Finance Process Lead - US Payroll

Job Description:

McKinsey's US Payroll team is seeking a detail-oriented Finance Process Lead US Post Payroll & Reconciliation to support day-to-day post-payroll activities, payroll reconciliations, payroll accounting support, validation, reporting, and documentation across US payroll operations.

This Orange A role is focused on accurate processing, reconciliation, issue identification, timely follow-up, and documentation support for recurring post-payroll activities in a structured, compliance-driven environment.

Reporting to the US Payroll Lead or designated team lead, you will help validate payroll outputs, prepare reconciliation inputs, investigate exceptions, and support accurate completion of post-payroll deliverables within agreed timelines.

Key responsibilities:

Perform and support assigned post-payroll activities including payroll reconciliations, payroll accounting inputs, payroll-to-GL validation, statutory reporting support, audit documentation, and payroll data checks for US payroll operations.

• Review payroll registers, CD files, funding reports, tax reports, benefits and deductions reports, variance reports, journalization files, and third-party vendor outputs to identify discrepancies and ensure accurate post-payroll accounting.
• Perform detailed reconciliations across Federal, State, and local taxes; employee and employer taxes; benefits and retirement deductions; wage types; garnishments; mobility/shadow payroll adjustments; payroll accruals; and clearing accounts.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies, out-of-balance conditions, ADP fallouts, invoice mismatches, open items, and reconciliation exceptions in coordination with Payroll Operations, Finance, Tax, Treasury, HR, Mobility, Compensation, and external vendors.
• Prepare and maintain reconciliation workpapers, SOP updates, trackers, control evidence, and audit-ready documentation for monthly, quarterly, and year-end activities.
• Support payroll accounting close activities by preparing journal entry inputs, accrual support, payroll-to-GL reconciliation details, open item analysis, and status updates for review.
• Support quarter-end and year-end payroll activities including W-2 reconciliation, tax balancing, revised tax updates, statutory reporting support, audit requests, and compliance reviews.
• Identify process gaps, recurring issues, tracker improvements, and reporting efficiencies, and share observations with the team lead for review and implementation

Qualification & Skills:

5+ years of experience in payroll operations, payroll reconciliations, payroll accounting support, or related finance operations within a shared services or multinational environment.

• Educational background in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Business Administration, or a related field; a Bachelors degree is preferred.
• Good working knowledge of US payroll processing, payroll taxes, payroll accounting concepts, control requirements, and payroll-to-GL reconciliations.
• Hands-on working experience with SAP ECP payroll systems, payroll reports, journal entry inputs, accrual support, variance checks, W-2 balancing support, year-end activities, and payroll testing support.
• Experience preparing audit support, compliance evidence, SOP documentation, reconciliation back-up, and tracker updates for review.
• Strong foundational knowledge of payroll processes, labor laws, and statutory compliance.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to review data, identify exceptions, perform first-level investigation, and escalate issues with clear supporting details.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage assigned deliverables, recurring deadlines, tracker updates, and follow-ups under defined timelines.
• Strong collaboration, communication, stakeholder follow-up, documentation, and team coordination skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with integrity.
• Proficiency in payroll and finance systems such as SAP ECP, ADP, SAP Finance, and MS Excel; experience with trackers, reports, and basic automation tools is advantageous.