Payroll Coordinator

Role Overview

Smurfit Westrock's Mahrt Mill in Cottonton, Alabama, is seeking a Payroll Coordinator responsible for precisely managing and reviewing time records for around 500 hourly employees using Workforce Software (WFS). This role plays a crucial part in maintaining payroll accuracy by overseeing employee hours, overtime, schedule changes, and pay-related entries, ensuring adherence to organizational policies, labor agreements, and relevant regulations.

Primary Duties

• Manage and verify employee time records within WFS.
• Input, modify, and correct time entries, including regular and overtime hours, vacation, holidays, personal time, jury duty, bereavement leave, and other paid or unpaid absences.
• Identify and resolve timekeeping exceptions, missed punches, and scheduling inconsistencies.
• Validate time entries comply with corporate policies, attendance rules, and union agreements.
• Review and approve timecards before payroll deadlines, coordinating with supervisors on discrepancies.
• Conduct payroll audits to detect and correct errors.
• Prepare and distribute timekeeping reports as necessary.
• Maintain confidentiality of employees’ payroll information.
• Assist employees and supervisors with questions regarding WFS processes.
• Keep appropriate records for audit purposes.
• Participate in system testing, upgrades, and ongoing process improvements related to payroll and timekeeping.
• Perform additional related duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience working with timekeeping systems; expertise in Workforce Software (WFS) is highly preferred.
• Understanding of payroll operations and time management practices.
• Ability to interpret attendance policies, schedules, overtime regulations, and labor contracts.
• Strong attention to detail with excellent organizational and time management capabilities.
• Analytical mindset equipped for problem-solving.
• Effective interpersonal and written communication abilities.
• Capability to handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical handling of sensitive data.

Education: Minimum high school diploma or GED required; Associate degree in Business, Human Resources, Accounting, or related discipline preferred.

Experience: Between 1 and 3 years in payroll, timekeeping, HR, administrative support, or similar functions; manufacturing, industrial, or unionized work experience is a plus.

Working Environment & Performance Metrics

• Office setting within an industrial environment.
• Frequent collaboration with employees, supervisors, and cross-functional teams.
• Workload may intensify during payroll periods, holidays, year-end, and project rollouts.
• Availability on most holidays is necessary to meet payroll deadlines.
• Key performance indicators include accuracy of records, timeliness of payroll processing, minimization of payroll corrections, adherence to policies and agreements, and responsiveness to inquiries.