payments
• Process payroll adjustments, corrections, retroactive pay, and off-cycle payments as required
• Maintain strict adherence to payroll processing deadlines
• Validate timekeeping data and resolve discrepancies prior to payroll submission

Multi-State and Construction Payroll Compliance

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and wage and hour regulations
• Manage payroll requirements across multiple states and jurisdictions
• Support prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements when applicable
• Ensure accurate job costing, labor allocations, wage classifications, and project coding
• Partner with Operations and Finance to resolve labor coding and cost allocation issues

Payroll Controls, Audits, and Reconciliations

• Perform regular payroll audits to ensure accuracy and compliance with internal controls
• Reconcile payroll registers, benefit deductions, tax withholdings, and general ledger entries
• Partner with Finance on payroll reconciliations and month-end close activities
• Support internal and external audits related to payroll and labor costs
• Identify, investigate, and resolve payroll discrepancies

Payroll Systems, HRIS, and Data Integrity

• Serve as the primary system expert for payroll within Paylocity or the applicable payroll platform
• Maintain accurate payroll records including tax setups, deductions, and earnings configurations
• Configure and maintain earnings codes, deduction codes, and payroll system rules
• Support system testing, upgrades, reporting, and payroll process improvements
• Ensure data integrity across payroll, timekeeping, benefits, and general ledger systems

Payroll Taxes and Third-Party Coordination

• Coordinate payroll tax filings, amendments, reconciliations, and agency correspondence
• Partner with third-party vendors and tax authorities to resolve notices and discrepancies
• Ensure timely payment of payroll taxes and completion of required filings
• Manage year-end payroll processes including W-2 preparation, validation, and distribution

Benefits and Payroll Integration

• Coordinate payroll deductions and employer contributions for benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, garnishments, and voluntary benefits
• Ensure accurate benefit deductions and payroll feeds
• Partner with Human Resources during open enrollment for setup, testing, and post-enrollment audits
• Support retirement plan payroll feeds and reconciliations

Employee and Manager Payroll Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related employee inquiries
• Provide guidance to supervisors and managers on timekeeping procedures and payroll corrections
• Resolve payroll issues professionally, confidentially, and promptly
• Support payroll components of onboarding and offboarding processes

Reporting and Financial Partnership

• Prepare payroll and labor cost reports for Human Resources and Finance leadership
• Support labor cost analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and workforce reporting
• Provide payroll data to Finance leadership for financial planning and audits
• Maintain strict confidentiality and data security standards

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Seven or more years of progressive payroll experience
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-state payroll and complex wage structures
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax laws, wage and hour regulations, and payroll compliance
• Advanced proficiency with payroll systems; Paylocity experience preferred
• Strong attention to detail, analytical capability, and organizational skills
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism
• Ability to pass pre-employment background screening and drug testing

What We Offer

• Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Direct involvement in high-profile, technically challenging projects
• Opportunity to build and lead a learning and development function within a growing organization

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

Superior Rigging and Erecting is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and discipline employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

ADA and Employment Status Notice

Superior Rigging and Erecting complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable laws to ensure reasonable accommodations are available when needed. This position is classified as Exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employment is at-will unless stated otherwise in writing.