Senior Payroll and Compliance Specialist

The Senior Payroll and Compliance Specialist is responsible for overseeing payroll processing for US and Canada, ensuring compliance with tax laws and regulations. This role includes managing payroll accuracy, conducting regular audits of HRIS data, and providing support for employee inquiries. The specialist monitors changes in regulations to ensure that payroll and HR policies and practices remain compliant.

Payroll Management

• Oversee the end-to-end payroll process for all employees, ensuring timely and accurate processing for bi-weekly and off-cycle pay cycles.
• Review and validate payroll data, including hours worked, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and deductions, ensuring all information is accurately reflected before payroll submission.
• Ensure all employee benefits (health, retirement, etc.) are accurately deducted and processed in compliance with plan details.
• Coordinate and manage payroll-related adjustments, including new hires, terminations, salary changes, bonuses, retroactive pay, and off-cycle payroll runs.
• Maintain detailed payroll records in compliance with internal policies and external regulatory requirements.
• Administer garnishments including child support, wage attachments, tax levies, and creditor garnishments, ensuring proper withholding amounts, timely remittance to relevant agencies, and compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local regulations.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all payroll-related inquiries from employees, management, and external vendors, providing guidance and resolving issues promptly.
• Work closely with internal and external auditors to provide requested payroll information and documentation as needed.

Compliance

• Ensure accurate and timely tax withholding for employees, adhering to federal, state/provincial, and local tax regulations.
• Review and reconcile payroll tax liabilities to ensure all deductions are accurate and consistent with current tax laws and employee earnings.
• Manage year end reporting for tax forms, ensuring that all forms are accurate and delivered to employees on time.
• Respond to tax authority inquiries regarding payroll tax filings and resolve any disputes or issues related to tax filings, withholding, or payments.
• Conduct bi-annual reviews of IRS, DOL, and other regulatory agencies' updates, staying informed on current payroll tax laws and regulations to ensure company payroll and HR policies and practices remain compliant, while training and keeping the HR team updated on relevant changes.

HRIS Data Integrity

• Maintain and update employee records in HRIS system.
• Ensure the accuracy of HRIS data by regularly validating information.
• Troubleshoot system issues and work with IT or SAP support for resolution.
• Create HRIS reports to meet the needs of HR, Finance, and leadership teams.

Other Responsibilities

• Lead Annual Deferred Compensation Open Enrollment, ensuring compliance and smooth process management.
• Assist with the annual 401(k) audit by gathering required documentation, supporting compliance efforts.
• Lead and execute various projects, ensuring successful achievement of project objectives.
• Manage miscellaneous regulatory reports and audits, ensuring timely submission.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or similar certifications is a plus.
• 5+ years of experience managing multi-state payroll operations.
• Knowledge of U.S. payroll tax laws and compliance.
• Knowledge of Canada and Puerto Rico payroll processes is preferred.
• Familiarity with SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Employee Central Payroll, or a similar system.
• Proficiency in ADP SmartCompliance, or similar system, for payroll tax filings and compliance.
• Understanding of HRIS system integrations and data management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data management tools.