HR & Payroll Specialist - La Mirada, CA

Power Up Your Career with Makita USA!!!

At Makita USA, we believe our employees are the driving force behind our success. That's why we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to support your health, financial well-being, and professional growth. When you join Makita, you become part of a dynamic, innovative, and team-oriented culture that values hard work and dedication.

Makita is a worldwide leader in the professional power tool industry. Over the past 100 years, we have built a reputation for using the finest raw materials, the most advanced manufacturing equipment, and the most rigorous quality testing in the industry. Headquartered in La Mirada, CA, Makita U.S.A., with offices in Reno, NV, Wilmer, TX, and Flowery Branch, GA, has brought Makita's best-in-class engineering advantage to professional power tool users in America since 1970.

Salary: $65,000 - $85,000 per year

Job Summary:

The HR & Payroll Specialist is responsible for administering payroll accurately and on time while supporting core human resources functions, including employee records management, benefits administration, compliance, and employee support. This role ensures payroll data integrity, proper general ledger postings, and adherence to federal, state, and local employment laws, and provides a high level of service to employees and managers.

Essential Job Duties:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty to satisfactory standards. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Payroll Administration

• Process bi‑weekly and semi‑monthly payroll accurately and on schedule
• Maintain payroll records, including wages, deductions, bonuses, and garnishments
• Reconcile payroll reports to the general ledger (G/L) and coordinate with Finance on discrepancies
• Ensure compliance with wage and hour laws (FLSA, state regulations)
• Process payroll uploads, journal entries, and accruals for wages, vacation, bonuses, and benefits
• Ensure proper payroll coding, cost centers, and allocation to G/L accounts
• Process new hires, terminations, pay changes, vacation/sick accruals, and year‑end reporting (W‑2s, audits)
• Respond to payroll‑related inquiries and resolve discrepancies

Human Resources Administration

• Maintain employee personnel files and HRIS data accuracy
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes
• Administer employee benefits programs (medical, dental, vision, retirement, leaves of absence) and payroll deductions
• Serve as a point of contact for employee questions regarding payroll, benefits, and HR policies
• Assist with open enrollment and benefits reconciliations

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (e.g., FMLA, CFRA, ACA, COBRA)
• Prepare HR and payroll reports for management and auditors
• Support internal and external audits as needed
• Maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive employee information and payroll information

HR Support Functions

• Assist with HR projects and initiatives (policy updates, employee communications, training tracking)
• Support performance review and employee lifecycle processes
• Collaborate with finance, benefits brokers, and payroll vendors

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Skills Required:

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
• Confidentiality and integrity
• Problem-solving and analytical thinking
• Strong communication and customer service oriented
• Ability to manage deadlines and multiple priorities
• Team-oriented individual with a collaborative mindset

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment:

This position works in an open office setting that is quiet, fast-paced, and fosters continuous learning while operating under high demand/volume. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers.

Education and/or Experience Desired:

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field
• 3 + years of experience in full-cycle payroll processing and human resources administration
• Knowledge of payroll laws and HR compliance requirements
• Proficiency with HRIS/payroll system - Paycom experience is highly preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (reconciliations, reporting, audits)
• Working knowledge of payroll tax regulations and HR compliance requirements

Travel: None

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Required to regularly use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Required to regularly stand, walk, stoop, bend, or reach above head.
• Required to frequently sit.
• May be required to occasionally lift, push, or pull up to 30 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Able to ascend and descend stairs.
• Continuously reach out to sort miscellaneous items.

Our Benefits Include:

Health & Wellness

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance options after 30 days of employment
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA) & Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Employee assistance program (EAP) for mental health and well-being
• Paid subscription to Headspace and 5 other members of your choice

Financial Security

• Competitive pay & performance-based incentives
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Basic Term Life insurance is 100% company paid
• Long-term Disability Coverage 100% company paid
• Disability Coverage
• Voluntary Coverage: Critical illness, accidental, hospital indemnity, whole life, and supplemental life plans.

Work-Life Balance

• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays)
• Employee discounts on Makita tools and accessories - because we know you love quality tools!

Career Growth & Development

• Tuition reimbursement
• Internal promotion opportunities
• Collaborative, innovative work environment

Join Makita USA and power up your career with a company that values innovation, teamwork, and excellence!

Explore Opportunities & Apply Today!

Disclaimer:

This description is based on management's assessment of the requirements and functions of the job as of the date this description was prepared. It is a general guideline for managers and employees, but it does not intend to be an exhaustive list of all of the elements of the job. Management reserves the right to modify the description at any time, or to vary the duties and responsibilities of the job on a temporary or indefinite basis to meet production, scheduling, or staffing needs.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

The Company is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit. Company policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, marital status, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, veteran status, military service, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, genetic information, medical (including genetic characteristics or cancer diagnosis), actual or perceived sexual orientation, or any consideration protected by federal, state or local laws. All such discrimination is prohibited. Additionally, the Company will provide registered domestic partners with all rights and benefits as required by Law. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) prohibits employers from requesting or requiring genetic information of an individual or a family member of the individual. The Company is committed to complying with all applicable laws and providing equal employment opportunities.