Senior Payroll Specialist

Summary

The Senior Payroll Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing in a co-sourced environment. This position requires a detail-oriented professional with strong analytical skills and a customer-focused mindset. Under general supervision, the Senior Payroll Specialist will manage complex payroll functions, support internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across the payroll function.

This role is hybrid, 4 days in office with 1 day remote.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Compliance

• • Execute end-to-end payroll processing activities, including adjustments, audits, reconciliations, and reporting.
  • Ensure payroll accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as internal policies.
  • Partner with co-sourced payroll providers to manage payroll runs, garnishments, tax filings, and related services.
    
    

Customer Service & Stakeholder Engagement

• • Serve as a primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries from employees, managers, and external partners.
  • Provide timely, accurate responses and proactive solutions to resolve payroll issues.
  • Foster strong relationships with internal departments such as HR, Finance, and IT to support cross-functional initiatives.
    
    

Process Improvement & Innovation

• • Identify and implement opportunities to streamline payroll processes and enhance operational efficiency.
  • Participate in payroll system upgrades, testing, and expansion projects.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll best practices, technological trends, and regulatory changes.
    
    

Leadership & Collaboration

• • Model professionalism and a commitment to service excellence.
  • Mentor other team members and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
  • Take ownership of service-level performance and drive continuous improvement.

Typical Education

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• In lieu of a degree, 4+ years of progressive payroll experience will be considered.

Relevant Experience

• Proven experience with payroll systems such as ADP, UKG, or similar platforms.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and data validation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) is a plus.
• Experience in a global or multi-state payroll environment.
• Familiarity with co-sourced or outsourced payroll models.