Senior Payroll and Tax Specialist

Purpose: The Senior Payroll and Tax Specialist is a key member of the Human Resources team responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll administration across multiple legal entities. This role manages end-to-end payroll processing for 6+ payrolls, oversees all federal and state tax registrations and maintenance, and plays a critical role in onboarding newly acquired entities into the firm’s ADP Workforce Now payroll and HRIS environment. The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, technically strong in ADP Workforce Now, and experienced in multi-state, multi-entity payroll and tax operations within a fast-paced, high-growth organization.

This is a full-time position based in our Chicago office working a hybrid schedule of three days per week in the office and two days per week remote.  The compensation for the role, depending on experience, is an annual base salary of $90,000 to $110,000 per year, plus the role is eligible for benefits and a year-end discretionary performance bonus. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Process accurate and timely payroll for 8+ multi-state payrolls across various entities and pay cycles.
• Maintain and audit employee records, compensation changes, deductions, benefits, and timekeeping data within ADP Workforce Now.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws as well as internal policies.
• Monitor payroll inboxes, troubleshoot employee payroll issues, and provide high-quality customer service to employees and managers.
• Run and review pre- and post-processing audits to ensure accuracy and resolve discrepancies ahead of payroll deadlines.
• Manage federal, state, and local tax registrations for all entities, including onboarding new states as the business expands.
• Handle account creation, maintenance, closures, and ongoing compliance for payroll tax jurisdictions.
• Ensure timely filing, payment, and reconciliation of payroll taxes via ADP and relevant state/federal portals.
• Partner with ADP and Finance to resolve tax notices and ensure all tax accounts are in good standing.
• Maintain accurate SUI rates, nexus tracking, and multi-state withholding requirements.
• Lead payroll onboarding and migration efforts for newly acquired entities, including: Assessing existing payroll provider setup, creating migration plans and timelines, mapping earnings, deductions, benefits, and demographic data into ADP, and ensuring a seamless transition with no interruption to employee pay.
• Build, run, and maintain ADP reporting dashboards and data analytics to support HR, Finance, and leadership.
• Create custom reports for compliance, audits, compensation reviews, budgeting, headcount tracking, and operational metrics.
• Other ad-hoc duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Competencies:

• Expertise in ADP Workforce Now (required; not just user-level—must understand configuration, reporting, and payroll tax functionality).
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and compliance.
• Experience running multi-entity, multi-state payroll with high accuracy and tight deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with competing priorities.
• Strong communication skills.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills; comfort working with large data sets.
• Ability to manage complex processes independently with minimal oversight.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field preferred.
• 3–5+ years of payroll and payroll tax experience required.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with ADP Workforce Now.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, entity onboarding, or payroll migrations strongly preferred.

Keller Postman is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  For California Applicants, please find our CRPA information here.