Payroll Accountant

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

- C