Senior Payroll Operations Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role is focused on resolving payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments. As a senior payroll tax expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME), you will serve as a technical lead and catalyst for the team—spending significant time supporting less experienced staff while independently owning the most complex cases in the queue.

Primary focus: 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 complete correction workflow to confirmed resolution.
• Maintain high productivity case resolution, delivering customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice resolution requests with high accuracy.
• Monitor work-in-progress (WIP) daily; identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); resolve barriers proactively and escalate systemic blockers with root-cause analysis and a recommended resolution path.
• Serve as a primary real-time resource for Senior Payroll Tax Processors by answering questions via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side sessions, and teaching the resolution process so the team builds 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 recommend corrective actions.
• Identify trends and emerging compliance issues; communicate findings to relevant leadership and stakeholders with recommended responses, and drive implementation of resolutions.
• 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, including 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 for a Tax processor audience without requiring revision.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business preferred; equivalent experience accepted.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

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.

Location

This role is part of a virtual/remote team providing expert services year-round.

Work schedule:

• Minimum 20 hours per week
• Option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need
• Hourly, non-exempt position eligible for overtime pay.