Sr Specialist, Payroll

Jacent•Lower Moreland Township, PA

About The Position

The Senior Payroll Specialist serves as a key subject matter expert within Payroll Operations, bridging day‑to‑day payroll execution and oversight. This role is responsible for independently managing complex payroll processes, ensuring compliance with federal, state, local, and provincial regulations, and providing advanced support for audits, reconciliations, system issues, and escalated payroll matters. The Senior Payroll Specialist plays a critical role in maintaining payroll accuracy, strengthening internal controls, supporting payroll systems (including HRIS/payroll integrations), and serving as a trusted resource to HR, Finance, and field leadership. While this role does not have formal supervisory authority, it is expected to provide guidance, quality review, and informal mentoring to Payroll Specialists and managers and act as a backup to the Payroll Manager.

Requirements

Strong working knowledge of payroll laws, regulations, and best practices, including multi‑state and Canadian payroll.
Advanced attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to independently manage complex payroll scenarios.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
High level of discretion and ability to handle highly confidential information.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with employees, managers, and senior leaders.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and payroll/HRIS systems; ability to analyze and validate payroll data.
Ability to prioritize work, meet strict deadlines, and perform effectively in a fast‑paced environment.
Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, accounting, or related field or equivalent work experience.
4–6 years of progressive payroll experience, including direct responsibility for payroll processing, preferably direct responsibility at a multi-state and Canadian level.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience supporting multi‑state and Canadian payroll environments strongly preferred.
Experience with ADP Lyric (NextGen) preferred and/or ADP Workforce Now required.
Experience working with integrated environments (e.g., NetSuite, Movista, LMS, benefits carriers, timekeeping) strongly preferred.
Strong Excel skills and proficiency with reporting tools such as ADP Reporting, Power BI, or Tableau.

Responsibilities

Perform and independently manage end‑to‑end payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees, ensuring accurate and timely payroll execution.
Act as a subject matter expert on wage and hour laws, payroll taxation, deductions, garnishments, and final pay requirements across multiple states and Canada.
Govern wage and hour administration, including time review, exception handling, corrections, and compliance validation.
Coordinate and administer payroll setup and maintenance for new hires, changes, and terminations, including tax profiles and PTO/Sick Time accruals.
Audit and maintain payroll data, accruals, and tax configurations to ensure ongoing compliance with company policy and regulatory requirements.
Review payroll data and outputs for accuracy, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Prepare and validate payroll reports, reconciliations, and audit support as requested by HR, Finance, internal audit, or external auditors.
Verify and audit year‑end payroll filings and forms, including W‑2s, 1094/1095, and T4s.
Support GL reconciliation and payroll‑related reporting in partnership with Finance.
Serve as a key payroll system power user, supporting HRIS/payroll platforms and integrations.
Assist with testing, validation, and implementation of system enhancements, upgrades, and process changes.
Identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and risks; recommend and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Partner with the Payroll Manager and HR Systems Specialist on system configuration, controls, documentation, and training materials.
Serve as an escalation point for complex payroll issues, employee inquiries, and manager requests.
Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, garnishments, employment and wage verifications, and final pay questions in a timely and customer‑focused manner.
Provide guidance and informal coaching to managers to ensure consistent application of payroll policies and procedures.
Collaborate with HR, Benefits, Finance, and external vendors to resolve payroll‑related issues.
Protect confidential employee and company information and maintain the integrity of payroll data.
Comply with all company policies, procedures, and safety practices.
Complete special projects and other duties as assigned by the Payroll Manager or senior HR leadership.