QBL Payroll Tax Operations and Services Senior Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role supports Payroll Tax Operations and focuses on end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments. You will serve as a senior payroll tax expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME), acting as a technical lead and primary resource for more complex cases in the queue, including independent ownership of the most challenging scenarios.

This position is primarily about fixing payroll tax problems, not running payroll.

Responsibilities

• Resolve the most complex State and Federal payroll tax notices in the team’s queue, including multi-quarter, multi-state, and penalty assessment scenarios, owning the full case lifecycle from intake and root-cause analysis through agency response, submission, and confirmed closure.
• Prepare and file amended Federal and State payroll tax returns (Form 941-X and state equivalents) across 10+ states end-to-end, including reconciliation to the original return, recomputed liability schedules, W-2c preparation, and SSA reconciliation.
• Diagnose and resolve payroll tax errors spanning multiple pay periods or jurisdictions; trace discrepancies to the originating payroll run, determine tax impact across all affected quarters, and drive the correction workflow to confirmed resolution.
• Maintain high productivity case resolution while delivering accurate customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice resolution requests.
• Monitor team WIP daily; identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); resolve barriers proactively and bring systemic blockers to M1 with root-cause analysis and a recommended resolution path.
• Serve as a primary real-time resource for Senior Payroll Tax Processors, answering questions via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side sessions while teaching the resolution process to build team capability.
• Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model; increase frequency for agents who are underperforming or working through a learning gap.
• Contribute to team huddles, group QA sessions, and process meetings.
• Author, review, and approve SOPs and Knowledge Base (KB) articles for core processes; identify recurring error patterns in QA data and propose corrective action recommendations to M1.
• Identify trends and emerging compliance issues; communicate findings to M1 and relevant stakeholders with a recommended response and drive implementation.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with Corrections, Amendments, Pay & File, and Tax Notice teams to resolve interconnected customer issues end-to-end.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of payroll tax experience with a demonstrated focus on tax defect resolution for notice response, amended return preparation, and payroll error correction across multiple states.
• Expert knowledge of State and Federal payroll tax notice types; proven ability to independently draft penalty abatement requests and formal agency response letters with complete supporting documentation.
• Hands-on experience preparing and approving amended Federal (Form 941-X, W-2c) and State payroll tax returns across all states, including jurisdictions with complex local requirements such as PA, OH, and more.
• Deep knowledge of federal payroll tax law: FICA, FUTA, FITW, employment tax deposit schedules, and associated penalty and interest structures.
• Multi-state payroll tax expertise: reciprocal agreements, resident and nonresident taxation, SUI account management, and local tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Prior experience functioning as a lead, senior specialist, or SME; able to provide specific examples of coaching or training junior staff through complex resolution scenarios.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state tax payment and filing regulations across all US jurisdictions; advanced Excel skills for reconciliation and audit trail work.
• Strong written communication skills; SOPs and KB articles must be accurate and actionable, written for a Tax processor audience without requiring revision.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business preferred; equivalent experience accepted.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred; expected within 18 months of Staff Payroll Tax Processor placement. FPC accepted for candidates with 5+ years of demonstrated tax defect resolution experience. Enrolled Agent (EA) is a strong differentiator.
• Experience at a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax operations environment strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
• Enrolled Agent (EA)

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay range (hourly):
  • California (Bay Area): $40.50 - $54.50
  • Southern California: $40.50 - $54.50
  • Colorado: $32.00 - $43.50
  • District of Columbia: $32.00 - $43.50
  • Hawaii: $33.50 - $45.50
  • Illinois: $32.00 - $43.50
  • Maine: $29.00 - $39.50
  • Maryland: $32.00 - $43.50
  • Massachusetts: $33.50 - $45.50
  • Minnesota: $29.00 - $39.50
  • New Jersey: $33.50 - $45.50
  • New York: $40.50 - $54.50
  • Ohio: $29.00 - $39.50
  • Vermont: $32.00 - $43.50
  • Virginia: $32.00 - $43.50
  • Washington: $33.50 - $45.50
• Eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards, and benefits in accordance with applicable plans and programs.
• Pay offered is based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.
• Ongoing fair pay comparisons are conducted across categories of ethnicity and gender.

Location

• United States (work location determines the applicable hourly base pay range).
• This is an hourly, non-exempt position. Overtime pay eligibility applies.
• Minimum 20 hours per week, with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.