Payroll Specialist

Covenant Retirement Communities & Covenant Care; Skokie (IL); On-site; USD 74,000 - 1,121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

PTO & six paid holidays

403(b) with 3% employer match

Fitness center use at most facilities

Job summary

Covenant Living and CovenantCare Home Health and Hospice is seeking a Payroll Specialist (Workday) to manage the end-to-end processing cycle for a nationwide multi-state payroll operation. You’ll focus on payroll tax processing, auditing, and compliance in partnership with our vendor, ensuring accurate and timely pay for staff.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years of payroll experience, strong Workday expertise, and proven collaboration with internal partners and external agencies.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ payroll experience with multi-state taxes and authorities.
• Experience partnering with third-party vendors and payroll providers.
• Proficiency in Workday payroll and HRIS reporting for audits.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end payroll processing for national, multi-state staff (bi-weekly).
• Audit and reconcile payroll taxes with vendor to ensure compliance.
• Handle tickets in shared services and escalate as needed.
• Set up jurisdictions and tax codes in HRIS; monitor tax rates.
• Support training and user education to improve processes.

Skills

Multi-state payroll

Tax compliance

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Strong computer skills

Education

High School Diploma

Associate’s degree

CPP / Workday Certified in US Payroll

Payroll-related trainings

Tools

Workday

HRIS

Excel

Job description

We Are Inspired to Serve. Join us! The Payroll Specialist (Workday) is responsible for the end to end processing cycle of a national, multi-state payroll operation with bi-weekly execution and pay delivery to staff. This role will be heavily focused on payroll tax processing, auditing, and compliance in partnership with our vendor. Will partner with various taxing agencies (state unemployment, IRS, state / local tax, etc.) to prevent and respond to agency inquires / notices. Resolves tax issues through agency, vendor, and internal team collaboration. Works with internal and external resources to ensure payroll tax configurations are current in the HRIS system, Workday, such as auditing tax tables, state funded benefit program tax rates and earning / deduction codes. This role is part of a Shared Services team and will respond to and resolve user tickets from the field, as well as address themes with training and user education.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• End to end processing cycle of national, multi-state payroll operation bi-weekly in HRIS (Workday).
• Ensure on-time and compliant delivery of pay to employees.
• Triage incoming tickets in our Shared Services platform, tackling Level 1 issues independently. This includes processing wage verification requests, garnishments, off cycle check requests, lock in letters, arrears management, and responding to other timekeeping and payroll inquiries.
• Escalates advanced issues to the HRIS Analyst team or the Senior Payroll Administrator.
• Regularly audit Payroll Tax reconciliation provided by vendor and resolve discrepancies, ensuring tax liability balancing.
• Process state registrations and set up new jurisdictions in HRIS.
• Manage issues with taxing authorities to resolve agency notices / letters / inquiries.
• Proactively review payroll taxation through audits and reporting, and tools provided by the vendor to ensure taxing compliance.
• Monitor payroll tax status to ensure self-insured / reimbursable status for unemployment is maintained.
• Process state required security bonds to maintain reimbursable status timely, in partnership with Finance.
• Research tax regulations and withholdings.
• Audit and maintain accuracy of tax rates in HRIS.
• Review taxability of pay components (earnings/deductions), including identification of tax authority exceptions by state or local jurisdictions, and partner with HRIS Analyst to implement.
• Review and maintain codes annually as well as setting up new codes.
• Make continuous improvement suggestions related to user experience and process opportunities.
• Partner with the community locations and internal partners to improve payroll delivery and services.
• Identify themes and develop incident reduction strategies, to include training and user education.
• Partner on special employee or company programs that touch payroll services, such as bonus, merit, commissions, benefits, acquisitions, org restructurings, special government reporting (BLS), etc.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Required Degree: High School Diploma
• Preferred Degree: Associate’s degree
• Preferred Certificate(s): Payroll related training or certificates preferred, such as CPP Workday Certified in US Payroll or related certificates preferred
• Experience: Minimum 5 years’ payroll experience, including specialized experience with payroll tax and working with taxing authorities.
• Experience being a partner with 3rd party vendors.
• Experience with utilizing HRIS and vendor reports for purposes of auditing.
• Previous experience in HR or a shared service model is preferred.
• Multi-state and national experience required.
• Knowledge of payroll tax laws and requirements in the US (in a multi-state jurisdiction environment).
• Must have solid experience with Workday and high proficiency with technology.
• Must have experience working in a highly automated HRIS system.
• Workday experience is required.
• Must have experience working collaboratively with internal partners, such as legal or benefits, on project teams.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY:

