Payroll Specialist/Systems Administrator | Jacksonville, FL

Compensation range + benefits highlights:

• Compensation range: $80,000–$90,000 base salary
• Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, PTO, and 401k.

Role overview:

A growing, multi-state organization is seeking an HRIS & Payroll Specialist to serve as the HRIS subject matter expert and support accurate, compliant payroll operations. This role partners closely with HR, Finance, IT, and vendors to optimize HRIS and payroll processes, strengthen controls, and deliver reliable reporting and analytics.

Key responsibilities:

• Serve as the HRIS SME, supporting configuration, testing, upgrades, security roles, workflows, and data integrity
• Lead or support HRIS implementations, enhancements, and integrations with payroll and finance systems
• Translate HR, payroll, and business requirements into functional system configurations and solutions
• Oversee or support end-to-end multi-state payroll processing for salaried, hourly, and commission-only populations
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations, including withholding, garnishments, and benefit deductions
• Monitor payroll legislative and tax changes impacting a national workforce, assess system and process impacts
• Act as an escalation point for complex payroll, tax, and regulatory issues, and respond to employee inquiries with confidentiality
• Apply financial and accounting principles to payroll reporting, reconciliations, audits, and general ledger alignment
• Develop and maintain payroll and HRIS process documentation, controls, and procedures
• Build and maintain HR, payroll, and financial reports, analyze trends, risks, and improvement opportunities
• Support insurance renewals and internal/external payroll audits

Required qualifications (MUST-HAVES):

• 5–8 years of progressive experience in HRIS, payroll, or related roles
• Hands-on experience with HRIS configuration, implementation, deployment, and ongoing system support
• Extensive multi-state payroll processing experience in complex environments, including compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations
• Strong financial and accounting principles as they relate to payroll reporting, reconciliations, audits, and general ledger integration
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors
• Experience acting as an HRIS/payroll systems subject matter expert, providing guidance and troubleshooting
• Experience with a major HRIS/payroll platform (Workday, ADP, UKG, or Paycom)
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and ensure data integrity and security
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer; sponsorship is not available

Preferred qualifications (NICE-TO-HAVES):

• Experience leading an ADP Workforce Now implementation
• ADP implementation experience
• Experience with Xactly and/or complex commission-based programs
• Demonstrated project management experience delivering system implementations and process improvements across multi-state environments

Work model, travel, schedule:

• On-site, Jacksonville, FL
• Schedule: 8:00 am–5:00 pm
• Travel: None

Ascendo is a certified minority owned staffing firm, and we welcome and celebrate diversity. Ascendo is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, military service or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Contact information

Christian Kincer