Payroll Specialist

Job Summary

A Payroll Specialist opportunity is available in Decatur, IL for a detail-oriented professional who enjoys accuracy, compliance, customer service, and working in a fast-paced corporate payroll environment. This contract/temporary role is ideal for someone with strong office, accounting, or payroll experience who is ready to support payroll operations for a large, complex organization in the agriculture industry.

You will process U.S. and Canadian payroll, help resolve payroll discrepancies, support employees and management with payroll-related questions, and contribute to accurate reporting and tax documentation. This role offers valuable exposure to payroll operations, cross-functional collaboration, and high-visibility support for employees at multiple levels of the organization.

Candidates who succeed in this position are organized, confidential, customer-focused, and comfortable managing deadlines while maintaining excellent accuracy. The work environment values operational excellence, teamwork, professional communication, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

- Process U.S. and Canadian payroll accurately and on time, including support for non-exempt payrolls.
- Research, troubleshoot, and resolve payroll processing errors, discrepancies, and employee inquiries.
- Complete payroll reconciliations and support required tax documentation, including Form 941, W2, T4, and related filings.
- Communicate professionally with employees, local management teams, and internal departments to ensure accurate payroll processing.
- Maintain payroll data, documentation, manuals, and SOPs in a secure, compliant, and organized manner.
- Support process improvements, special projects, and management reporting needs as assigned.

Compensation and Benefits

- Pay Rate: $20 per hour.
- Job Type: Contract/Temporary.
- Location: Decatur, IL.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

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For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

AppleOne participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Additional Skills

Required Qualifications and Skills

- Process payroll for U.S. and Canadian employees with accuracy, confidentiality, and timeliness.
- Complete payroll reconciliations, tax documentation, and discrepancy resolution.
- Provide professional payroll support to employees, managers, and internal business partners.
- Maintain secure payroll records and contribute to accurate process documentation.

- Minimum of 3 years of general office or accounting experience.
- Payroll experience preferred.
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience.
- Intermediate understanding of accounting and mathematical procedures.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Knowledge of IBM CICS, IBM IMS, and MDM systems.
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify and resolve discrepancies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Strong customer service, organization, prioritization, and time management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and make quick, calculated decisions.
- Commitment to confidentiality, compliance, data security, and operational accuracy.
- Ability to hear and speak clearly, read and comprehend information, and communicate effectively in person and by phone.
- Ability to perform physical requirements including standing, filing, bending, sitting for extended periods, and working on the telephone.

Preferred Qualifications

- Payroll processing experience in a corporate or shared services environment.
- Experience supporting U.S. and Canadian payroll.
- Familiarity with payroll tax documentation such as Form 941, W2, and T4.
- Knowledge of complex business unit structures.
- Experience creating or maintaining payroll manuals, SOPs, or process documentation.
- Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify process efficiencies.