Lead Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing payroll including regular pay, retro pay, final pay calculation for terminated employees, ACH adjustments, online and off-cycle payments, payline adjustments, reversals, and other pay-related tasks while monitoring team activities to ensure successful payroll execution. This role serves as a payroll subject matter expert, providing leadership, guidance, and operational support to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing.

This team member plays a key role on a team responsible for supporting the timely and accurate pay and reporting requirements for more than 60,000 employees across the United States and Canada, ensuring adherence to all regulatory requirements and internal controls.

Areas of Responsibility

Payroll Processing & Subject Matter Expertise

• Processes payroll using knowledge of departmental procedures, federal, state, provincial, and local wage and hour regulations, company policies, and payroll system functionality to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.

• Serves as the Payroll subject matter expert and first point of escalation for complex payroll issues, exceptions, and operational concerns.

• Reviews, researches, and resolves complex payroll transactions and issues. Investigates root causes and recommends solutions to leadership when escalation is necessary.

• Reviews and approves designated payroll-related transactions, forms, and special payments in accordance with established policies, controls, and regulatory requirements.

• Maintains expert knowledge of payroll laws, regulations, company policies, payroll systems, and industry best practices affecting payroll operations.

• Provides payroll processing support and operational backup coverage when necessary to ensure successful payroll completion.

Team Coordination & Leadership

• Coordinates team workload, staffing coverage, and operational priorities to ensure payroll deadlines, service level agreements, and regulatory requirements are met.

• Oversees rotation schedules and backup coverage to support business continuity.

• Provides leadership, guidance, coaching, and performance feedback to Payroll Specialists and Senior Payroll Specialists to ensure consistent execution of payroll processes and quality standards.

• Coordinates daily payroll operations in the absence of Payroll Supervisors or Managers to ensure continuity of service and successful payroll execution.

Audit, Controls & Compliance

• Owns payroll audit and control processes, including payroll exception reporting, post-audit reporting, pre-audit activities, payroll control monitoring, issue resolution, and follow-up activities to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and timely processing.

• Reviews, tracks, and monitors payroll exception reports, audit reports, control reports, outstanding items, and corrective actions.

• Identifies processing trends, control weaknesses, and training opportunities and works with team members to drive resolution.

• Communicates audit findings and payroll processing issues to Payroll Specialists and Senior Payroll Specialists, provides guidance and education, monitors corrective actions, and ensures timely completion of identified actions.

• Partners with internal and external auditors to provide payroll data, supporting documentation, process explanations, and audit responses as required.

• Owns the maintenance, consolidation, review, governance, and annual certification of payroll procedures and documentation to ensure compliance with internal controls, risk management standards, and regulatory requirements.

Business Partnership & Employee Support

• Serves as a primary payroll contact and liaison for Human Resources, Benefits, Compensation, Accounting, Employee Relations, Legal, Tax, Garnishment, Leave Management, Service Center teams, and other business partners regarding payroll operations, escalations, and issue resolution.

• Monitors and manages payroll-related cases and workflow queues, partnering with Employee Services and other stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate resolution of employee inquiries and adherence to service level agreements.

• Maintains payroll workflow assignments, shared operational resources, reporting structures, and administrative tools supporting payroll operations.

Process Improvement, Reporting & Projects

• Identifies, develops, and implements process improvements, reporting enhancements, automation opportunities, and operational efficiencies that improve payroll accuracy, service levels, compliance, and employee experience.

• Leads and supports payroll projects, system implementations, testing initiatives, reporting enhancements, and operational improvement efforts.

• Evaluates downstream impacts and coordinates testing activities to ensure successful implementation.

• Collects, analyzes, and interprets payroll data to support leadership decision-making, regulatory compliance, operational reporting, audit requirements, and strategic process improvement initiatives.

Communication & Administration

• Organizes and facilitates meetings, develops presentations, and communicates payroll-related information to leadership, team members, and business partners as required.

• Maintains sensitive payroll and employee information with the highest degree of confidentiality and professionalism.

• Performs other related duties, projects, and assignments as required.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Minimum: Two-year college degree or post-secondary coursework in a related field, or equivalent applicable work experience.

• Minimum: Three to five years of payroll processing experience.

• Strong organizational and team leadership skills.

• Advanced proficiency with payroll systems, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach to problem solving.

• Commitment to maintaining the highest level of confidentiality when dealing with payroll information.

• Knowledge of payroll compliance and internal control environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and/or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).

What Success Looks Like

The Lead Payroll Specialist serves as a trusted payroll expert and team resource, ensuring accurate and compliant payroll processing while driving operational excellence, risk mitigation, process improvement, and exceptional service for employees and business partners across U.S. Bank's payroll operations.

The role offers a hybrid schedule, which means there's an in-office expectation of 3 or more days per week and the flexibility to work outside the office location for the other days.