Senior Payroll Specialist

Nouryon; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Nouryon is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist, North America, to manage payroll for 1,600+ employees across the United States and Canada. The role requires strong multi-state payroll experience, regulatory knowledge, and a data-driven approach to accuracy and efficiency.

You will partner with HR Operations, Finance, Benefits, and HR Technology to ensure compliant, timely payroll processing. This is a full-time, on-site role based in Houston, Texas.

Qualifications

• Experience managing multi-state payroll
• Knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local payroll regulations
• Experience with multiple payroll cycles and deadlines
• Proactive, analytical mindset and problem-solving ability

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end payroll for ~1,600 employees across NA, hourly and salaried
• Process and review complex payroll transactions and reconcile reports
• Investigate and resolve payroll, time & attendance, and data discrepancies
• Collaborate with HR Operations, Finance, Benefits, HR Technology and third-party payroll provider
• Support payroll compliance, audits, year-end activities, reporting and controls
• Analyze payroll processes and identify continuous improvement opportunities

Skills

Multi-state payroll

U.S. payroll regulations

Excel advanced

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business/Accounting/Finance

Tools

ADP GlobalView

SAP

Kronos Time & Attendance

SuccessFactors Employee Central

ServiceNow

Job description

Senior Payroll Specialist, North America

At Nouryon, our global team takes positive action every day, to reach higher collectively and individually. We create innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers to answer society’s needs – today and in the future. We are looking for a Senior Payroll Specialist with strong multi-state payroll experience who enjoys solving complex payroll issues, taking ownership, and identifying opportunities to improve processes. Does that sound like you?

About the job

As Senior Payroll Specialist, North America, you will play a key role in delivering accurate, timely, and compliant payroll for approximately 1,600 employees across the United States and Canada. You will join a lean, collaborative payroll team and work closely with HR Operations, Finance, Benefits, HR Technology, and other internal partners.

In your future role as Senior Payroll Specialist, North America you will:

• Support the end-to-end payroll process for approximately 1,600 employees across North America, including hourly and salaried, union and non-union populations and multiple payroll frequencies.
• Process and review complex payroll transactions and reconcile payroll reports, ensuring payroll is accurate, timely, and compliant with applicable requirements.
• Investigate and resolve complex payroll, time and attendance, and employee data discrepancies, taking ownership of issues through resolution.
• Partner closely with HR Operations, Finance, Benefits, HR Technology, and our third-party payroll provider to maintain data integrity and resolve payroll-related inquiries.
• Support payroll compliance, audits, year-end activities, reporting, internal controls, and documentation of payroll procedures and processes.
• Analyze payroll processes and metrics, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and proactively recommend solutions that improve accuracy, efficiency, and service delivery.

We believe you bring

• Strong hands-on experience managing multi-state payroll in a large or complex organization, including hourly and salaried employee populations.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local payroll regulations, compliance requirements, payroll reconciliation, and complex payroll transactions.
• Experience working with multiple payroll cycles and managing competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced payroll environment.
• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent progressive payroll experience.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, including advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities such as pivot tables, VLOOKUP, IF formulas, conditional formatting, and data validation.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with teams such as HR, Finance, Benefits, and HR Technology.

Great if you have

• Experience supporting Canadian payroll and/or union payroll populations.
• Experience with ADP GlobalView (GV), SAP, Kronos Time & Attendance, SuccessFactors Employee Central, and/or ServiceNow.
• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.

We believe you are

• You are proactive and accountable, taking ownership of issues and investigating discrepancies before escalating them.
• You bring strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with close attention to detail and a commitment to payroll accuracy.
• You are also collaborative and comfortable working as part of a small team.
• You communicate effectively across functions, bring ideas forward, and look for opportunities to improve processes rather than simply following existing ways of working.
• You are dependable, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with a sense of urgency while handling sensitive and confidential information with integrity.

This is a permanent position on a full-time basis, reporting to the Payroll Supervisor, North America, and based in Houston, Texas. This position is onsite five days per week.

About Nouryon

Explore careers and life at Nouryon. If you’re looking for your next career move, apply today and join Nouryon’s worldwide team in providing essential solutions that our customers use to manufacture everyday products such as personal care, cleaning, paints and coatings, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and building products. Our employees are driven by the wish to make an impact and actively drive positive change. If that describes you, we will gladly make way for your ambitions. From day one we support you with your personal growth, through challenging positions and comprehensive learning and development opportunities, in a dynamic, international, diverse, and proactive working environment. Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn . #WeAreNouryon #GrowWithUs We have already chosen our sourcing channels for this recruitment and kindly ask not to be contacted by any advertisement agents, recruitment agencies or staffing companies. #LI-Onsite