Senior Payroll Specialist

SunCoke Energy Inc.; Lisle (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off

Company holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

SunCoke Energy Inc. in Lisle, IL, is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to oversee end-to-end payroll for hourly union and salaried staff, administer Concur and Bank of America Works programs, and provide analytical support across departments.

The role requires multi-state payroll experience (including union payrolls), strong Excel skills, and familiarity with UKG products. This is a hybrid role with in-office days Tue–Thu, offering competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Business related field is preferred.
• 5+ years relevant multi-state payroll experience required including union payrolls.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications required.
• Experience with UKG PRO preferred and UKG WFM a plus.
• Cognos Analytics or other payroll reporting experience a plus.
• Experience processing multiple pay groups at the corporate level a plus.
• Experience with Concur and Bank of America Works a plus.
• Strong work ethic and team player.
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential material.

Responsibilities

• Execute end-to-end payroll processing including pre-transmission register reconciliations and approved off-cycle payments.
• Compliance & Tax Administration: Manage multi-state payroll taxes, complex garnishments, and SOX-compliant documentation in accordance with state laws. Partner directly with third-party tax vendors to resolve notifications and agency issues.
• Year-End & Reporting: Assist with year-end balancing and reporting workflows, including the generation and correction of forms W-2 and W-2c.
• Lifecycle Audits & Data Integrity: Review new-hire data, tax and banking setups, auditing PTO balances to ensure precise final payouts for terminating employees.
• Own the SOX requirements for all payroll cycles; strictly document transactions and validate necessary approvals to ensure compliance.
• Manage the corporate travel and purchasing card programs, encompassing monthly audit reviews, user approvals, and employee issue resolution.
• Interact routinely across Payroll, HR, and Benefits departments to streamline workflows, resolve systemic errors, and resolve issues
• Execute ad hoc projects and other duties as assigned.

Skills

Payroll processing

SOX compliance

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor of Science in Business related field

Tools

UKG PRO

UKG WFM

Concur

Bank of America Works

Cognos Analytics

Job description

POSITION/JOB TITLE: Senior Payroll Specialist

DEPARTMENT: Accounting

DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Payroll Supervisor

LOCATION: Lisle, IL | Hybrid (In-Office Tuesday - Thursday)

TRAVEL: None

POSITION SUMMARY:

The purpose of this position is to oversee the preparation and processing of hourly union and salaried payrolls, administer travel card (Concur) and purchasing card (Bank of America Works) programs, and provide support and analytical insights to the businesses related to these areas.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Execute end-to-end payroll processing including cash and general ledger reporting for salaried, hourly, and union workforces, including pre-transmission register reconciliations and approved off-cycle payments.
• Compliance & Tax Administration: Manage multi-state payroll taxes, complex garnishments, and SOX-compliant documentation in accordance with state laws. Partner directly with third-party tax vendors to resolve notifications and agency issues.
• Year-End & Reporting: Assist with year-end balancing and reporting workflows, including the generation and correction of forms W-2 and W-2c.
• Lifecycle Audits & Data Integrity: Review new-hire data, tax and banking setups, auditing PTO balances to ensure precise final payouts for terminating employees.
• Own the SOX requirements for all payroll cycles; strictly document transactions and validate necessary approvals to ensure compliance.
• Manage the corporate travel and purchasing card programs, encompassing monthly audit reviews, user approvals, and employee issue resolution.
• Interact routinely across Payroll, HR, and Benefits departments to streamline workflows, resolve systemic errors, and resolve issues
• Execute ad hoc projects and other duties as assigned.

TECHNICAL REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Advance knowledge of end-to-end payroll processing, including regular, off-cycle, retroactive and termination payments.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local wage and tax regulations
• Working knowledge of payroll best practices, FLSA, wage and hour requirements, payroll tax withholding, and year-end reporting.
• Strong analytical, communication skills, both oral and written
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills including v-lookup and pivot tables
• Ability to research new issues, resolve payroll discrepancies and make recommendations to the payroll team.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS/WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor of Science in Business related field is preferred
• 5+ years relevant multi-state payroll experience required including union payrolls
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications required
• Experience with UKG PRO preferred and UKG WFM a plus
• Cognos Analytics or other payroll reporting experience a plus
• Experience processing multiple pay groups at the corporate level a plus
• Experience with Concur and Bank of America Works a plus
• Strong work ethic and team player
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential material

Compensation and Benefits:

The pay range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, qualifications, skills, and internal equity.

Annual performance bonus target: 10%.

In addition to competitive pay, we offer a comprehensive benefits package for employees and their families. This includes health care coverage (medical, dental, and vision), a 401(k)-retirement plan, life and disability insurance, paid time off, and paid company holidays.

We also provide a variety of supplemental programs designed to support overall wellbeing and everyday needs, such as optional life insurance for eligible family members, supplemental disability coverage, legal services, identity protection, critical illness, hospital and accident insurance, tuition reimbursement, chronic condition support programs, a 24/7 employee assistance program, and telemedicine services.

This document in no way states nor implies that these are the only responsibilities of, and the duties to be performed by, the employee occupying this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.