Senior Global Payroll Specialist

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by 👋

Are you actively looking for a new opportunity? Or just checking the market? Well… you might just be in the right place! 

We’re looking for a Senior Global Payroll Specialist to join our Payroll team. You will be responsible for the day-to-day operations, oversight, and governance of the US payroll. This role leads a Payroll Specialist to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll operations while driving operational excellence, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer experience

What you’ll be doing:

• Leadership & Team Management
  
• Organize and lead payroll specialists to ensure a fully efficient payroll operation.
• Provide leadership, guidance, coaching, and development opportunities for the payroll specialist
• Conduct ongoing training to ensure team productivity, compliance knowledge, and continuous improvement.
  
  
• Payroll Operations & Compliance
  
• Oversee end-to-end US payroll operations, ensuring accuracy and compliance with Federal, State, and local tax regulations.
• Lead daily, monthly, quarterly, and year-end payroll activities, including reconciliations, tax filings, W-2s, W-2Cs, and amendments.
• Research, resolve, and respond to complex payroll and tax-related issues, including agency notices.
• Lead internal and external audits (SOX, workers’ compensation, tax filings, etc.).
• Maintain compliance with evolving payroll and tax laws; proactively implement necessary process and system changes.
  
  
• Process Improvement & Governance
  
• Review, audit, and enhance payroll processes, SOPs, and controls to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, Compensation, Legal, and other stakeholders to support business needs and ensure seamless service delivery.
• Manage vendors and system providers, ensuring adherence to SLAs and driving optimization of systems and integrations.
• Support legislative/regulatory change tracking, system testing, and application enhancements.
  
  
• Reporting & Analysis
  
• Conduct pre- and post-payroll audits, prepare metrics, track errors, and leverage reporting tools for data-driven improvements.
• Research and produce detailed reports requiring complex analysis.
• Evaluate federal, state, and local tax treatment of employee benefits and executive compensation.
  
  
• Strategic Projects
  
• Contribute to global payroll initiatives, including system implementations, cross-training, and process harmonization.
• Drive a culture of operational excellence and proactive service delivery.

What you need to bring:

We’re a team of 13 people located globally. 

We're looking for a candidate who has experience with the following:

• 7+ years of payroll experience, including 5+ years in payroll and employment tax operations within a complex organization with Bonuses, Commissions, and Equity payments 
• Strong knowledge of Federal, State, and local payroll and employment tax regulations.
• Proven ability to apply documented rules, past practices, or instructions independently.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential information with integrity and sound judgment.
• Proficiency with Excel, AI tools, and payroll reporting systems
• Advanced payroll operations knowledge and compliance expertise. Deliver accurate, compliant, and timely payroll while providing outstanding customer service
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. As a global company with employees and clients outside of Quebec, fluency in English as a working language is required for this position.
• Experience with Workday Payroll is highly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification preferred.

We know that people are more than what’s on their CV. If you’re unsure that you have the right profile for the role... hit the ‘Apply’ button and give it a try!

Be a changemaker

You’ll enjoy:

• A flexible work environment that empowers you to do your best work
• A culture that celebrates performance
• The chance to make an impact in a team that’s big enough for career growth, but lean enough to make your voice heard
• Career-defining opportunities

Plus benefits designed to keep you happy, healthy and fulfilled.

• Flexible paid time off and remote work policies 
• Equity options, because this is your company too
• Contributions to your pension plan. Your future matters
• Training opportunities to grow your skills and career
• Health and wellness credit so you feel your best
• Time off to volunteer and give back to your community
• Interest groups, employee led networks, social committees to sponsored sports teams
• Computer purchase program to get your personal Macbook
• Enhanced parental leave to support growing families
• Etc… 

Fuel your growth. Find your people.

At Lightspeed, your growth is our priority. We invest in you with continuous learning opportunities, global mobility and benefits designed to support you—all within a driven, diverse and inclusive team that’s passionate about empowering our communities

At Lightspeed, we carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including your skillset, qualifications, experience, and market data. These considerations can cause your compensation to vary. We reasonably expect the base salary for this position to be in the range of $75,000 to $101,000 USD, depending on the candidate’s location. Additionally, this role may be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives. Lightspeed also provides a variety of employee benefits including, but not limited to, medical, dental, wellness, life and disability insurance, 401K plan and match, paid parental leave top-up, and paid time off. 

Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within the United States, and refers to the amount Lightspeed is willing to pay at the time of this posting, which may vary depending on the candidate’s actual location. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

To all recruitment agencies: Lightspeed does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. If we have not directly engaged your company in writing to supply candidates for a specific vacancy, Lightspeed will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Lightspeed is a proud equal opportunity employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive and barrier-free workplace. Lightspeed welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Where to from here?
Obviously, this has to be mutually beneficial: we want you to step into a role you love, and we want to offer you a place you’re proud to come to every day. For a glimpse into our world check out our career page here.

Lightspeed is building communities through commerce, and we need people from all backgrounds and lived experiences to do that. We were founded in 2005, in Montreal’s gay village and our original members were all part of the LGBTQ+ community. The ethos of our business has been about inclusion from the very beginning, and we strive to provide a workplace where everyone belongs.

Who we are:
Powering the businesses that are the backbone of the global economy, Lightspeed's one-stop commerce platform helps merchants innovate to simplify, scale, and provide exceptional customer experiences. Our cloud commerce solution transforms and unifies online and physical operations, multichannel sales, expansion to new locations, global payments, financial solutions, and connection to supplier networks.