Payroll Specialist

About This Role

The Payroll Specialist runs payroll for a portfolio of client firms from start to finish, ensuring accurate pay runs, multi-state compliance, and clean payroll entries. This role is critical for clients' employees and advisors who depend on accurate and timely compensation.

Responsibilities

• Process recurring payroll for multiple clients, primarily in Gusto
• Handle new hire onboarding, terminations, pay changes, and benefit and 401(k) deductions
• Process commission, bonus, and off-cycle payrolls in coordination with the commissions team
• Manage multi-state payroll: state registrations, withholding, and unemployment accounts
• Reconcile payroll to the GL and book payroll journal entries in QBO
• Monitor tax filings, notices, and quarterly and annual reporting (941, 940, W-2s, state returns)
• Help clients move payroll onto Gusto from other providers
• Answer client and employee payroll questions promptly and professionally
• Track pay calendars and deadlines in Financial Cents

Requirements

• 2–3+ years of multi-client or multi-state payroll experience
• Hands-on Gusto experience required; ADP, Paychex, or other platforms a plus
• Working knowledge of QuickBooks Online and payroll journal entries
• Understanding of federal and state payroll tax, garnishments, and benefit deductions
• Experience with commission-based compensation is a strong plus
• Very accurate and deadline-driven, comfortable owning a recurring calendar across clients

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Health insurance

Important Details

• Expected hours: 40.0 per week

About the Company

Financially SMART is a fractional CFO and outsourced accounting firm that works exclusively with wealth management firms and RIAs. They support roughly 35 advisory firms through a pod-based service model, and payroll is a core part of their service delivery.