Senior Payroll Operations & Compliance Lead

Highmark Health Company; Carson City (NV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Highmark Health is seeking a senior payroll professional to oversee enterprise-wide payroll operations, ensuring timely disbursements and compliance across multiple states and complex compensation structures. You will lead payroll processing, maintain records, manage HRIS-related improvements, and provide expert guidance on escalated issues while coordinating with vendors and unions.

This role demands analytical thinking, process improvements, and the ability to handle multiple priorities in a

Responsibilities

• Process multi-state payroll for a large employee base on a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly basis.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive employee payroll records, manage reconciliation of payroll accounts, generate reports for management, and prepare for audits (including Department of Labor compliance).
• Calculate and process a variety of payroll adjustments, including those related to time off, leave, compensation, benefits, retro adjustments, and overpayments, accounting for Gross to Net calculations while maintaining within FLSA and IRS regulations.
• Manage year-end payroll activities, including entering repayment corrections prior to W2 finalization.
• Handle garnishment inquiries and ensure compliance, manage off-cycle payroll processing and settlements.
• Develop and maintain documentation, including training materials, SOPs, HRSO FAQs.
• Assist with the implementation of new HRIS features and functionalities, generate reports/analysis, identify and implement process improvements to optimize HRIS efficiency.
• Performs EIB (Enterprise Interface Builder) loads and validations; ensuring accuracy and consistency; performs high-level quality control audits.
• Respond to employee inquiries and escalations through the service request system and provide support to stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary liaison for key third-party vendors and union representatives, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for HR-related pay issues and provide expert-level support enterprise wide.
• Stay current on all applicable payroll laws and regulations, ensuring compliance.
• Maintain payroll procedures and documentation, ensuring compliance with internal controls and audit requirements.
• Administer the contract terms and conditions for employee sign-on, retention, performance, tuition reimbursement, and severance agreements, collaborating with legal counsel as needed. Manage collections operations based on clawback agreements, processing clawbacks in accordance with applicable laws and company policies. This includes performing collections when applicable and engaging with relevant departments to ensure efficient and compliant execution.
• Conduct various and detailed pay audits to ensure accuracy and compliance with company policy and applicable laws.
• Manage banking through vendor system (ACH returns & positive pay).
• Process AHN and HM wires & check requests for deductions.
• Lead the testing and validation of new payroll implementation procedures, ensuring seamless transitions and minimizing disruptions.
• Oversee and manages the comprehensive payroll checklist, ensuring accuracy and compliance throughout the entire payroll cycle.
• Conduct peer reviews of higher-level and more complex payroll tasks, including off-cycle payments and overpayment corrections, ensuring accuracy and adherence to best practices, company policies, and applicable laws.

Job description

Highmark Health is seeking a senior payroll professional to oversee enterprise-wide payroll operations, ensuring timely disbursements and compliance across multiple states and complex compensation structures. You will lead payroll processing, maintain records, manage HRIS-related improvements, and provide expert guidance on escalated issues while coordinating with vendors and unions.

This role demands analytical thinking, process improvements, and the ability to handle multiple priorities in a