Payroll Specialist

Overview

The organization is seeking a Senior Payroll Tax Expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join its Payroll Tax Operations team. This role resolves complex payroll tax issues—including notices, corrections, and amendments—across federal and state jurisdictions. You will independently manage intricate cases and act as a technical lead, providing guidance and knowledge transfer to less experienced team members.

Responsibilities

• Resolve the most complex state and federal payroll tax notices, including multi-quarter, multi-state, and penalty assessment cases, managing each case lifecycle from intake through root-cause analysis, agency response, submission, and closure.
• Prepare, review, and file amended federal and state payroll tax returns (including Form 941-X and state equivalents) across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring accurate reconciliation with original filings, recomputed liability schedules, and W-2c preparation.
• Diagnose and correct payroll tax errors spanning multiple pay periods or jurisdictions by tracing discrepancies to payroll runs, assessing tax impacts, and executing comprehensive correction workflows until resolution.
• Maintain high productivity by efficiently resolving customer requests related to corrections, amendments, and notices while prioritizing accuracy and compliance.
• Monitor daily work-in-progress (WIP), identify aging cases and systemic issues, proactively resolve barriers, and conduct root-cause analysis to recommend systemic improvements.
• Serve as a primary real-time resource for senior team members, providing guidance via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side coaching to build team capability and independence.
• Conduct structured coaching sessions quarterly using the SBIC feedback model, and increase frequency for underperforming or learning-gap individuals.
• Participate in team meetings, QA sessions, and process reviews, contributing insights and best practices for continuous improvement.
• Author, review, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Knowledge Base articles to ensure clarity and accuracy.
• Identify emerging trends, compliance issues, and process inefficiencies; communicate findings to leadership and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams managing corrections, amendments, pay & file, and notices to resolve interconnected customer issues.

Requirements

• Minimum of four years of specialized payroll tax experience focused on tax defect resolution, notice response, and amended return preparation across multiple states.
• Hands-on experience handling federal and state payroll tax notices, including penalty abatement requests and formal agency correspondence.
• Experience preparing and approving amended returns such as Form 941-X and W-2c, with strong understanding of complex jurisdictions including Pennsylvania and Ohio (and others).
• Deep knowledge of federal payroll tax regulations, including FICA, FUTA, FITW, and associated penalties.
• Familiarity with multi-state payroll tax nuances, including reciprocal agreements, local tax compliance, and employment tax deposit schedules.
• Prior leadership experience (lead, senior specialist, or SME), particularly with coaching or training junior staff.
• Proficiency in Excel for reconciliation and audit work.
• Excellent written communication skills for SOPs and Knowledge Base articles.
• Relevant educational qualifications such as an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business (preferred).
• Certification such as Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Enrolled Agent (EA), or FPC (advantageous).
• Experience within payroll service bureaus, PEOs, or multi-client payroll environments (strong plus).

Preferred Qualifications

• Payroll, Tax, Accounting, Compliance, Process Improvement, Leadership

Compensation & Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Flexible work arrangements
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities, including certifications and training programs
• Pay-for-performance rewards, including base salary, bonuses, and equity options

Equal Opportunity

The organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment. Employment decisions are based on qualifications and not on protected characteristics including race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.