Senior Payroll Specialist

Job Title: Senior Payroll Specialist Job Description
A long-established commercial construction organization specializing in gas, power, airport fueling, and telecom construction solutions is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to join its payroll team. In this Senior role, you will manage full-cycle payroll for two subsidiary entities, provide backup support for additional entities, and serve as the primary point of contact for payroll reporting and labor compliance across multiple business units.
Responsibilities
- Manage full-cycle payroll for more than 300 employees, including union and non-union staff, across multiple payroll schedules such as monthly, semi-monthly, and weekly.
- Serve as the primary owner of all payroll reporting for the company, its subsidiaries, and various business units, supporting a total of nine groups.
- Monitor contractor, subcontractor, and sub-tier activity during construction projects to ensure compliance with Federal Labor Standards Provisions, including prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA), applicable State Labor Law requirements, California Labor Code, HUD Section 3 Requirements, and Countywide Local & Targeted Worker Hire Programs.
- Ensure all compliance documents from contractors and related parties are accurately and timely processed and submitted to appropriate entities, including local and federal agencies when applicable.
- Issue requests for missing or revised documentation and correspond with internal teams and external partners to resolve discrepancies and maintain compliance.
- Reconcile and report weekly certified payroll reports and related documentation to meet regulatory and contractual requirements.
- Maintain complete, accurate, and organized payroll and labor compliance records in accordance with company policies and regulatory standards.
- Work with various labor compliance software systems to enter, review, and approve certified payroll and other payroll-related documents.
- Prepare, maintain, audit, and distribute statistical, financial, accounting, auditing, and payroll reports and tables to support internal and external audits as needed.
- Verify check figures, postings, and payroll documents to ensure accuracy and consistency across all payroll records and reports.
- Provide overall support to the Payroll Manager and Assistant Payroll Manager, assisting with complex issues, special projects, and process improvements.
- Perform other related duties and projects as assigned to support the broader payroll and finance functions.
Essential Skills
- Minimum of 3+ years of experience in construction payroll.
- Minimum of 5+ years of total full-cycle payroll experience.
- Demonstrated experience processing union payroll, including working with union employees and labor agreements.
- Strong hands-on experience with full-cycle payroll, including payroll processing, payroll entries, and payroll support.
- Experience working with certified payroll, prevailing wage, and fringe benefits in a construction environment.
- Proficiency in payroll tax processing, deductions, benefits administration, and payroll-related benefits.
- Ability to prepare, reconcile, and analyze payroll reports, payroll records, and payroll information for internal and external stakeholders.
- Working knowledge of labor law and labor agreements as they relate to payroll and union employees.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with the ability to use Excel to perform essential job functions such as data entry, reporting, and analysis.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in maintaining payroll records and compliance documentation.
- Effective communication skills to correspond with internal teams, contractors, and external agencies regarding payroll and compliance issues.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Associates degree or bachelors degree in accounting is preferred.
- Experience with LCP Tracker or DIR reporting systems is preferred.
- Experience working with labor compliance software systems for certified payroll and related documentation.
- Background in construction payroll environments with exposure to multiple entities and business units.
- Ability to support audits by preparing, maintaining, and distributing statistical, financial, accounting, and payroll reports.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities across different payroll schedules.
- Comfort working in a Senior role within a payroll team, providing guidance and backup support for other entities as needed.
Work Environment
This role is based fully on-site, five days per week, in a commercial construction environment supporting multiple business units and subsidiaries. You will work closely with the payroll team, including the Payroll Manager and Assistant Payroll Manager, as well as project and field personnel across gas, power, airport fueling, and telecom projects. The position involves regular use of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, and labor compliance software such as LCP Tracker or DIR reporting tools. The work setting emphasizes accuracy, compliance, and collaboration, with frequent interaction with internal stakeholders, contractors, and external agencies to ensure timely and compliant payroll processing and reporting.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Benicia, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $32.00 - $40.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Benicia,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.