Assistant Payroll Administration

Position Summary

The Assistant Payroll Administrator supports the accurate and timely processing of weekly payroll for a 425+ employee workforce in the commercial construction industry. This role will assist the Payroll Coordinator in ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local wage & hour laws, including California’s strict construction payroll requirements (apprentice wages, prevailing wages, certified payroll reporting, and reporting time pay). The position requires attention to detail, strong knowledge of payroll regulations, and the ability to manage sensitive information with confidentiality

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing

• Assist in the preparation and processing of weekly multi-state payroll for field, professional, and management employees.
• Review timesheets and job cost coding for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with company policies and labor laws.
• Support payroll audits and reconciliations to ensure correct payment of regular, overtime, double-time, and reporting time pay in accordance with California law.
• Monitor and track meal period compliance, rest breaks, and overtime rules specific to California construction workers.

Prevailing Wage & Certified Payroll

• Assist with accurate calculation and processing of prevailing wage rates, fringe benefits, and apprentice pay rates as required by state and federal law.
• Prepare and submit certified payroll reports for public works projects, ensuring compliance with the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and federal Davis-Bacon Act requirements.
• Maintain records of craft classifications, apprentice ratios, and wage determinations.

Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Support compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local payroll and wage/hour laws, including California Labor Code requirements.
• Maintain accurate employee payroll records, garnishments, deductions, and benefits contributions in alignment with company and legal requirements.
• Assist in responding to agency inquiries, audits, and employee questions regarding payroll and wage statements.

Systems & Reporting

• Enter and verify payroll data into Sage (legacy system) and assist in transitions to future payroll/HRIS systems.
• Generate standard payroll reports and support ad-hoc reporting requests from Finance, HR, and Operations.
• Assist in reconciling payroll general ledger accounts and preparing year-end payroll documentation (e.g., W-2s, ACA reporting).

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred. Equivalent payroll experience may be considered.
• 2+ years of payroll or accounting experience required; construction industry experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with California prevailing wage, certified payroll, and apprentice pay requirements is highly desirable.
• Experience with payroll/accounting systems and proficiency with Excel required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of California and federal wage & hour laws, including overtime, meal/rest breaks, reporting time pay, and prevailing wage compliance.
• High attention to detail and accuracy with numerical data entry.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with employees, supervisors, and external agencies.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Standard office environment with extended periods of computer use.
• Occasional need to work additional hours during peak payroll cycles or year-end reporting.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Training & Development
• On Site Gym

Wage Range: $26 - $34 per hour DOE