Payroll Specialist (Workday Expert)

KMM Technologies • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for end-to-end processing of complex, multi-state payroll workflows for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois personnel. Working in the Workday HCM and Payroll ecosystem, the specialist serves as a technical and functional driver of time-tracking accuracy, system optimization, and payroll compliance. The role manages pay allocations, healthcare-specific premium deductions, and tax withholdings in accordance with corporate governance, Illinois labor laws, and federal regulations.

This is a contract-to-full-time role based in Chicago, Illinois, with a hybrid arrangement that includes weekly meetings at the Chicago office. The position works with payroll, HR, and workforce-management processes, and handles payroll audits, financial reporting, general-ledger reconciliation, year-end W-2 reporting, and complex employee inquiries.

Requirements

• Associate or bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or equivalent field experience.
• 3–5+ years of dedicated payroll administration experience handling medium-to-large corporate operations.
• At least 2 years of hands-on experience with Workday Payroll and Workday HCM modules.
• Thorough understanding of multi-state tax setups, wage-and-hour compliance rules, and standard corporate accounting workflows.
• Advanced proficiency with AI/ML tools, including Copilot and GenAI customizations, and Microsoft Excel, including VLOOKUPs, INDEX/MATCH, and pivot tables, for data validation.
• Experience collaborating with Workforce Management (WFM) platforms integrated into enterprise ERP environments.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or equivalent payroll accreditation.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in the healthcare payer, insurance, or clinical services sectors.

Responsibilities

• Manage and execute end-to-end bi-weekly and weekly payroll processes using Workday Payroll.
• Support system upgrades, configuration testing, and data validation for new Workday version releases.
• Monitor daily time tracking, timecard approvals, and employee production-time reports; identify and resolve systemic time-tracking anomalies before payroll finalization.
• Ensure compliance with multi-state payroll regulations, with particular focus on the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act.
• Oversee setup and execution of state-specific tax accounts, local withholdings, garnishments, and child support orders.
• Collaborate with corporate HR teams to audit and process employee premium deductions, HSA/FSA contributions, incentives, and retirement plans.
• Conduct pre- and post-payroll audits to minimize variance.
• Generate routine and ad-hoc financial reports, complete payroll-to-GL reconciliations, and support year-end W-2 reporting.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for complex tier-2 payroll and time-tracking inquiries, providing accurate resolutions aligned with Illinois customer service standards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree