Payroll Lead (Hybrid)

Quest Diagnostics; Secaucus (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in healthcare diagnostics is seeking a Payroll Specialist to oversee payroll processes and ensure compliance with tax regulations. The ideal candidate will have extensive payroll experience, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in payroll software. This role involves leading payroll audits, managing complex payroll scenarios, and training team members to ensure efficient operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years payroll experience with a proven track record.
• Experience in timekeeping, especially using Oracle Time and Labor.
• Ability to quickly learn new software for payroll processing.

Responsibilities

• Leads bi-weekly payroll closing process within Oracle HCM Cloud.
• Reviews audit reports and analyzes activities for accurate paycheck calculation.
• Communicates and implements process improvements for payroll.

Skills

Advanced Excel skills

Critical Thinking

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Payroll Accounting Best Practices

Education

BS or BA preferred

CPP preferred

Tools

Oracle HCM Fusion

Kronos UKG

Job description

Overview

The incumbent(s) has a desire to learn within the workplace and embrace change. Highly analytical with a sharp focus on detail and accuracy; able to think logically yet broadly to solve immediate issues, identify and diagnose root cause of processing issues, and take a leadership role in driving improvements and efficiencies. Able to utilize all tools available to deliver timely and accurate results in a fast-paced high-volume organization. Highly capable of successfully engaging and leveraging the expertise of assigned team members as well as entire Corporate Payroll Team. Knowledge of payroll administration, controls, governance, Tax compliance, and accounting best practices with established track record and desire to keep current. Strong focus on customer service, working as a supportive escalation expert to the HR Shared Services Center and a valued partner to other COEs and HR Business Partners as required. Administers company policy and ensures compliance.

Responsibilities

• Leads in bi-weekly payroll closing process within Oracle HCM Cloud, with support of Supervisor.
• Reviews various audit reports and independently analyzes each activity and take the follow up steps on each for accurate paycheck calculation.
• Runs bi-weekly audit reports, reviews, distributes, and makes employee adjustment where needed. (Off-cycle terminations, LOA, additional Pay, Tax set up or edits)
• Oversees the Element reconciliation to ensure that the updated data is accurate. Assists with reconciliation on major differences.
• Provides guidance to all team members for the Kronos WFC, including historical edits for the current and past periods, employees with HEs over 30 days, plus backpay which can be up to 2-3 years prior. Assigns HE pay groups to team members for completion.
• Reviews the employees on the HRSC’s retro payment spreadsheet to ensure that the employee has received any payments prior to 7 months.
• In-depth Knowledge of daily off-cycle flow processing provides guidance when needed.
• In depth Knowledge of setting up employee level federal, state, and local tax complying with the laws. Must understand reciprocal state tax laws, as well as local taxation requirements in many states. Will need to reference Vertex, BNA, or other tools.
• In-depth knowledge of government or court orders and establishes garnishment limits, disposable pay and eligible earnings for deductions on employee payroll records. Ensures accurate results.
• Communicate and implement process improvements for payroll and associated training sessions; provide communication strategy for new programs within the payroll team.
• Distributes transactional work within the team including assignment of Service Tickets; coordinates with Supervisor as needed.
• Assists with Payroll Audits both Internal and external, engaging others as needed.
• Participates in the testing of various functional activities as it relates to break fix or system updates in collaboration with Payroll Systems team by reviewing related documents, reviewing impact on payroll team and employees. Recommends other follow up actions to supervisors and/or manager as appropriate.
• Subject Matter Expert for processing of adjustment entries (Period, Quarter-to-date or year-to-date taxes and taxable wages, earnings, and deductions as applicable) on employees’ records to correct data that cannot be corrected through the normal paycheck transactional process.
• Supports and/or Performs Balance Adjustment processing and understands wage and tax impacts.
• Quarterly W2 Reports – reconciles employees with negative amounts on the W2 form. Employee adjustments completed where needed to ensure a W2 will be printed. (Boxes 12C, 12D, 12DD, Deceased EEs, or taxable wage and tax boxes)
• Quarterly - Prepares files for W2 reconciliations for completion by team members (75-100 EEs). Completes approximately 15 Executive W2 reconciliations.
• Participates in the reconciliation of W-2 forms in preparation of final release. Prepares or reviews W-2c forms to amend the original W-2.
• Research escalation issues within payroll inquiries as requested by employee or leadership inquiries, which may include investigating issues using prior experience, internal SOPs, BNA, or other payroll resources.
• Canadian Payroll – oversees the entire process of the Canada payroll from new hires, terminations, miscellaneous payments, WFC, ADP input files from Kronos and Oracle, ADP out files to Kronos, Sick Accruals, Vacation Accruals, quarterly true-up on Accruals, etc.
• Handles complex Stock exercises, Restricted Stock, and Performance Share processing.
• Completes weekly reconciliation between Oracle and Fidelity for Stock and RSU transactions. Resolves as necessary or escalates.
• Reviews Corporate Accounting’s monthly general ledger reconciliation for Stock and RSUs, process employee adjustments where needed.
• Create and/or updates SOPs as needed for payroll processing.
• Participate in acquisition meetings when needed. Provides WFC training. Involved in review and set up of Tax Types.
• Subject matter expert for Knowledge of LOA employee payments.
• Knowledge of non-exempt to exempt/exempt to non-exempt transfers.
• Trains and mentors new employees fostering empowerment, curiosity, teamwork, collaboration within or outside department, and engagement.
• Assists in testing system updates and special payroll projects as required.

Qualifications

Education:

BS or BA preferred; CPP preferred

Experience:

• 5+ years payroll experience, proven track record of learning and ability to take on new responsibilities
• Experience in timekeeping, especially using Oracle Time and Labor or Kronos UKG

Skills:

• Advanced Excel skills required, pivots, VLOOKUP and formulas (Macros helpful) to aid in analytics
• Preferred experience using Oracle HCM Fusion or other similar software with a demonstrated ability to quickly learn new software to support payroll processing
• Critical Thinking, Problem solving, mentoring, training, empowerment of others
• Proven analytical skills, inquisitive, driven to find answers, research for root cause of any issues and suggesting resolution, and proactive audits or approaches to avoid errors, and continual view to improve processes for efficiencies
• Embraces new technology and robotics
• Working knowledge of Payroll Accounting Best Practices

EEO

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets or any other legally protected status.