KAYAK

Payroll Specialist

KAYAK

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Norwalk • Connecticut • United States

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Salary

💰 $73,000 - $85,000 per year

About the role

  • Manage monthly and fortnightly payroll cycles across all international entities via external providers (through Cloudpay and ADP), ensuring accurate and timely salary and statutory payments in multiple currencies.
  • Own day-to-day payroll administration, including data validation, calculations, and reporting.
  • Prepare and submit payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, promotions, salary changes, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits changes, and other deductions).
  • Review and validate payroll outputs, resolving discrepancies prior to approval.
  • Ensure accurate and timely processing of all payroll elements, including salaries, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits, and statutory deductions.
  • Assist with year-end processing and related reporting.
  • Maintain strong internal controls supporting payroll accuracy and completeness across jurisdictions.
  • Ensure compliance with tax, social security, employment, and other local payroll regulations in each country, staying current on legislative and tax law changes.
  • Administer and reconcile payroll taxes, ensuring correct employee and employer deductions and remittance to relevant authorities.
  • Support tax return preparation and indirect tax compliance, including reconciliations and documentation for cross-border transactions.
  • Contribute to a strong international finance control environment and support payroll setup as we expand into new countries.
  • Support internal and external audits with accurate, well-organised, and audit-ready documentation.
  • Prepare, review, and reconcile payroll reports, including variance analysis and period-end reconciliations.
  • Provide clear, timely reporting and commentary to Finance leadership and other stakeholders.
  • Act as a primary point of contact for payroll-related employee queries, responding with professionalism and efficiency.
  • Handle inquiries related to discrepancies, missing hours, deductions, and other payroll issues, providing clear and timely resolutions.
  • Manage payroll-linked benefits (health insurance, pensions, BIK, and other voluntary deductions) in line with company policies and local requirements.
  • Provide helpful and responsive support to employees across multiple jurisdictions.
  • Own relationships with external payroll providers (through Cloudpay and ADP), ensuring strong service delivery, accuracy, and controls.
  • Work closely with the People team and other departments to ensure employee data is accurate and up to date ahead of payroll cut-offs.
  • Coordinate on changes such as new hires, leavers, promotions, salary adjustments, benefits changes, and other data impacting payroll.
  • Identify and implement opportunities to improve processes, automation, accuracy, and efficiency across global payroll operations.

Requirements

  • A professional payroll qualification qualification.
  • Proven experience as a Payroll Specialist, with hands-on experience in your local region.
  • Solid understanding of local regulations, tax laws, and benefits administration.
  • Proficiency in payroll software (e.g., ADP, Cloudpay, Workday, etc.) and MS Office (Word, