Senior Payroll Specialist

Role Description

The Payroll Specialist will be detail-oriented and experienced in supporting payroll processing across all U.S. states and Canadian provinces, with responsibility for validating and ensuring the accuracy of payroll data and outputs prepared by others. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in both U.S. and Canadian federal, state, and provincial labor and tax regulations, ensuring timely, compliant, and precise payroll for a multi-jurisdictional workforce. This role requires strong analytical, compliance, and customer service skills, along with a keen eye for audit, review, and continuous accuracy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Payroll Processing & Compliance:
  • Prepare and process multi-state U.S. and multi-province Canadian payrolls (salaried and hourly) on a bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly basis, including validating payroll data and outputs to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local laws regarding wages, deductions, taxes, and reporting requirements (e.g., IRS, CRA, SSA, state/provincial labor boards), validating adherence across all payroll activities.
  • Calculate, review, and validate retroactive payments, bonuses, garnishments, commissions, and other special pay types.
  • Coordinate, review, and validate payroll inputs from HR, Time & Attendance systems, and benefits for accuracy and alignment prior to processing.
  • Investigate, validate, and resolve errors in payroll and accounting systems, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
  • Ensure overall accuracy and timeliness of payroll through thorough review and validation of all payroll outputs.
• Reporting & Analysis:
  • Reconcile and validate payroll reports and GL accounts; support month-end and year-end close.
  • Create, analyze, and validate payroll reports for finance, HR, and auditors to ensure data integrity.
  • Prepare and audit year-end tax forms (e.g., W-2, W-2C, 1099, T4, T4A, RL-1), ensuring accuracy and compliance prior to distribution.
  • Ensure all employee terminations and remittances are processed, reviewed, and validated accurately and on time—including ROE, RRSP, and WSIB.
  • Assist in payroll audits by validating supporting documentation and ensuring audit readiness.
  • Act as a liaison with auditors and various government agencies, providing validated and accurate payroll data as required.
• System Management & Process Improvement:
  • Maintain and validate accurate payroll records in payroll/HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP, Success Factors).
  • Participate in system upgrades, testing, and implementations, including validation of system outputs and payroll results.
  • Identify and implement process improvements to enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, and validation controls.
  • Update Payroll SOPs and procedures to reflect best practices in validation, compliance, and process consistency.
• Employee Support & Communication:
  • Respond to payroll inquiries from employees in the U.S. and Canada in a timely, professional manner.
  • Educate employees and managers on payroll-related topics (e.g., paystubs, tax forms, direct deposit).

Qualifications

• Proficient in Microsoft Suite, i.e. Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Excellent attention to detail, time management skills, and confidentiality.
• Proven ability to audit, validate, and reconcile payroll data with a high degree of accuracy.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify discrepancies, trends, and process gaps.
• Experience managing multi-jurisdictional payroll in a high-volume environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting and general ledger reconciliation.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality while handling sensitive employee and compensation data.
• Detail-oriented with a strong focus on data integrity and process accuracy.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple payroll cycles and deadlines simultaneously.

Requirements

• 5+ years of end-to-end payroll experience in both U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions.
• Post Secondary Education in Business or related discipline.
• In-depth knowledge of U.S. federal and state labor/payroll laws (FLSA, IRS regulations, etc.).
• Strong understanding of Canadian payroll legislation (Employment Standards, CRA, Service Canada, provincial regulations).
• Experience with payroll systems (e.g., ADP Workforce Now – Cross Border, ADP eTime, ADP Workforce Manager, Success Factors).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a distributed workforce or multi-entity organization.
• Bilingual (English/French) is a strong asset, especially for Quebec payroll.