Senior Payroll Accountant

Position Overview

This position is designed as a Senior Payroll Accountant and combines full-cycle payroll ownership with core general accounting responsibilities, reporting directly to the Controller. This individual serves as a key member of the accounting team and is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll within Workday, maintaining payroll compliance, and owning all payroll-related accounting activities, including journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and payroll-related financial reporting.

The ideal candidate brings hands-on Workday payroll experience, a strong foundation in GAAP-based accounting principles, and the ability to independently manage both payroll operations and assigned accounting responsibilities with minimal supervision. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, sound business judgment, and the ability to collaborate effectively across Finance, Human Resources, and other business functions. This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Processing (Workday)

• Run the full payroll cycle in Workday for U.S. (and, where applicable, multi-state or international) employees on a recurring schedule, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and on-time delivery.
• Enter and validate payroll inputs, including new hires, terminations, status changes, pay rate changes, retroactive adjustments, bonuses, commissions, off-cycle payments, and final pay.
• Configure and maintain Workday earnings, deductions, pay components, and pay component groups; support open enrollment and benefit deduction changes.
• Manage garnishments, tax withholdings, imputed income, and other statutory and voluntary deductions.
• Audit payroll inputs and outputs each cycle, resolve exceptions and errors, and validate results before finalizing and confirming payroll.
• Build, run, and interpret Workday payroll reports and calculated fields; support ad hoc reporting requests.

Payroll Accounting

• Prepare and post payroll-related journal entries, including accruals for wages, PTO, bonuses, and employer taxes.
• Reconcile payroll general ledger accounts (wages payable, tax liabilities, benefit deductions, clearing accounts); research and resolve discrepancies.
• Reconcile quarterly and year-end tax filings, W-2s, and third-party payments (tax authorities, benefit providers, garnishment agencies).
• Validate and reconcile the mapping between Workday payroll results and the general ledger (payroll costing and accounting configuration).

Close Responsibilities

• Prepare and post journal entries for assigned non-payroll close activities, including accruals, prepaids, and standard recurring entries.
• Perform monthly balance sheet account reconciliations across an assigned set of accounts, beyond payroll-related accounts, escalating discrepancies that require research.
• Assist with income statement variance analysis and flux commentary for assigned accounts.
• Participate in month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities as a full member of the close team, not limited to payroll deliverables.

Compliance & Audit Support

• Ensure payroll and accounting practices comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and support SOX control execution and testing across assigned processes.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation for payroll and general ledger activity in line with retention and audit requirements.
• Support internal and external audits with documentation, reconciliations, and clear explanations of both payroll and non-payroll transactions and controls.
• Identify and help implement process improvements across payroll and close activities; document standard operating procedures.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries with professionalism and confidentiality.

Skills & Qualifications

• 4+ years of hands-on payroll processing experience, with a proven track record of running full payroll cycles independently.
• Demonstrated experience running payroll in Workday (not just viewing or approving) - including payroll configuration, calculated fields, and reporting.
• Strong payroll accounting knowledge: journal entries, accruals, and general ledger account reconciliations.
• Solid understanding of payroll tax, wage-and-hour rules, garnishments, and statutory deductions.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to self-audit and catch errors before they reach employees.
• Ability to work independently, manage deadlines across concurrent pay and close cycles, and prioritize under pressure.
• Discretion and integrity in handling confidential compensation and personal data.
• Proficiency with Excel (pivot tables, lookups, reconciliations).

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), FPC certification, or progress toward CPA.
• Experience with Workday payroll costing / GL integration and the payroll-to-GL accounting flow.
• Multi-state and/or international (global) payroll experience.
• Experience supporting month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close in a Finance or accounting function.
• Familiarity with time-tracking and benefits systems that integrate with Workday.

Key Competencies

• Versatility - moves fluidly between payroll-specific work and broader general ledger/close responsibilities without losing accuracy in either.
• Ownership - treats payroll accuracy and close deliverables as personally accountable outcomes.
• Accounting fluency - thinks in debits and credits and understands the financial impact of both payroll and non-payroll transactions.
• Judgment - knows when something looks wrong and investigates before it becomes a problem.
• Collaboration - works effectively as a full member of the staff accountant team, not just a payroll specialist on the sidelines.
• Communication - explains payroll and accounting matters clearly to employees, HR, and Finance.

Additional information

About CompoSecure CompoSecure, a GPGI business (NYSE: GPGI), is the leading manufacturer of Premium Metal Payment Cards and also offers best-in-class Authentication and Digital Asset solutions. The Company's offerings combine elegance, simplicity, and security to deliver exceptional experiences and peace of mind, enabling trust for millions of people around the globe.

Pay and benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and work-life balance, including medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage; FSA/HSA options; company-paid life and disability insurance; 401(k) with company match; paid time off (PTO) and holidays; annual bonus opportunities; an employee assistance program (EAP); and opportunities for career growth and advancement.

Additional details will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note: CompoSecure does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies or third-party recruiters. Any unsolicited resumes sent to CompoSecure, including to our employees, will become the property of CompoSecure and may be used without any obligation to pay referral or placement fees. Any agency or recruiter seeking to work with CompoSecure's Talent Acquisition Team should contact our team directly by sending an email to.

CompoSecure offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to work alongside a team of dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of financial technology.

Pay Range $88,000.00 - $140,800.00 Annual

Offers will be negotiated based on each candidate's qualifications.

Incentive Compensation

This role may be eligible to participate in our annual or quarterly incentive plan. Incentives are earned based on employee performance against defined metrics and company goals.

Benefits

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program which includes Group Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Account, Group Term Life Insurance, and 401(k) retirement plan. You will be eligible to participate in benefits on the first day of the month after your hire date.