Job Purpose and Impact

The Senior Payroll Specialist job leads complex payroll processing and compliance activities while serving as a trusted payroll subject-matter expert and partner to cross-functional stakeholders. With minimal supervision, this role ensures accurate payroll execution, regulatory compliance, and high data integrity, while also supporting cross-functional projects, system or process changes, and vendor interactions that impact payroll delivery. This position plays a key role in establishing standards, advising internal partners, resolving complex employee inquiries, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance payroll effectiveness, compliance, and employee experience.

Key Accountabilities

• PAYROLL COMPLIANCE EXECUTION: Proposes and implements payroll process adjustments based on new regulations to ensure payroll processes meet legal and fiscal requirements and that payroll records are aligned to guidelines.
• PAYROLL RECORDS MAINTENANCE & DATA QUALITY ASSURANCE: Verifies payroll data, ensuring the accuracy of data for essential payroll variables such as employee salaries, bank accounts, and addresses for new hires and terminations, and that payroll variable elements are aligned with the organization's policies.
• STAKEHOLDER & EMPLOYEE PARTNERSHIP: Serves as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders and employees by proactively communicating payroll topics, translating complex information into clear guidance, and anticipating impacts of changes. Builds strong, credibility-based relationships through approachable communication, sound judgment, and collaborative problem solving, while influencing outcomes and driving resolution of complex issues.
• PAYROLL ADMINISTRATION: Executes various complex payroll process tasks, including coordinating the submission of required reports, running post payroll reports for third party companies, preparing and distributing paychecks or direct deposits, generating payroll reports, ensuring reconciliation of payroll records, tax filing and reconciliation, and responding to employee inquiries regarding their pay.
• PAYROLL COMPLIANCE: Leads complex internal and external research of payroll related laws and regulations to help monitor compliance of the organization's payroll process, identify impact and provide suggestions on improvements.
• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Proactively identifies and champions opportunities to enhance payroll processes, controls, and employee experience. Drives implementation of improvements, influences adoption across stakeholders, and informally coaches team members to strengthen overall payroll capability and consistency.
• CROSS-FUNCTIONAL PROJECT & VENDOR MANAGEMENT: Leads and contributes to cross-functional payroll initiatives and projects by partnering with HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Time & Labor, and external vendors. Serves as the payroll subject-matter expert to assess impacts, define requirements, coordinate testing activities, manage vendor interactions, and support the successful implementation of process, system, or regulatory changes.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum requirement of 4 years of relevant work experience. Typically reflects 5 years of progressive payroll experience, including complex, multi-state U.S. payroll processing
• Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and resolve complex payroll issues with minimal supervision
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Management experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
• Advanced experience with ADP GlobalView, SAP Payroll, or ADP Tax Services
• Experience supporting payroll-related cross-functional projects, system implementations, or regulatory changes
• Experience acting as a payroll subject-matter expert, providing guidance, training, or informal coaching to peers or stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

#LI-JT1

The expected salary for this position is $95,000 - $150,000. Compensation varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific location, certifications, education, and level of experience. The disclosed range estimate may be adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. This position is eligible for a discretionary incentive award. The incentive award amount is dependent upon company performance and your personal performance.
At Cargill we put people first. As part of your overall rewards, we offer a comprehensive benefit program including medical and/or other benefits dependent on the position offered and hours worked. Visit: https://www.cargill.com/page/my-health/mh-health-and-wellness to learn more (subject to certain collective bargaining agreements for Union positions).

Minnesota Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 48 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.