Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

The Payroll Specialist II plays a key role in supporting accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing for the United States and Canada, with limited support for Mexico payroll activities. This role is responsible for day-to-day payroll operations (Workday Payroll), with a strong focus on Workday Time and Attendance, state-required paid time off programs, and time off plan administration, ensuring alignment between payroll, HRIS, and regulatory requirements.

In addition to payroll operations, this position supports manager and employee training related to timekeeping, scheduling, and absence practices within Workday. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, service-driven, has solid experience with U.S. state payroll compliance, HRIS/payroll systems, and multi-jurisdiction payroll processing. This position reports to the HR Operations Manager.

Responsibilities:

Time & Attendance / Time Off Administration

• Maintain and support time off plans, accruals, eligibility rules, and balances, ensuring compliance with state and local regulations.
• Partner with HR Operations to configure and update Workday time off and absence plans as laws or company policies change.
• Monitor time and attendance data for compliance with wage and hour requirements, including overtime, meal/rest rules, and state-specific pay requirements.
• Assist with audits and testing related to time off plan changes, system updates, and compliance reviews.

Payroll Processing & Operations

• Process bi-weekly payroll for U.S. employees and support payroll processing for Canada; assist with Mexico payroll activities as needed.
• Ensure time and attendance data from Workday is accurately reflected in payroll prior to processing.
• Review and validate payroll inputs including new hires, terminations, job changes, bonuses, and one-time payments.
• Assist with payroll reconciliations and resolve discrepancies related to time, pay, and absences.

Workday Training & Support

• Provide Workday Time, Attendance, and Scheduling training to managers and employees, including best practices for time entry, approvals, corrections, and scheduling.
• Develop or maintain user guides, job aids, and training materials related to timekeeping and time off processes.
• Serve as a point of contact for timekeeping and scheduling questions, escalating system or policy issues as needed.
• Support adoption of new timekeeping features, process updates, or compliance-driven changes.

Compliance & Tax Support

• Support compliance with federal, state, and local payroll and paid leave regulations in the U.S., as well as provincial requirements in Canada.
• Maintain working knowledge of state-specific paid leave laws and timekeeping requirements and partner with HR and Payroll leadership on implementation.
• Assist with quarterly and year-end payroll processes, including W-2 and T4 review, tax reconciliations, and vendor coordination.

HRIS & Data Management

• Act as a key liaison between Payroll and HR Operations to ensure accurate Workday configuration and data flow related to time, attendance, and payroll.
• Participate in Workday testing, validation, and documentation for payroll and timekeeping changes.
• Support data integrity initiatives tied to compensation, job changes, schedules, and employee status updates.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of U.S. multi-state payroll.
• At least one year of using Workday HCM & Workday Payroll with hands-on exposure to Workday Time & Attendance.
• Working knowledge of U.S. state paid time off laws and wage/hour requirements.
• Proficient with Excel and payroll/timekeeping systems.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and customer service skills.

Preferred

• Experience with ADP (U.S.), and OSV or similar Canadian platforms.
• Payroll or HRIS certification (CPP, FPC, or Workday certification) a plus.
• Self-starter with a focus on continuous improvement and team collaboration.