Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll Support

Location: Downtown Houston

Date Range: March 16 – September 14, 2026

Schedule: Hybrid (Monday–Thursday in office, Friday remote)

We are seeking a Senior Prevailing Wage Associate to support payroll accuracy, compliance, and data integrity in a fast-paced corporate environment.

This senior-level role requires professionalism, poise, sound judgment, and the ability to operate effectively with minimal supervision. Candidates must have prior leadership or senior-level experience and an agile mindset.

Job Summary:

The Senior Prevailing Wage Associate supports certified payroll and prevailing wage compliance activities across assigned populations. This role ensures accurate data collection, validation, and reporting in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. The associate partners closely with Payroll, HR Operations, and Compliance stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate submissions while maintaining audit readiness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support end-to-end prevailing wage and certified payroll processes
• Collect, review, and validate payroll data for prevailing wage compliance
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports (WH-347 and state equivalents)
• Ensure employee classifications, wage rates, fringes, and hours align with wage determinations
• Partner with Payroll to resolve discrepancies prior to payroll close
• Monitor compliance with federal, state, and local prevailing wage requirements
• Maintain documentation and audit-ready records for compliance reviews
• Respond to internal and external inquiries related to certified payroll and prevailing wage
• Track deadlines and ensure timely submission of required reports
• Escalate compliance risks, errors, or gaps with recommended actions
• Support process improvement and standardization initiatives
• Coach and mentor less experienced team members; act as Subject Matter Expert

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, MIS, Business Administration, or related field preferred. In lieu of degree, High School Diploma or GED with four years of relevant experience.

Experience:

2–4 years of certified payroll and/or prevailing wage administration experience required.

Previous experience in Oil & Gas, Energy, or Manufacturing environments strongly preferred (10,000+ employee organizations).

Experience in HR Service Center, Payroll Operations, or Shared Services environments preferred.

Certifications:

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or equivalent certification required.

Required Skills & Expertise

• Hands-on experience preparing certified payroll reports
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local prevailing wage regulations
• Experience working with payroll data, wage determinations, and labor classifications
• High attention to detail with strong validation and quality control skills
• Ability to manage recurring deadlines and compliance requirements
• Experience supporting multi-state or complex prevailing wage populations
• Expertise with payroll and HCM systems (Intermediate Excel required; Oracle HCM, UKG-Timekeeper, ADP, Workday preferred)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to lead projects to completion within established timeframes
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, service-oriented corporate environment