Senior Payroll Specialist

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) seek a responsible and dedicated Senior Payroll Specialist. This job reports to the Payroll Manager in the Finance Department of PPFA. The Senior Payroll Specialist provides advanced analytical support and technical expertise to ensure the accurate execution, compliance, and integrity of the Organization’s payroll runs. Under the general guidance of the Payroll Manager, this role is responsible for performing comprehensive technical QA/QC reviews on pre-processing data, identifying tax or operational variances, and fully executing the final bi-weekly payroll runs. By assessing complex components—including multi-state taxation, union requirements, and system logic—the Senior Specialist serves as the primary system user who ensures the payroll cycle is successfully completed and ready for management's final approval. The Senior Payroll Specialist shares expertise with peers and new hires and supports system enhancements or process improvements.

Responsibilities

Assess complex payroll components (e.g., multi-state taxation, imputed income, union payroll, garnishments) and provide analysis to the Payroll Manager; Monitor terminations to ensure last pay laws are being followed; Act as a core functional user for UKG; Conduct research into federal, state, and local regulatory changes; Prepare and reconcile data for internal/external audits; Perform technical QA/QC reviews on payroll data prepared by the Payroll Specialist; Provide support to the Payroll Manager for high-stakes projects including annual year-end activities; Review quarterly tax packet (941s); Respond to unemployment claims; Other duties as assigned

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) required; 4-5 years of comprehensive payroll experience with a proven track record of handling high-complexity environments (multi-state, union); Minimum 3 years of experience as a Power User or Subject Matter Expert (SME) in UKG (Pro/Ready) or similar enterprise-grade HCM/Payroll systems; High proficiency in MS Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, complex formulas) and Google Sheets; Experience with system implementations, testing (UAT), or managing API integrations between Payroll and HRIS/Benefits platforms; Ability to assess complex payroll components and provide analytical frameworks for process improvement under guidance; Strong interpersonal skills to secure cooperation from external auditors, vendors, and cross-functional internal partners; Exceptional ability to manage highly confidential information and navigate ambiguous situations with professional confidence

Nice to have

FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) preferred