Senior Payroll Specialist

About the role

Hugel Aesthetics is a dedicated North American business unit of Hugel, a global leader in medical aesthetics. We specialize in botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid fillers, skin boosters, threads, and biocosmetics. Our mission is to expand access to Letybo and establish a strong, long-term presence in medical aesthetics.

Responsibilities

• Payroll Audit & Processing:
  • Audit and process bi-weekly payroll for employees across multiple states, in partnership with the company's external payroll administration provider.
  • Review payroll registers prior to finalization for accuracy of hours, earnings, bonuses/commissions, deductions, garnishments, and tax withholdings.
  • Partner with HR/payroll vendor for activities such as coordinating payroll calendars, resolving discrepancies, and escalating system or processing issues.
  • Maintain organized payroll records and supporting documentation to satisfy internal controls and audit requirements.
  • Monitor multi-state payroll tax compliance, including withholding requirements, new-state tax registrations, and jurisdictional setup, in coordination with the payroll vendor.
  • Process off-cycle payments, manual checks, retroactive pay adjustments, and payroll corrections as needed.
  • Reconcile payroll registers to the general ledger each pay cycle and research/resolve variances.
  • Prepare and post payroll-related journal entries and account reconciliations (payroll liabilities, benefits, accrued PTO, etc.).
  • Be the system administrator for our payroll system.
• Accounting Support:
  • Prepare and post journal entries and perform account reconciliations as part of the month-end and year-end close process.
  • Prepare and post the monthly and quarterly bonus accrual and post the sales commission accrual.
  • Assist with general ledger maintenance, including basic accruals, prepaids, and account analysis.
  • Support accounts payable and accounts receivable functions as needed.
  • Support internal and external audit requests by preparing reconciliations, pulling supporting documentation for auditor inquiries.
  • Identify and support process improvement opportunities within payroll and accounting workflows.
• General Finance Support:
  • Serve as a first point of contact for finance questions related to payroll, bonus, and sales commissions.
  • Perform ad hoc financial analysis and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field highly preferred, with 3-5 years of progressive experience in finance/and or accounting; or Associate’s degree in Accounting or Finance with 5+ years experience in finance/and or accounting.
• Demonstrated experience with hands-on payroll processing or auditing experience.
• Experience processing or auditing multi-state payroll, ideally in partnership with a third-party payroll administration provider (e.g., ADP, UKG, Paylocity, or similar).
• Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, wage and hour compliance, and payroll accounting principles.
• Solid foundational accounting knowledge, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end close processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, summary formulas).
• Experience working within an ERP or accounting system (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or similar).
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage recurring deadline-driven payroll cycles alongside broader accounting responsibilities.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail when working with sensitive payroll and financial data.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with HR, department leaders, and vendors.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding payroll and compensation information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word) and calendar scheduling tools.
• Ability to work in an office environment, and sit, stand or use computer for extended period of time.

Qualifications

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, embrace ambiguity, and be energized by the opportunity to learn and build alongside a team creating something special.
• Experience in a hybrid onsite role, expected to be in the Irvine office 3-4 days per week.