Sr. Payroll Specialist

Kuraray America•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Payroll Specialist is the subject matter expert and process owner for accurate, compliant, and well-controlled payroll operations, with deep hands-on expertise in ADP Workforce Now and ADP Workforce Management. This role drives payroll governance through audit readiness, internal controls, data integrity, and continuous improvement, partnering closely with HR, Finance, and Benefits to ensure payroll is scalable, compliant, and aligned with business objectives. The Senior Payroll Specialist brings a strategic mindset, an uncompromising standard for accuracy, and the technical depth to serve as the organization's authoritative resource on payroll policy, tax law, and system administration.

Requirements

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, or related field
Equivalent combinations of education, payroll certifications, training, and directly related payroll experience will be considered.
Minimum of 8 years of progressive payroll experience, including full-cycle, multi-state, bi-weekly payroll for union and non-union, and exempt and non-exempt employees in a complex environment of 800+ employees with 5 years specifically in ADP Workforce Now and ADP Workforce Manage
Demonstrated hands-on expertise with ADP Workforce Now payroll processing, configuration, and controls administration
Demonstrated experience administering ADP Workforce Management (WFM), including time and attendance and scheduling data integration into payroll
Demonstrated experience managing expatriate payroll, including tax equalization, shadow payroll, and global mobility coordination
Proven experience leading payroll audits end-to-end, including Payroll Audit Log maintenance, exception documentation, and corrective action management
Strong working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax laws, Form 941 reconciliation, wage and hour requirements, and expatriate tax obligations
Advanced MS Excel skills; ability to build and interpret complex audit, reconciliation, and trend-analysis reports
Exceptional attention to detail with a demonstrated record of accuracy in high-volume payroll environments
Ability to operate strategically and independently in a complex, fast-paced environment
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; experienced in employee-facing and cross-functional roles
Proven ability to manage competing priorities and consistently meet deadlines
Valid driver's license required
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

CPP certification preferred
Experience supporting tax services confirmation workflows, including ADP tax filing confirmations

Responsibilities

Own and execute full-cycle, bi-weekly, multi-state payroll for exempt and non-exempt, union and non-union employees in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and internal policy requirements.
Strengthen internal payroll controls, improve audit readiness, and proactively reduce payroll errors and rework through disciplined process validation, documentation, and review practices.
Administer expatriate payroll, including tax equalization, shadow payroll, and coordination with global mobility teams and external tax advisors.
Manage off-cycle payroll, manual payments, adjustments, and reconciliations with strong documentation and control discipline.
Reconcile payroll data with internal records; identify and resolve discrepancies promptly.
Collaborate with HR and Finance to ensure accurate tax withholding, benefits deductions, and garnishment processing.
Review and reconcile payroll reports, including quarterly and annual filings (W-2, 1099, and applicable tax forms).
Coordinate with Finance for accurate payroll accounting, reporting, and general ledger alignment.
Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues; drive root-cause analysis and implement permanent corrective actions.
Resolve employee payroll inquiries with a high standard of service and professionalism.
Maintain strict confidentiality of all employee payroll and personal information.
Serve as the organization's payroll SME for ADP Workforce Now, ensuring accurate configuration and ongoing maintenance of all payroll-impacting data, including earnings, deductions, taxes, direct deposit, garnishments, and banking.
Manage and update payroll system configuration to improve process efficiency and strengthen internal controls.
Support role-based access governance, including periodic review of the ADP access and profile matrix to maintain segregation of duties and reduce risk exposure.
Leverage ADP system audit logs and reporting to monitor high-risk changes, including pay rate adjustments, banking updates, off-cycle entries, and deduction changes.
Administer and optimize ADP WFM processes, ensuring timekeeping and scheduling data flows accurately into payroll.
Partner with HR and operations stakeholders to improve time-entry compliance, approvals, and exception handling to reduce payroll errors and rework.
Execute and maintain a disciplined audit cadence, including quarterly payroll audits with documented findings, exceptions, and corrective actions captured in a Payroll Audit Log.
Perform quarterly tax compliance reviews: reconcile Form 941 deposits and totals; validate state and local tax deposits and filing confirmations, including ADP confirmation workflows.
Ensure quarterly headcount reporting is completed across all applicable states of employment.
Partner with Finance and external auditors to support year-end reporting, including W-2 and tax filing processes.
Stay current on labor laws, payroll practices, and regulatory changes; implement timely updates to processes and systems.
Maintain compliance with applicable regulations, including FLSA, ACA, ERISA, and COBRA.
Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance and mitigate organizational risk.
Build and deliver payroll reporting that supports leadership decision-making, including error trends, recurring exceptions, compliance tracking, and audit outcomes.
Provide clear, timely communication to HR, Finance, and Benefits partners on payroll risks, impacts, and required actions.
Generate and interpret complex payroll data to identify patterns and drive informed operational decisions.
Develop and deliver educational programs and communications for employees on payroll procedures, benefits programs, and compliance updates.
Identify and implement opportunities to streamline payroll and timekeeping workflows through automation, improved governance, and better upstream data quality.
Own payroll SOP maintenance, ensuring processes are current, consistently followed, and fully documented.
Provide strategic input on ADP system enhancements, vendor discussions, and technology planning to improve accuracy, compliance, and employee experience.
Collaborate cross-functionally to optimize payroll operations aligned with organizational growth and compliance requirements.