Payroll Administrator (Finance)

Who We Are

SAG-AFTRA is the iconic American labor union that represents approximately 160,000 media professionals. SAG-AFTRA employees support our members and thrive on securing the strongest protections by negotiating the best wages, working conditions, health and pension benefits. We preserve and expand members’ work opportunities, vigorously enforce our contracts and protect our members against unauthorized use of their work. ​

What You’ll Do

The Payroll Administrator is responsible for administering payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees, including processing changes related to new hires, rehires, promotions and raises, tax updates, benefit deductions, awards and bonuses, leaves of absence, expense reimbursements, garnishments, and child support withholdings. The role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll execution while maintaining strict confidentiality, supporting employees, and partnering with internal stakeholders to uphold policy, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

(This section provides a general summary of the most significant job duties performed. It does not explain in detail every single duty performed.)

• Payroll Processing - Process payroll for all employee groups, ensuring accuracy in hours, earnings, benefits, deductions, and adjustments. Maintain payroll records and verify data integrity prior to each payroll cycle. 
• Data Transmission - Prepare and transmit payroll data including benefits, tax withholdings, retirement contributions, and reimbursements. Reconcile discrepancies and ensure timely submission to third-party systems.
• Compliance & Controls - Ensure payroll transactions comply with federal, state, and local regulations and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA’s). Support internal controls through documentation, verification, and audit-ready recordkeeping.
• Employee Support - Respond to routine and moderately complex payroll inquiries. Assist employees in understanding pay, deductions, reimbursements, and related policies.
• Expense Reimbursements - Review and process employee reimbursements for policy compliance; identify exceptions and resolve issues.

What You’ll Need

We want to make sure you’re successful. To be considered, you must have:

(The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.)

• Ability to use computers to enter, access, and retrieve financial data; proficiency in PC applications.
• Ability to independently perform detailed work with a high degree of accuracy; strong organizational and communication skills.
• Strong mathematical skills and ability to analyze situations and adopt effective solutions.
• Demonstrated results orientation and proven customer service skills.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks under strict deadlines in a high-paced environment.
• Self-starter with strong teamwork skills; capable of taking direction from multiple supervisors.
• High degree of patience, tact, and ability to cultivate respectful, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Holds self and others accountable for high performance and ethical conduct.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize tasks, and adjust to changing deadlines.
• Ability to work in an environment where constructive feedback is encouraged.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Business Administration, preferably in Accounting or Finance) and 1-2 years of relevant experience.  A combination of education and experience may be substituted for a Bachelor's degree.

PREFERRED BACKGROUND:

• Professional Certification (Certified Payroll Professional) preferred.

What You’ll Get

We are a great place to work because we offer:

• Pay rate of $33.39/hour.
• Colleagues that are passionate about what we do and how they contribute to our mission
• Balance between work and home life responsibilities
• Affordable and comprehensive medical and dental plans
• Generous pension plan
• Employee discounts and perk