Payroll Specialist - North America

Worldpac, a leading provider of automotive parts, is seeking an experienced, analytical, and detail-oriented Payroll Specialist – North America to join our Human Resources team in Oak Brook, IL. This role is responsible for supporting and executing accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The successful candidate will bring broad, hands-on payroll expertise and a strong understanding of the payroll lifecycle—from payroll inputs and processing through tax withholding, garnishments, reconciliations, audits, quarterly filings, and year-end reporting. This is an ideal opportunity for a payroll professional who enjoys working with numbers, investigating discrepancies, strengthening payroll controls, and serving as a knowledgeable resource to employees and business partners. The Payroll Specialist will partner closely with Human Resources, Accounting, and external payroll providers to ensure payroll is accurate, compliant, well-controlled, and continuously improved. While Workday experience is preferred, deep knowledge of payroll fundamentals, compliance, reconciliation, auditing, and end-to-end payroll processing is more important than expertise in any one payroll system. Job Summary The Payroll Specialist will process and support bi-weekly payroll for North American employees while ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, local, Puerto Rico, and Canadian payroll requirements. This position will perform detailed payroll reviews, reconciliations, audits, and variance analyses; research and resolve payroll discrepancies; support tax and garnishment processes; and maintain the integrity of payroll data and related systems. The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently, investigating issues from beginning to end, identifying potential payroll errors or overpayments, and communicating payroll concepts clearly to both payroll and non-payroll professionals. Key Responsibilities Process and oversee bi-weekly payroll for employees across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada, ensuring payroll is accurate, timely, and compliant with applicable federal, state, local, and international requirements. Review, audit, and validate payroll before and after processing, including earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, benefits, timekeeping, and employee changes; identify potential errors, overpayments, and unusual transactions. Perform payroll reconciliations and variance analysis by balancing payroll registers, funding, wages, taxes, deductions, and third-party provider results to ensure financial and payroll records are accurate. Manage payroll tax and garnishment activities, partnering with ADP and other providers to validate tax withholdings, filings, remittances, garnishments, and net pay, and investigate and resolve discrepancies and tax notices. Support quarterly and year-end payroll processes, including wage and tax reconciliations, quarterly filings, W-2 balancing and validation, taxable wage reviews, and resolution of discrepancies to ensure accurate reporting. Research and maintain compliance with payroll laws and regulations, including IRS guidance, IRS Circular E, federal, state, local, Puerto Rico, and Canadian requirements, and assess changes that may impact payroll. Maintain and troubleshoot payroll systems, including Workday and ADP, by investigating data or processing issues, supporting configurations and testing, and participating in system upgrades or implementation projects. Partner with HRIS, HR, Accounting, and external payroll providers to resolve payroll issues, explain payroll results and calculations, support audits, and ensure accurate and timely processing of employee and financial transactions. Provide exceptional payroll customer service and subject-matter expertise by responding to employee and business-partner inquiries, clearly explaining complex payroll, tax, deduction, and garnishment matters, and continuously identifying opportunities to improve payroll processes and controls. Qualifications Required 3–5+ years of progressive payroll experience with demonstrated knowledge of end-to-end payroll processing and administration. Strong hands-on knowledge of U.S. multi-state payroll , including federal, state, and local payroll requirements. Experience processing payroll involving multiple jurisdictions and complex payroll transactions. Demonstrated experience with payroll reconciliations, audits, balancing, variance analysis, and payroll controls. Strong understanding of payroll taxes, withholding requirements, taxable wages, deductions, garnishments, and payroll reporting. Experience investigating and resolving payroll discrepancies and identifying potential overpayments or other payroll errors. Strong Excel skills and the ability to analyze and reconcile large volumes of payroll data. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and investigative skills with exceptional attention to detail. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain payroll matters clearly to employees and business partners. Ability to handle confidential payroll and employee information with a high degree of discretion and professionalism. Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with HR, Finance, Accounting, HRIS, and external payroll providers. Preferred Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business, or a related field. Equivalent relevant payroll experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) designation through PayrollOrg/APA. Experience with Puerto Rico payroll . Experience with Canadian payroll and an understanding of Canadian payroll requirements. Experience with Workday Payroll , although deep Workday expertise is not required. Experience with ADP payroll, tax, garnishment, and/or payment solutions , or comparable third-party payroll providers. Experience with payroll system configuration, integrations, testing, upgrades, or implementations. Experience supporting payroll tax notices and working directly with federal, state, local, or Puerto Rico tax agencies. Experience with quarterly and year-end payroll reconciliations, including W-2 balancing and validation . Familiarity with IRS Circular E and other authoritative federal, state, local, Puerto Rico, and Canadian payroll guidance. Spanish and/or French language skills are a plus but are not required. Core Competencies The successful candidate will demonstrate: Payroll Expertise Broad, practical knowledge of payroll processes from beginning to end, including payroll inputs, processing, taxes, deductions, garnishments, reconciliations, reporting, and year-end activities. Analytical & Investigative Thinking Ability to identify anomalies, analyze payroll data, trace transactions back to their source, determine root cause, and resolve issues accurately. Communication & Customer Service Ability to translate complex payroll and tax information into clear, understandable explanations for employees, Finance, Accounting, HR, and other stakeholders. Business Partnership Ability to work collaboratively across functions and understand how payroll impacts accounting, financial reporting, employee experience, compliance, and the broader business. Demonstrated interest in improving payroll processes, strengthening controls, leveraging technology, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and accuracy. Confidentiality & Professional Judgment Ability to manage sensitive employee and company information with discretion and exercise sound judgment when handling complex payroll matters. Physical Requirements Ability to work at a computer workstation for extended periods. Occasionally lift or move items up to 15 pounds. What Success Looks Like Within this role, success means serving as a trusted payroll subject-matter resource who can independently execute and review payroll, identify and resolve issues before they become problems, maintain strong payroll controls, and confidently partner with Finance, Accounting, HR, employees, and payroll providers. The ideal candidate does not simply know how to run payroll —they understand why payroll results are what they are , can reconcile the numbers back to their source, recognize when something does not look right, research the applicable requirements, and clearly explain the answer to others. #J-18808-Ljbffr Worldpac