Senior Payroll Specialist

The Payroll & Compensation Enablement team enables scalable, compliant payroll and compensation delivery through governance, process improvement, technology, and data. We partner across payroll operations, compensation programs, Talent Services, and business stakeholders to drive automation, controls, and continuous improvement, now with an increased focus on GenAI and CI solutions to improve accuracy and efficiency.

The Senior Payroll & Compensation Enablement Specialist applies advanced payroll technical expertise and process design skills to reduce risk, optimize systems, and scale enablement across payroll and compensation programs. This role leads complex payment calculations and testing, drives AI/automation and continuous improvement initiatives, manages payroll-related projects, supports governance and controls, and serves as a consultative advisor to Payroll, Compensation, Talent Services, Finance, and other internal and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to end-to-end resolution for complex payroll calculations and escalated payment scenarios (executive compensation, complex overtime, multi-element payments), ensuring compliance with wage & hour and company policy.
• Lead development and execution of test plans for complex payroll changes, system enhancements, and data-driven initiatives; manage escalated test scenarios and post-deployment validation.
• Support and contribute to AI/automation and continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to reduce manual work, preparing test data, executing test scripts, and validating outputs for accuracy.
• Act as a consultative advisor to Payroll operations and to business partners:
• Provide subject-matter guidance on complex pay events, system configuration impacts, and control design.
• Maintain and evolve governance, controls, and audit readiness (document processes, support internal audit, assist with attestation and access controls).
• Provide advanced troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for production issues; coordinate with Technology/Data teams to resolve and prevent recurrence.
• Lead payroll and compensation projects from intake through close:
• Own project plans, timelines, resource coordination, and status reporting for initiatives that impact payroll and compensation systems or processes.
• Facilitate project governance (steering committees, working sessions), manage change control for payroll-critical deployments, and ensure post-implementation review/lessons-learned.

• Bachelor`s plus at least 2-3 years of demonstrated payroll expertise
• Displays advanced decision making, communication and organizational skills
• Skilled negotiation, problem solving and customer service skills are essential
• Consistently demonstrated leadership ability and advanced knowledge of human resources policy and procedure required