Senior Payroll Operations & Compliance Lead (Hybrid)

CamWebDir; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ is seeking a Payroll Senior Specialist to ensure accurate, timely US and Puerto Rico payroll processing, compliance, and governance.

You will serve as the primary operational lead for payroll processing, vendor management with ADP, and stakeholder collaboration across HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, and Internal Audit. This role emphasizes SOX controls, year-end activities, automation, and payroll transformation, with exposure to garnishments, audits, and complex

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in HR, finance, or a related field.
• 6+ years of payroll experience with outsourced payroll environments.
• Experience with U.S. and Puerto Rico payroll regulations.
• Experience using ADP payroll services.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all U.S. and Puerto Rico payroll operations.
• Manage payroll production schedules and processing activities.
• Handle escalations and respond to employee inquiries.
• Partner with ADP to ensure SLAs and governance.
• Support year-end payroll processing and audits.
• Drive process automation and continuous improvement.
• Maintain SOX-compliant controls and documentation.

Skills

Adaptability

Certified Payroll

Credit Management

Credit Risk Assessment

Financial Accounting Controls

Payroll Analysis

Payroll Management

Payroll Processing

Payroll Reports

Payroll Tax Compliance

People Management

Preparation of Financial Reports

Process Improvement Engineering

Team Coordination

Vendor Coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

ADP Payroll Systems

Job description

Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ is seeking a Payroll Senior Specialist to ensure accurate, timely US and Puerto Rico payroll processing, compliance, and governance.

You will serve as the primary operational lead for payroll processing, vendor management with ADP, and stakeholder collaboration across HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, and Internal Audit. This role emphasizes SOX controls, year-end activities, automation, and payroll transformation, with exposure to garnishments, audits, and complex