Payroll Specialist

Benefits

• Opportunity for professional growth and advancement
• Competitive compensation package
• Flexible scheduling options, including hybrid remote work

Position Overview

This role centers on processing payroll for six restaurant locations and one corporate office within a hospitality group. It emphasizes reliability and accuracy, ensuring all staff are paid correctly and on time, reflecting the trust placed in payroll processing as a foundational promise to the team. This specialist position requires full ownership of the weekly payroll cycle using Toast Payroll, encompassing timekeeping review, tips administration, adjustments, retroactive pay, funding, reconciliations, and reporting.

The Payroll Specialist works closely with leadership across People and Finance departments, including Directors and General Managers. Collaboration is key to managing payroll's intersection with human resources and ensuring compliance with labor laws.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end weekly payroll processing for multiple entities using Toast Payroll.
• Maintain meticulous accuracy to prevent errors such as misclassifications, duplicate payments, or undocumented rate changes.
• Track and document every payroll modification with clear audit trails including who made changes, when, and why.
• Prepare and deliver consistent, clear weekly payroll reports to Finance and company leadership.
• Identify discrepancies related to client locations and escalate detailed findings to People leadership for resolution.
• Ensure compliance with federal and Colorado labor law regulations regarding wages, overtime, tip credits, break periods, final pay, and recordkeeping.
• Interpret labor data through an operational perspective to recognize atypical scheduling or timekeeping patterns.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support current processes and organizational growth.
• Assist the People team with payroll-related HR functions like onboarding paperwork, benefits deductions, employment verifications, and file management as workload permits.

Candidate Profile

• At least two years of independent payroll processing experience, with ownership of the full cycle instead of only assisting.
• Proficiency with Toast Payroll and Toast POS systems; experience in multi-unit settings preferred.
• Solid background in the restaurant industry, understanding unique payroll considerations such as tips, tip pooling, split shifts, overtime, and seasonal patterns.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant labor laws at federal and Colorado state levels.
• Natural inclination to document processes thoroughly and create transparent audit trails.
• Effective communication skills, able to raise issues constructively and escalate appropriately.
• Strong discretion in managing confidential payroll and personnel information.
• Degree preferred but not mandatory; practical experience and achievements take precedence.

Desirable Skills

• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a strong advantage.
• Experience with Restaurant365 (R365), particularly payroll exports and accounting handoff.
• Familiarity with payroll journal entry creation and supporting period-end close processes.
• Experience managing payroll across multiple entities and EINs.
• Exposure to benefits administration and auditing deductions.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills beyond basic functions.

Compensation and Work Schedule

• Annual salary set at $65,000.
• Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, paid time off, and meal benefits.
• Hybrid work arrangement with in-office presence Monday through Wednesday and remote work on Thursdays and Fridays.
• A supportive corporate team that values operational roles as essential contributors.

Additional Information

Applicants are encouraged to submit their resume along with a brief introduction explaining their interest directly to the hiring contact. Open communication is valued over formal cover letters. The company supports flexible work-from-home options.