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem solving skills; ability to combine attention to detail with big picture perspective.
• Understanding of cross functional concepts and technical impacts (security, reporting).
• Ability to research, quickly learn, and analyze information, make recommendations, document and present information clearly.
• Ability to work with limited direction or supervision, take initiative, plan and carry out responsibilities, organizing own schedule and duties in order to complete responsibilities.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and utilize sound judgment.
• Skilled in accurate, timely documentation.
• Skilled in written and verbal English communication, with excellent communication skills.
• Attention to detail and highly organized, with ability to prioritize and implement on time.
• Skilled in high efficiency and able to work at a fast pace with high volume output.
• Ability to work as part of a broader team and engage effectively with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Highly skilled in problem solving, root cause analysis, and implementation of solutions.
• Highly skilled in in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams.
• Advanced Excel skills highly preferred.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Compensation Pay Range: $74,742.00 - $112,112.25 per year.

Reasonable Pay Estimate A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $74,742.00 - $112,112.25 per year. There are numerous factors taken into consideration in determining the actual offered rate of pay, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, experience, skills, education, geographic location, and consideration of internal and external equity.

For full time employees, we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Employer paid group term life and disability
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & six paid holidays
• 403(b) with a 3% employer match
• Fitness center use at most facilities.

Various voluntary benefits:

• Life, AD&D
• Tuition assistance and scholarships
• Employee assistance program
• Legal services, home/auto insurance, discount purchasing program
• Pet Insurance

For more information about Covenant Living and CovenantCare at Home, please visit www.covliving.org or www.covenantcareathome.org.

Covenant Living and CovenantCare Home Health and Hospice are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by local laws, regulations, or ordinances.

We believe we are a great place to work.

Covenant Living & CovenantCare at Home are faith-based Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) & Home Health organization.

From the establishment of our first community – Covenant Home of Chicago in 1886 – to becoming the fifth-largest not-for-profit CCRC sponsor in the LeadingAge Ziegler Top 150, our goal has been to provide outstanding care and services to senior adults. We believe we are inspired to serve. We create joy and peace of mind for residents and their families by providing a better way of life. These are the standards of behavior we hold ourselves to in serving our residents.

STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR:

• Safety I learn & follow safety policies & procedures. I immediately report unsafe conditions for staff, residents, & guests and fix when possible. I protect residents, co-workers, & myself from unsafe conditions and practices by reporting unsafe conditions and fixing it or having it fixed.
• Courtesy I smile & acknowledge everyone that I encounter. I carry myself in a manner that projects positivity, approachability, & respectfulness. I address the concerns of others by actively listening & seeking solutions.
• Responsiveness I take initiative to respond to the needs of others in a timely manner to achieve resolution. I anticipate the needs of others and respond in a timely manner. I communicate to others who need to join me in responding to the needs of others.
• Image I ensure our environment is professional, welcoming, & clean. I follow CL policies, procedures, & all regulations.

We believe in making a difference in other’s lives.

We have approximately 3,200 employees serving more than 5,000 residents in our nationwide family of continuing care retirement communities and home health. Construction and development continues on several of our 14 campuses, ensuring ever more exciting opportunities for employees to serve residents.