Description:
The Specialist, Payroll Project plays a key role in supporting payroll transformation, technology, and process improvement initiatives while maintaining a strong connection to day-to-day payroll operations. Acting as a subject matter expert (SME), this role provides functional payroll expertise throughout the project lifecycle, from requirements gathering and solution design through testing, implementation, and post-implementation support.
The Specialist, Payroll Project works closely with Payroll, People(s) & Culture (P&C), Change Management, and other stakeholders to ensure payroll solutions are practical, compliant, well tested, and effectively adopted. In addition to project responsibilities, the role serves as a functional lead for the bi-weekly payroll cycle, helping to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve payroll issues and ensuring the accuracy and timely delivery of payroll.
Key Responsibilities
Bi-Weekly Payroll Operations
- Lead bi-weekly payroll operations, while serving as the functional lead, providing operational oversight and payroll expertise.
- Monitor payroll processing activities and identify potential issues or anomalies.
- Manage and triage payroll errors, determining root causes, and coordinating timely resolution.
- Collaborate with internal teams and technical partners to investigate system, integration, calculation, or data-related payroll issues.
- Escalate complex or high-risk issues appropriately and ensure appropriate follow-up and resolution.
- Support continuous improvement of payroll processes, controls, and procedures based on operational experience and project learnings.
Payroll Projects & Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as a payroll subject matter expert on payroll system implementations, enhancements, integrations, process improvements, and other business initiatives.
- Provide functional payroll expertise throughout the project lifecycle, identifying business impacts, risks, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement.
- Partner with project teams, P&C, and other stakeholders to develop effective and sustainable payroll solutions.
- Translate payroll requirements and operational needs into clear business and functional requirements.
Business Requirements & Solutioning
- Develop, coordinate, and manage User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activities for payroll-related projects.
- Develop and execute test scenarios and test cases that reflect real-world payroll requirements and business processes.
- Analyze testing results, identify defects or gaps, and work with project and technical teams to resolve issues.
- Document testing outcomes, decisions, process changes, and lessons learned.
- Support implementation activities, including readiness assessments, cutover activities, parallel payrolls, and post-implementation validation where required.
- Ensure new or revised payroll processes are documented and communicated effectively.
Change Management & Stakeholder Communication
- Partner with Change Management to support the successful adoption of new payroll processes, systems, and ways of working.
- Communicate project impacts, process changes, timelines, and key information to payroll stakeholders and affected business areas.
- Act as a key liaison between payroll operations and project teams, ensuring operational requirements and concerns are appropriately represented.
- Support the development of communications, training materials, process documentation, and other change-related deliverables.