US Payroll Lead

Job Description: Senior Payroll Specialist (Level 3)

Location: Chennai, India (Mandatory Work from Office)

Shift: US Night Shift (5 Days a Week)

Experience: 4-7 Years

Region Supported: United States (US)

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Role Overview:

As a Senior Payroll Specialist, you will act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for payroll operations, handling complex payroll scenarios, ensuring compliance, and driving process improvements.

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Key Responsibilities:

1. End-to-End Payroll Execution

• Manage complete payroll cycles for assigned population
• Review payroll outputs and ensure 100% accuracy
• Handle off-cycle payrolls and adjustments

2. Compliance & Audit

• Ensure compliance with US payroll laws and statutory regulations
• Prepare audit documentation and support audits
• Monitor changes in payroll regulations

3. Escalation & Issue Resolution (Tier 2/3)

• Handle complex payroll discrepancies
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA)
• Ensure permanent resolution of recurring issues

4. Systems & Data Management

• Work with Workday and ADP systems for payroll processing
• Validate system integrations and data flow
• Identify system issues and coordinate fixes

5. Process Optimization

• Drive standardization of payroll processes
• Support automation initiatives
• Train L1/L2 team members

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Qualifications & Skills

* Experience: 4 - 7 years of progressive experience in payroll administration, payroll shared services, or payroll operations.

* Technical Mastery: Strong expertise in payroll calculations, payroll reconciliation, payroll reporting, and payroll adjustments.

* System Expertise: Hands-on experience with enterprise payroll systems such as Workday Payroll, ADP, SAP Payroll, or similar platforms.

* Compliance Knowledge: Strong understanding of payroll compliance requirements, tax regulations, and payroll audit readiness.

* Case Management: Experience managing payroll escalations, employee payroll disputes, and high-volume payroll support requests.

* Leadership Exposure: Experience guiding payroll analysts or supporting payroll team operations.

* Education: Bachelors degree in Finance, HR, Accounting, or related field.

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Core Competencies

* Accuracy & Compliance: Maintains high standards of payroll accuracy while ensuring payroll calculations and deductions comply with regulatory requirements and internal payroll policies.

* Analytical Problem Solving: Ability to analyze payroll data, reconcile discrepancies between HRIS and payroll systems, and implement corrective actions.

* Operational Efficiency: Focuses on improving payroll workflows and reducing operational inefficiencies through improved processes and system utilization.

* Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works closely with HRIS, Compensation & Benefits, HR Operations, and Finance teams to ensure seamless payroll data management.

* Escalation Management: Handles complex payroll issues and employee payroll escalations, ensuring timely and effective resolution.

* Team Guidance: Provides operational support and guidance to payroll analysts and senior analysts to maintain payroll processing quality.

* Data Governance: Ensures payroll data accuracy, documentation completeness, and compliance with payroll governance standards

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