Specialist, Payroll

📋 Description

• • Own the complete, end-to-end payroll cycle for Orca Bio’s rapidly expanding, multi-state workforce—processing semi-monthly and bi-weekly payrolls for both exempt and non-exempt employees while ensuring 100 % accuracy and strict compliance with federal, state, and local wage-and-hour laws.
• • Serve as the go-to expert on complex California rules—daily overtime, double-time calculations, meal and rest break premiums, local tax withholdings, and final pay requirements—while simultaneously staying ahead of evolving regulations in every jurisdiction where we operate.
• • Audit and reconcile timekeeping data in Zenefits/TriNet, partnering directly with managers and supervisors to resolve discrepancies before payroll submission; ensure non-exempt timesheets reflect overtime, shift differentials, and statutory breaks without exception.
• • Manage multi-state tax registrations, garnishments, state unemployment insurance, and wage statements; maintain meticulous records that stand up to external audits and internal SOX controls.
• • Collaborate cross-functionally with HR during onboarding, leave management, and terminations to guarantee new-hire setup, benefit deductions, and final pay are executed flawlessly and on time.
• • Produce precise payroll journal entries and reconciliations for Finance, supporting month-end close and providing clear variance explanations that enable leadership to make data-driven decisions.
• • Administer the equity stock program in lockstep with Legal and HR—reconcile Carta or similar platform transactions with payroll, calculate taxable events, and prepare equity-related tax filings so employees fully understand the value and implications of every grant and vest.
• • Drive year-end activities including W-2 generation, ACA reporting, and Form 5500 preparation; coordinate with external auditors and payroll vendors to deliver clean, timely filings.
• • Champion continuous improvement—document and refine payroll policies, streamline workflows, and implement system upgrades or integrations that scale with the company’s growth trajectory.
• • Provide white-glove support to employees on pay, deductions, time reporting, and equity questions, maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality, empathy, and customer service in every interaction.
• • Act as a key contributor to ad-hoc projects such as international expansion payroll mapping, M&A integration, or new benefit rollout, bringing analytical rigor and a solutions-first mindset to every challenge.