Senior Associate, Human Capital Services

Technical Payroll Expertise:

• Proven track record working with high-volume, multi-location restaurant or hospitality employers. Familiarity with tipped employees, pooled tips, shift differentials, and complex scheduling/pay practices.
• Hands-on experience in a payroll service provider environment, managing multiple client accounts simultaneously.
• Prior experience with Proliant, Paylocity, Gusto, JustWorks, or similar mid-market/enterprise HCM platforms. Ability to quickly adapt to new platforms.
• Knowledge of state-by-state labor laws, tax withholding, and compliance, particularly in high-turnover, multi-jurisdiction environments.
• Understanding of POS/T&A integration challenges (Toast, Tray, Xennial) and how these impact payroll processing.

Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge:

• Strong grasp of Fair Labor Standards Act requirements, tip credit compliance, and state-specific wage rules for tipped employees.
• Awareness of variable-hour employee tracking and reporting requirements.
• Payroll Tax Filing & Reporting: Experience with federal, state, and local payroll tax obligations, including specialized filings for restaurants (e.g., FICA tip credit reporting).

Operational & Client Management Skills:

• Comfort with tight payroll deadlines across 50–100+ locations/units, ensuring accuracy under pressure.
• Ability to identify and implement process improvements, standardize workflows, and reduce error risk in large-scale payroll operations.
• Experience working directly with client contacts, handling escalations, and translating complex payroll issues into clear guidance.
• Familiarity with onboarding new clients, including data conversion, parallel runs, and client training.

Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills:

• Strong attention to detail for reviewing payroll data, resolving discrepancies, and ensuring reporting accuracy.
• Ability to diagnose and correct payroll errors quickly, including tax issues, garnishments, and adjustments.
• Competence in generating, analyzing, and explaining payroll/HR reports to both internal leadership and external clients.

Soft Skills & Professional Competencies:

• Ability to work closely with Aprio and offshore teams to manage workload distribution and maintain service quality.
• Skilled at creating repeatable processes that support long-term growth, not just immediate client needs.
• Strong written and verbal communication, especially when liaising with restaurant operators who may not have HR/payroll expertise.
• Comfort operating in a fast-growth, changing environment with evolving client demands and internal processes