Payroll Tax Specialist – US Payroll (People Services)

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

1d

About The Position

About AstraZeneca At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life‑changing medicines. Joining our team means thinking big, collaborating across disciplines, and shaping what’s next. We’re driven by science and a shared purpose: to make a meaningful difference for patients around the world. Role Overview As a Payroll Tax Specialist on the US Payroll Team, you will ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll outcomes for approximately 18,000 employees across multiple legal entities in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. You will apply practical experience in US payroll taxes across federal, state, and local jurisdictions—supporting day‑to‑day operations, controls, reconciliations, and continuous improvement. This role is ideal for professionals with hands‑on US payroll tax experience who want to operate at enterprise scale.

Requirements

• Detail‑oriented with strong analytical skills and a commitment to accuracy and control discipline.
• Clear communicator in English, comfortable handling written and verbal inquiries with a service mindset.
• Collaborative team player who thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment and meets deadlines.
• Curious and proactive in applying US payroll regulations to real‑world scenarios.
• Education: High School Diploma required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Experience: Practical, hands‑on experience with US payroll taxes in a multi‑state environment (in‑house or via a payroll provider).
• Technical Skills: High proficiency with Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, reconciliations).
• Systems: Experience with a major HCM/payroll system (Workday or similar) preferred; equivalent experience welcome.

Nice To Haves

• Certifications: FPC or CPP preferred (we support learning paths toward certification).

Responsibilities

• Payroll Operations & Controls: Translate business requests into mass‑upload templates, submit inputs to our payroll provider, perform pre‑/post‑pay audits, and validate gross‑to‑net with a focus on tax accuracy.
• US Tax Compliance: Apply federal, state, and local tax rules (FIT, SIT, SUI/SUTA, SDI, local taxes), supplemental wage taxation, reciprocity, and resident/non‑resident considerations.
• Agency & Account Management: Support new state/local tax setups, maintain accounts and rates, manage authorizations, and work with agencies to resolve notices and discrepancies.
• Withholding & Configuration: Review and validate system updates affecting taxability and withholding (e.g., work vs. resident state, locality setup, tax elections, and taxability matrices).
• Reconciliations: Perform payroll and tax tie‑outs, investigate variances, and ensure accurate taxation of earnings and pre‑/post‑tax deductions.
• Issue Resolution: Research and resolve employee and agency tax inquiries, overpayments/repayments, garnishments, and edge cases; monitor regulatory changes and recommend adjustments.
• Time & Attendance Interface: Validate taxable wage drivers from time data (overtime, differentials, shift premiums), identify variances, and ensure correct taxation.
• Vendor Governance & Improvement: Coordinate with the payroll provider on issues, SLAs, and defect remediation; support audits, controls, and process improvements.
• Knowledge Sharing: Provide clear guidance to managers and employees on tax elections and impacts; mentor colleagues on tax fundamentals and best practices.

Benefits

• Impact at scale by supporting a nationwide, multi‑entity workforce with complex tax profiles.
• Structured onboarding and mentorship with support for professional certification.
• Inclusive culture that values curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees