Sr. Payroll Specialist

Rivian•Normal, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations. We are seeking a high-caliber, compliance-minded Sr. Payroll Specialist to own the execution, auditing, and optimization of our multi-state US payroll operations. This is a highly visible role that sits at the intersection of Finance, HR, and Technology. You will be responsible for managing complex weekly and bi-weekly payroll cycles, ensuring strict SOX compliance, and serving as a critical partner for system testing and cross-functional data integration. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love leveraging technology like Workday and ServiceNow to solve complex problems, and pride yourself on 100% accuracy, this role is for you. The Sr. Payroll Specialist will be expected to report onsite to your assigned office and work in a hybrid capacity. You'll be reporting directly to our Director, Payroll.

Requirements

High School Diploma, GED, or other recognized high school equivalency credential required
5+ years of progressive experience in corporate payroll processing multi-state populations
Advanced hands-on experience with Workday Payroll, Workday Time Tracking, and loading EIBs
Strong foundational understanding of SOX compliance controls and internal auditing procedures
Experience managing and resolving advanced case escalations within an enterprise ticketing system (e.g., ServiceNow)
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Suite for data analysis, reporting, and collaboration
Exceptional attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality

Nice To Haves

Prior exposure to or familiarity with Canadian payroll laws and/or equity/stock payroll processing is a plus

Responsibilities

Process accurate and timely multi-state payrolls for 15,000+ US weekly and bi-weekly employees
Manage and audit time-tracking data within Workday to ensure accurate hours and reporting
Partner cross-functionally with internal teams to gather, verify, and input manual payroll data
Ensure all payroll data, transactions, and changes are thoroughly documented and audited for SOX compliance
Process off-cycle payments, manual checks, and expedited runs as needed
Perform and balance payroll-related bank reconciliations to support corporate accounting
Run internal audits regularly to ensure strict alignment with company policies and guidelines
Serve as Tier 3 support for advanced escalations via ServiceNow, investigating root causes and executing corrections
Partner with the systems team as the core Point of Contact (POC) for user acceptance testing (UAT) on new configurations, payroll codes, and system updates prior to implementation
Demonstrate continuous effort to improve operations, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide high-quality customer service
Troubleshoot problems with paychecks, tax deductions, timecard issues, and other complex payroll-related matters