Senior Payroll Operations Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role supports Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) as a Senior Payroll Tax expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME) on a team responsible for end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments.

You will serve as a technical lead and resource for less experienced staff, while independently owning the most complex cases in the queue. This position focuses on resolving payroll tax defects and issues—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.
• Own 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
  • SSA reconciliation
• Diagnose and resolve payroll tax errors across multiple pay periods or jurisdictions by tracing discrepancies to the originating payroll run, determining tax impact across all affected quarters, and completing the correction workflow to confirmed resolution.
• Maintain high productivity while delivering customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice resolution requests with high accuracy.
• Monitor team WIP daily, identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs), and proactively remove barriers.
• Serve as the 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 to build team capability.
• Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model; increase coaching frequency for underperforming agents or those with learning gaps.
• 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 with a recommended response, 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
  • 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, including:
  • FICA, FUTA, FITW
  • employment tax deposit schedules
  • associated penalty and interest structures
• Multi-state payroll tax expertise, including:
  • reciprocal agreements
  • resident and nonresident taxation
  • SUI account management
  • local tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions
• Prior experience as a lead, senior specialist, or SME, with 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, actionable, and written 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) varies by work location:
  • 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 is an hourly, non-exempt role supporting virtual expert services.
• Minimum 20 hours per week, with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.
• Overtime pay eligibility applies.
• Work location will determine the base pay range listed above.