[Hiring] Payroll Specialist @Charlie Health

Role Description

The Payroll Specialist executes Charlie Health’s payroll operations for employees and contractors across the United States and serves as our internal subject matter expert on UKG Pro and UKG Workforce Management. Reporting to the Payroll Manager, this role is accountable for accurate, on-time payroll every cycle and for the configuration and integrity of the systems that produce it.

We’re a team of passionate, forward-thinking professionals eager to take on the challenge of the mental health crisis and play a formative role in providing life-saving solutions. If you’re inspired by our mission and energized by the opportunity to increase access to mental healthcare and impact millions of lives in a profound way, apply today.

What You Own

• Execution of biweekly and bimonthly payroll and off-cycle payments for all employees and independent contractors — preview through funding and post-payroll validation.
• UKG Pro and UKG Workforce Management as our internal system expert: configuration and testing, pay rule changes, earnings and deduction setup, integration monitoring, release testing, and troubleshooting.
• Continuous improvement of payroll process, identifying manual steps, error-prone handoffs, and reconciliation gaps, then designing and implementing solutions. Recommends automation and systems-driven controls to the Payroll Manager.
• Day-to-day timekeeping administration, including schedule and pay rule maintenance, exception resolution, and manager support.
• Drafts and maintains procedural documentation; supports end-user training.

What You Support

• Assist in executing payroll audits and reconciliations each cycle, proactively surfacing discrepancies before they reach employees.
• Provide payroll registers, funding reports, and requested detail to the Accounting team to support month-end close and audit requests.
• Help manage state and local tax registrations, notices, and account maintenance as we expand into new jurisdictions.
• Administer wage garnishments, levies, and support orders in accordance with established procedures and applicable law.
• Serve as a point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, resolving issues with clear, timely, and empathetic communication.
• Assist in preparing support for internal and external audits of payroll controls, processes, and data, including our annual financial statement and 401(k) audits.
• Support year-end activities, including W-2 and 1099 preparation and reconciliation.
• Partner with Finance, IT, People Ops, and our Care teams on reporting and cross-functional pay issues.
• Support HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping system transitions, including implementations, module rollouts, and migrations. Translate current-state payroll processes, pay rules, and requirements into the new environment, execute configuration testing, parallel runs, data validation, and post-cutover reconciliation.

What Success Looks Like

• Every payroll cycle funds accurately and on time, with discrepancies caught in preview rather than after pay dates.
• UKG configuration changes are tested and documented before they reach production, with no unplanned roll-backs.
• Payroll inquiries are acknowledged within one business day and resolved within three whenever possible, and employees get an answer they can understand the first time.
• Payroll SOPs stay current — reviewed at least annually and within 30 days of any process, system, or jurisdiction change.
• Audit and close requests are fulfilled completely on the first pass.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of US multi-state payroll experience, including full-cycle processing for an employee population of 2,000+ employees.
• 2+ years hands-on with UKG Pro and UKG Workforce Management at a configuration level — pay rules, earnings and deductions, integrations, release testing — not end-user only.
• Direct experience on at least one payroll, HRIS, or timekeeping implementation, migration, or major module rollout.
• Working knowledge of multi-state wage and hour rules, state and local tax registration, garnishment administration, and year-end W-2 and 1099 reporting.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and the ability to reconcile large data sets independently.
• A track record of improving processes, not only running them — with examples of what you found, what you changed, and what it saved.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPP or FPC certification.
• Payroll in healthcare, multi-site, or high-growth environments.
• Shift-based or clinical scheduling pay rules and premium calculations.

How You Work

• Precise under deadline. Payroll has a hard stop; you catch the exception before the funding file goes out.
• Sound judgment on escalation. You know which issues you resolve and which the Payroll Manager needs to hear about immediately.
• A systems thinker. You trace a recurring error back to the configuration or handoff that causes it.
• Service-oriented. Pay questions are personal; you answer them the way you would want yours answered.
• Discreet. You handle compensation and personal data without commentary.

Compensation

• The total target base compensation for this role will be between $57,000 and $73,000 per year at the commencement of employment.
• This role offers a target performance-based bonus.
• The target total cash compensation range, including potential bonus, will be between $63,000 and $80,000 per year.
• Pay will be determined on an individualized basis and will be impacted by location, experience, expertise, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations.
• Cash compensation is only part of the total compensation package, which may include stock options and other Charlie Health-sponsored benefits.

Our Values

• Connection: Care deeply & inspire hope.
• Congruence: Stay curious & heed the evidence.
• Commitment: Act with urgency & don’t give up.