Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll Specialist

Reporting to the Manager, Enterprise Payroll, the Senior Payroll Specialist is a key subject matter expert responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing. This role acts as a strategic partner between HR, Finance, and IT to drive continuous process improvements, automate administrative workflows for payroll, and maintain flawless payroll tax compliance across all jurisdictions, as well as protecting employee confidentiality and maintaining data integrity and internal controls.

*This role is primarily remote with occasional travel into our Indianapolis, IN offices. Qualified candidates must reside within 75 miles of the Indianapolis, IN area*

Essential Functions

• 70% Payroll Processing and Administration
• Maintains knowledge of applicable state and federal payroll and related tax regulations, legislation and guidelines including, but not limited to writs of garnishment, child support, levies, and subpoenas
• Reviews, analyzes, audits, and verifies payroll reports and backup documents for accuracy
• Completes the Payroll Variance Report for all payrolls, and explains discrepancies 5% or more
• Acts as a liaison with staff and managers in answering questions, providing alternatives, and facilitating decision-making. Cross-collaboration across other HRSS teams is essential.
• Execute end-to-end biweekly/weekly multi-state payroll cycles for all employees within Workday and Viewpoint, with regards to Federal compliance. Integrate time tracking and pay data from Viewpoint construction management software and Workday HCM to process payroll in Workday and Viewpoint seamlessly.
• Oversee the processing of complex pay elements including retroactive pay, bonuses, garnishments, and equity compensation
• Prioritizes and plans day-to-day work activities effectively to utilize time
• Administers employee wage garnishments and child support deductions and setups
• Completes monthly union check requests, reports and coordinates system updates, tax update testing, etc.
• Assists in researching and resolving employee pay issues
• Responds to employee requests for written employment verification, wage verification, etc.
• Balances and submits ACH, tax, benefit, and Third-Party files
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and ensures quality of work
• Creates monthly reports to maintain data integrity and compliance while limiting liability and risk
• Acts as a subject matter resource to team members in payroll processing and trains new employees
• 10% Tax Compliance & Reporting
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations.
• Assist in reconciling quarterly and annual tax filings, including W-2 and W-2c data processing, and resolve any discrepancies with tax agencies.
• Review tax vendor reports and help manage internal Workday tax configuration and testing for any releases.
• 10% Process Improvement & System Enhancement
• Continuously evaluate existing payroll workflows to identify bottlenecks and manual entry flaws, implementing improvements that increase accuracy and reduce processing time, using AI as a tool to assist.
• Partner with HRIS and IT teams to architect, troubleshoot, and optimize file feeds between Workday and Viewpoint.
• Design and document standardized payroll procedures, build automated reporting dashboards, and promote the use of employee self-service tools.
• Participates in the development of new procedures and policies related to payroll operations; coordinates approved changes within payroll processing system; updates policy and procedure manual
• Initiate quality assurance reviews and identify problematic processes
• Test system configuration updates prior to migration into the production environment to ensure changes have an accurate impact, especially tax updates, patches, new configuration, etc.
• Strives to develop efficiencies and processes to limit manual transactions
• Maintains confidentiality and the highest degree of integrity
• Assists in any special payroll projects, audit data requests and year end process
• 10% Auditing & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Perform pre- and post-payroll audits, resolve discrepancies, and reconcile all Payroll General Ledger (GL) accounts.
• Assist internal/external auditors with payroll documentation, SOX compliance, and fiscal year reporting requirements.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex payroll and tax inquiries, ensuring excellent customer service for all employees

Education Qualifications

• Required High School or Equivalent and a Bachelors degree in accounting, finance, human resources, or business administration is preferred

Experience Qualifications

• Required 5+ years of progressive, end-to-end multi-state payroll processing experience (with a heavy focus on payroll tax).
• Experience in union work environment is strongly preferred
• Hands-on configuration and processing experience in Workday HCM/Payroll and Viewpoint is strongly preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficient in Excel
• Knowledge in Workday and/or Viewpoint strongly preferred
• Advanced understanding of multi-state tax laws, reciprocal tax agreements, and tax reciprocity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and the highest degree of integrity

Licenses and Certifications

• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) is preferred

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

• Work is performed both remote and in an office or professional setting using standard business equipment; hybrid or remote work may be available based on role and business needs.
• Work is generally performed during standard business hours; occasional extended hours may be required to meet business or project demands.
• Minimal travel expected; occasional travel for meetings, training, or company events may be required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.