Senior US Payroll Specialist

About this job

As a Senior US Payroll Specialist at Toast in Chennai, you will handle complex payroll processing, escalations, and compliance initiatives for the North America region. Toast builds technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed digitally, and its internal payroll team manages end-to-end operations rather than acting as an outsourced provider. Your normal day involves overseeing transactional work, reviewing reports, managing ServiceNow tickets for employee inquiries, and serving as a key backup to the Payroll Team Lead. You will personally process intricate payroll cycles, coordinate with third-party vendors for tax filings, maintain data integrity in Workday, and mentor junior Payroll Specialists to help them advance their careers while supporting North American employees from India.

Responsibilities

• Oversee accurate and timely processing of multi-state payrolls for employees across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• Manage complex payroll transactions, escalations, benefits-in-kind processing, and overpayment calculations.
• Resolve employee and external customer inquiries through ServiceNow tickets within established SLAs.
• Maintain Workday data integrity, perform EIB mass data uploads, and lead system release testing.
• Review payroll reports, reconcile General Ledger accounts, and support SOX, 401K, and equity audits.
• Coordinate with ADP SmartCompliance and CloudPay for tax filings, notice resolutions, and reconciliations.
• Audit current processes to identify root causes of errors and update Standard Operating Procedure documentation.
• Mentor and train the payroll team, assist with onboarding, and act as a backup for the Payroll Team Lead.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical payroll experience preferred.
• 8+ years of hands-on payroll processing experience with complex, high-volume multi-jurisdiction cycles.
• 4+ years of direct experience working with Workday.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience processing US payroll and absence management in Workday, including EIB data loads and testing.
• In-depth working knowledge of North American payrolls across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• Experience operating within an in-house or corporate payroll environment rather than a BPO.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and meet strict deadlines under pressure.
• Willingness to work aligned to US Eastern business hours, including adapting to daylight saving time transitions.

Good to have

• US payroll certifications such as FPC or CPP.
• Experience acting as a primary point of escalation for complex payroll issues.
• Experience with AI-powered reconciliation, analytics, or reporting tools.
• Familiarity with ADP Smart Compliance, Cloud Pay, or ServiceNow.

Who should apply

This role suits experienced payroll professionals with a strong background in in-house North American payroll operations and Workday proficiency. Candidates must be comfortable working US Eastern business hours from India and have a proven track record of handling complex multi-state payrolls, compliance audits, and system testing. Mentorship experience and strong problem-solving skills under pressure are essential for success. The posting does not mention if freshers can apply, but the requirement of 8+ years of experience indicates this is geared toward senior professionals.

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