Payroll Accountant

Job Description

Payroll Accountant – Remote | U.S. Payroll, ADP, Gusto & Reconciliations

Position Type: Full-Time, Remote

Working Hours: U.S. Business Hours

About the Role

At Pavago, one of our clients is hiring a detail-oriented Payroll Accountant to manage end-to-end U.S. payroll processing, payroll accounting, tax compliance, and reconciliations.

You’ll be responsible for ensuring 50–500 employees are paid accurately and on time, payroll taxes are properly handled, and all payroll records remain clean, compliant, and audit-ready.

This role is ideal for someone with hands-on experience in ADP, Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, or similar payroll systems who understands both payroll processing and the accounting behind it.

What You’ll Own

U.S. Payroll Processing

• Process bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payrolls

• Manage payroll for approximately 50–500 employees

• Review and validate:

  • Time entries and overtime
  • Bonuses and commissions
  • Deductions and adjustments
  • New hires and terminations

• Process payroll through ADP, Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, or BambooHR

• Ensure payroll is accurate and completed on schedule

Payroll Accounting & Reconciliations

• Prepare and post payroll journal entries
• Reconcile payroll clearing accounts, bank activity, and general ledger balances
• Accurately record benefits, deductions, taxes, and employer contributions
• Work with accounting platforms including QuickBooks, NetSuite, or Xero
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies quickly

Payroll Tax & Compliance

• Manage federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements

• Support preparation and filing of:

  • Form 941
  • W-2s
  • 1099s
  • Applicable state and local filings

• Maintain accurate compliance documentation

• Stay current with U.S. payroll regulations and filing requirements

Benefits & Employee Support

• Reconcile healthcare, retirement, and other benefit contributions
• Verify payroll deductions against employee elections
• Support new-hire payroll setup and onboarding
• Respond professionally to questions involving pay stubs, direct deposits, deductions, and tax updates

Payroll Reporting

• Prepare payroll, headcount, and variance reports
• Provide payroll data to finance and HR teams
• Support audits with accurate payroll documentation
• Analyze payroll results against budgets when required

Process Improvement

• Document and maintain payroll SOPs
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll accuracy and efficiency
• Use Excel, integrations, and automation to streamline workflows

Requirements

• 2+ years of payroll processing experience

• Strong hands-on experience with at least one:

  • ADP
  • Gusto
  • Paychex
  • QuickBooks Payroll
  • BambooHR

• Strong understanding of U.S. payroll taxes and compliance

• Experience with payroll journal entries and reconciliations

• Intermediate Excel / Google Sheets skills, including:

  • Pivot Tables
  • VLOOKUP
  • Reconciliations

• High attention to detail and numerical accuracy

• Ability to investigate and resolve discrepancies quickly

• Strong organizational and deadline-management skills

• Comfortable working remotely during U.S. business hours

Nice to Have

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)
• Multi-state payroll experience
• International payroll exposure
• Experience reconciling payroll to accounting systems
• NetSuite or Xero experience
• Familiarity with HRIS integrations such as BambooHR, Workday, or Zenefits

Tools & Systems

Payroll: ADP, Gusto, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, BambooHR

Accounting: QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero

Reporting: Excel, Google Sheets

HRIS: BambooHR, Workday or similar systems

What Success Looks Like

• 100% on-time payroll processing
• Less than 1% payroll error rate
• Payroll tax filings completed before deadlines
• Discrepancies resolved within 2 business days
• Accurate payroll journal entries and reconciliations
• Clean, organized, audit-ready payroll records

Why Join?

• Own end-to-end payroll operations
• Gain exposure to multi-state and multi-entity payroll
• Work across payroll, accounting, tax, and compliance
• Improve and scale payroll processes and systems
• Fully remote role with clear ownership and accountability

Interview Process

1. Initial Phone Screen
2. Spark Hire Video Interview
3. Recruiter Interview
4. Client Interview
5. Offer & Onboarding

Apply Now

If you’re an experienced Payroll Accountant with hands-on knowledge of U.S. payroll, ADP, Gusto, payroll taxes, journal entries, and reconciliations, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and take ownership of accurate, compliant, and reliable payroll operations.

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