HR & Payroll Compliance Consultant

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly experienced HR & Payroll Compliance Consultant to support our organization through key compliance, policy, and payroll process initiatives. This role is ideal for a seasoned professional who thrives in fast-moving environments and can provide expert guidance on federal, state, and local employment regulations-particularly across multi-state and publicly traded environments.

What You'll Do:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of HR, payroll, and timekeeping practices for compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws across the U.S. (with a strong focus on CA, NY, TX, FL, and other high-regulation states).
• Evaluate policies, employee handbooks, and SOPs for publicly traded company requirements, including documentation standards, controls, and audit readiness.
• Advise on wage-and-hour compliance, classification (exempt vs. non-exempt), pay-in-arrears transitions, overtime calculations, meal/rest requirements, and pay transparency laws.
• Review, assess, and provide guidance on commission and sales-incentive compensation plans to ensure alignment with federal and state wage-and-hour laws, compensation disclosure requirements, and compliant payout practices.
• Assess payroll workflows and system configurations (e.g., ADP, UKG, BambooHR, Paylocity) for accuracy, compliance, and SOX-aligned controls.
• Support compliance audits related to I-9, onboarding, payroll, benefits, LOA, and multi-state operations.
• Provide expertise on remote-work stipends, travel reimbursements, cell-phone stipends, on-call premiums, and state-specific reimbursement rules.
• Partner with HR leadership to implement updated processes, corrective actions, compliance roadmaps, and cross-functional communication plans.
• Collaborate closely with labor and employment legal counsel to evaluate risk, interpret complex regulations, and ensure compliant policy development, employee communications, and process implementation.
• Deliver training and recommendations to HR, payroll, and leadership teams.

Experience We're Looking For:

• 10+ years of hands-on HR, payroll, and compliance experience with multi-state employee populations.
• Proven experience supporting publicly traded companies, including familiarity with SOX controls, audit documentation, and compliance governance.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. employment laws across multiple states and jurisdictions; advanced expertise with California wage-and-hour rules.
• Strong understanding of payroll operations and systems (ADP, UKG, Paylocity, or similar).
• Experience conducting compliance audits, writing policies, and operationalizing corrective actions.
• Ability to translate complex regulations into clear, practical, and actionable guidance.
• Exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, and a consultative, executive-facing communication style.
• Ability to work independently and cross-functionally with HR, finance, legal, and external partners.

The anticipated monthly consulting stipend for this engagement is $8,000 - 10,000, subject to adjustment based on qualifications and agreed-upon deliverables.