HR Ops - Ohio

About the Role

Black Box is seeking an experienced HR Operations professional with deep expertise in payroll management to lead and optimize payroll operations across a complex, multi-state workforce. This role will ensure accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing while driving operational excellence across HR systems, reporting, and employee lifecycle processes.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll processing for multi-state employees (corporate, field, and project-based workforce).
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll execution (bi-weekly/monthly cycles).
• Manage payroll inputs including new hires, terminations, bonuses, commissions, and deductions.
• Partner with Finance to reconcile payroll data, general ledger, and reporting.
• Handle payroll audits, discrepancies, and employee escalations.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws.
• Ensure compliance with tax regulations, wage laws, and reporting requirements.
• Prepare and validate payroll reports, audits, and filings.
• Maintain documentation for audits and regulatory reviews.
• Track and report payroll metrics and trends using Microsoft Excel and Power BI.
• Oversee employee data changes impacting payroll (job changes, compensation updates).
• Partner with HRBPs and Talent Acquisition on onboarding/offboarding payroll inputs.
• Ensure data integrity between HRIS and payroll systems.
• Support benefits deductions, leave of absence tracking, and timekeeping systems.
• Identify and implement payroll process improvements and automation opportunities.
• Streamline workflows between HR, Finance, and Payroll.
• Improve accuracy, reduce manual effort, and enhance employee experience.
• Act as the primary point of contact for payroll-related queries and escalations.
• Partner with internal stakeholders across HR, Finance, and Operations.
• Provide guidance on payroll policies, procedures, and best practices.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in payroll or HR operations with strong payroll ownership.
• Proven experience managing multi-state payroll in the U.S.
• Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, tax regulations, and wage laws.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, reconciliation).
• Experience with payroll systems.
• Strong attention to detail and high level of accuracy.
• Experience supporting field-based or hourly workforce (technicians, project teams).
• Experience with reporting tools like Power BI or Tableau.
• Experience in a global or multi-country payroll environment.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Finance, Accounting, or related field.

Skills

• Payroll Processing & Compliance
• Payroll Reconciliation & Audits
• HRIS & Payroll Systems
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Process Improvement & Automation
• Stakeholder Management