Payroll Specialist Lead - US

Overview

The Payroll Specialist Lead (United States) is a mid-level individual contributor responsible for executing and supporting payroll operations within the US payroll environment.

This role combines hands-on payroll execution, operational expertise, and support for other payroll specialists.

Requirements

ensure payroll is delivered accurately, on time, and in compliance with regulations, while contributing to process improvements and operational efficiency.

work closely with internal teams across Payroll Operations, Finance, Product, and Service Operations, as well as relevant external stakeholders.

• Proven experience in end-to-end payroll execution within the US payroll or similar environment, including payroll validations, reconciliations, and statutory filings.
• Strong knowledge of US federal, state, and local payroll regulations and payroll best practices.
• Experience in implementing payroll processes or contributing to operational rollouts.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to identify issues, interpret data, and resolve exceptions accurately.
• Proficiency in payroll systems and ability to quickly learn new operational tools; experience with automation or AI-assisted workflows is a plus.
• Comfortable operating independently in a remote-first, asynchronous work environment.
• Collaborative mindset and strong communication skills for partnering with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple payroll cycles and deadlines effectively.
• Experience with multi-country payroll is a plus, but not required for this US-focused role.
• High integrity and discretion when handling sensitive payroll information.
• Demonstrates strong automation and AI capabilities

• Execute end-to-end payroll operations for the US payroll environment, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Validate payroll inputs, calculations, and outputs, maintaining data integrity across all payroll cycles.
• Manage payroll-related exceptions, adjustments, and reconciliations, escalating complex issues when necessary.
• Support the operational implementation of payroll processes, including system updates, statutory changes, and new program rollouts.
• Serve as a point of contact for internal teams and relevant external stakeholders regarding payroll execution and compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, documentation, and operational workflows.
• Participate in testing payroll system enhancements and updates to ensure operational readiness.
• Provide support and guidance to other payroll specialists when needed to maintain continuity and quality of payroll delivery.
• Monitor and contribute to payroll performance metrics, including SLAs and KPIs.

• Team:Global Operations (EOR & Payroll)
• Location: United States 
• Start date: As soon as possible

• Interview with recruiter
• Interview with future manager
• Interview with team member
• Bar Raiser Interview

• Remote's Total Rewards philosophy is to ensure fair, unbiased compensation and fair equity pay along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate. We do not agree to or encourage cheap-labor practices and therefore we ensure to pay above in-location rates. We hope to inspire other companies to support global talent-hiring and bring local wealth to developing countries.

  At first glance our salary bands seem quite wide - here is some context. At Remote we have international operations and a globally distributed workforce.  We use geo ranges to consider geographic pay differentials as part of our global compensation strategy to remain competitive in various markets while we hiring globally.
  
  Our salary ranges are determined by role, level and location, and our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay for the successful candidate in this role is dependent upon many factors such as location, transferable or job-related skills, work experience, relevant training, business needs, and market demands. The base salary range may be subject to change.
  
  At Remote, we foster internal mobility as a key element of our culture of employee growth and development, supported by a compensation philosophy that guarantees pay equity and fairness. Therefore, all compensation changes associated with an internal move will be reviewed by the Total Rewards & People Enablement team on a case by case basis.

  The annual salary range for this full-time position is

  $83,200—$93,600 USD