Senior Payroll Specialist

Grainger; Lake Forest (IL); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Paid Time Off (PTO)

401(k) with company contribution

Employee discounts & tuition support

Parental leave programs

Job summary

Grainger is hiring a Senior Payroll Tax Specialist to ensure payroll tax compliance for North America, supporting about 20,000 employees in a hybrid Lake Forest, IL role. The position emphasizes expert knowledge in payroll taxes, audits, and cross-functional collaboration with HR, Finance, and external vendors.

The role requires 8+ years in payroll tax across jurisdictions (Canada included), strong analytic abilities, and experience with SAP and ADP.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of payroll tax experience across multiple jurisdictions, including Canada.
• Knowledge of payroll operations, SAP/ADP, payroll controls and tax compliance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with payroll tax regulations for North America.
• Handle tax setups, garnishments, filings, and remittances.
• Serve as subject matter expert for payroll tax and provide guidance to teams.
• Develop and maintain SOPs for payroll tax processes.

Skills

Payroll tax

Canadian payroll

Regulatory compliance

SOX SOC1 audits

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance

CPP/CPA (preferred)

Tools

SAP

ADP

Job description

Work Location Type: Hybrid

Req Number 334875

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Workingby serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visitwww.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $61,800.00 - $102,900.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 5 % or $ , based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

Grainger Benefits

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Position Overview

The Senior Payroll Tax Specialist is responsible for ensuring payroll tax compliance and operational excellence for North America, supporting approximately 20,000 employees. This role is a senior-level individual contributor focused on payroll tax and compliance, without direct people management responsibilities. The Sr. Specialist Payroll Tax partners closely with payroll teams, outsourced vendors, and internal stakeholders to ensure payroll tax processes meet service level agreements, quality targets, and regulatory requirements.

This is a hybrid position and is onsite 2 days per week in Lake Forest, IL.

You Will

• Ensure compliance with all payroll tax regulations (federal, state, local, and provincial) for North American operations.
• Responsible for executing taxactivities:including tax setups, garnishments, filings, and remittances, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for payroll tax, providing guidance and technical support to payroll teams and business partners.
• Develop andmaintainstandard operating procedures (SOPs) for payroll tax processes, ensuring documentation is current and accurate.
• Support quarter-end and year-end payroll tax activities, including reconciliations, audits, and reporting.
• Collaborate with internal teams (HRSD, Finance,Benefits) and external vendors(ADP)to resolve payroll tax issues and ensure alignment.
• Manage ServiceNow cases related to payroll tax and compliance, ensuringtimelyresolution and high-quality employee experience.
• Participate in audits (SOX, SOC1) and ensure compliance with internal controls and labor laws.
• Lead orparticipatein special projects related to payroll tax compliance, system upgrades (SAP, ADP), and continuous improvement initiatives.

You Have

• Minimum of 8 years of payroll tax experience across multiplejurisdictions, including Canadian payroll.
• Deep knowledge of payroll operations, systems (SAP, ADP), payroll controls, vendor management, and tax compliance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and issue management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams.
• Experience supporting audits and maintaining compliance with SOX and SOC1 controls.
• Excellent communication skills for partnering with internal and external stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred; relevant certifications (CPP, CPA) a plus.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.