Payroll Officer, US Payroll

Open Society Foundations; New York (NY); On-site; USD 123,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plans

Retirement plan

Parental leave

Job summary

Open Society Foundations seeks a Payroll Officer, US Payroll in New York. The role supports accurate processing of the U.S. payroll and a small Amsterdam payroll in compliance with laws, coordinating with global providers and maintaining data integrity.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree, CPP desirable, and proven Workday payroll experience, plus strong analytical and cross‑functional collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; CPP desirable.
• Proven experience with full US payroll processing in Workday.
• Strong data integrity and confidentiality skills.

Responsibilities

• Process US payroll accurately and on time, coordinating with providers.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws.
• Prepare payroll summaries, reconciliations and year-end filings.
• Respond to employee inquiries and maintain payroll knowledge base.

Skills

US payroll

Workday

Data accuracy

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

Bachelor degree

CPP desirable

Tools

Workday

Tentoo Amsterdam

Job description

Payroll Officer, US Payroll

Contract Type: Regular. Workstyle Arrangement: Hybrid. Reporting To: Associate Director, Global Payroll. Department: People and Culture (P&C). Location: New York. Team Name: People and Culture Operations and Systems.

Role purpose

The Payroll Officer, US Payroll is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of U.S. and a small Amsterdam payroll in compliance with federal, state and local laws. This role ensures employee compensation is processed, recorded and reported correctly while maintaining high standards of data integrity, confidentiality and customer service.

Key responsibilities

• Payroll Processing & Quality Assurance: Ensure accurate and timely processing of the payroll by reviewing data in Workday and coordinating with the OSV and Tentoo Amsterdam payroll providers. Oversee the workflow of payroll consultants as needed by providing guidance, assigning tasks, reviewing outputs, and ensuring all work meets accuracy and compliance standards. Validate payroll changes, audit entries, and ensure all updates are fully supported with required documentation before submission. Maintain the U.S. and Amsterdam payroll calendar and ensure deadlines are communicated and adhered to across the stakeholders.
• Compliance, Reporting & Controls: Ensure payroll processes comply with federal, state, and local labor/tax regulations in partnership with the OSV and Tentoo payroll providers. Manage incoming physical mail, including receiving, sorting, responding and taking appropriate follow‑up actions. Prepare monthly payroll summaries, reconciliation documentation, GL and variance explanations for review and sign‑off by the Global Payroll Associate Director. Conduct payroll‑related account reconciliations and maintain an exception log to track retro payments, off‑cycle adjustments and special cases. Prepare year‑end payroll schedules, W-2 support and audit documentation.
• Vendor & Cross‑Functional Coordination: Act as the primary liaison among the teams, internal and external stakeholders/vendors, ensuring SLAs are met and issues are escalated/resolved promptly. Coordinate with the internal and external stakeholders to ensure payroll inputs are complete and entered before cut‑off dates. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders such as Finance, P&C/HR, IT, Legal, etc. to support payroll impacts, reporting and audit requirements. Supports internal and external payroll audits by providing documentation, performing reconciliations, addressing findings and ensuring ongoing compliance with federal, state and local regulations.
• Employee Support & Knowledge Management: Respond to employee inquiries in Workday Help or other channels regarding payroll and payslips within SLA timeframes, resolving complex cases and guiding consultants on routine cases. Develop and maintain payroll knowledge articles and FAQ resources within Workday Help to improve employee self‑service. Provide informal coaching and subject‑matter support as needed to payroll consultants to improve team accuracy, consistency and efficiency.

Key Internal Relationships

• Employee Support Center, Total Reward, Finance, Legal/OGC.

Key External Relationships

• Payroll Providers, Benefits Providers, Tax Professional.

People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs)

None

The Ideal Candidate

• Bachelor Degree.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) desirable.
• Prior experience successfully managing and processing the full cycle of the U.S. payroll using the Workday payroll system (not only HRIS).
• Effectively manage work with efficiency in a fast‑paced environment, troubleshoot and follow initiatives through to completion, with strict deadlines and without loss of attention to detail, budget and reporting.
• Experienced in coordinating meetings, resolving scheduling conflicts and optimizing calendar efficiency.
• Some experience in continuous process improvement techniques and efficiency.
• Solid core accounting and finance principles such as credits, debits, journal entries, and general ledger posting activities.
• Ability to work with and manage internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to conduct internal process audits, taking corrective actions.
• Good understanding and experience of process improvement techniques.
• Ability to analyze big data sets and draw insights to inform management.
• Demonstrates commitment to OSF’s core values of humility, commitment, collaboration, respect, inclusivity and integrity.
• Strong written and verbal communication, attention to detail, organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Exercises good listening and communication skills with sensitivity to cultural communication differences.
• Maintains a consistent focus on achieving outcomes.
• Uses practical and solution‑oriented thinking.
• Effectively works as both a team leader and member, with an important level of initiative, self‑motivation and ability to set and meet goals.
• Pleasant, diplomatic manner and disposition in interacting with colleagues and the public, showing discretion and ability to handle confidential issues.
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion by recognizing and responding positively to individual and group differences in the workplace and beyond.
• Building an inclusive workplace by respecting and seeking out diverse viewpoints and perspectives.

Travel

Travel required. Travel frequency depends on the role requirements.

Language

Fluency in English and the local language of the office location.

What we offer

• Exceptional opportunities to learn, grow and make an impact; from a generous annual professional development allowance for every employee to onsite training and learning conversations with visiting experts.
• Excellent benefits and perks to promote well‑being and a healthy work‑life balance, including: Generous time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Employer‑paid health insurance and dental plans for individuals and families (no employee contribution required).
• Exceptional retirement savings plan (non‑contributory for employees) and life insurance.
• Progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support and much more.
• A commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, so you can bring your whole self to work and make a positive impact.

The salary range for this role in the US: $122,600- $136,250. The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience.

Description of the organization

Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time‑limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners, enabling us to respond swiftly to emerging needs. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems.

Guided by our founder’s values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing, and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity and justice, inspiring every action we take.

Competitive rates of pay apply. Open Society Foundations is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to building a diverse staff that reflects the movements, issues and communities that our mission serves.

Candidates from all underrepresented backgrounds, identities and communities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.

About Us

Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time‑limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners.

We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems. This is work worth doing. Driven by Purpose Guided by our founder's values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity and justice, inspiring every action we take.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Open Society Foundations is committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively seek applications from talented individuals across all backgrounds, identities, and life experiences.

Each candidate is evaluated solely on their unique qualifications without regard to race, age, sex, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or any other legally protected characteristics.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities.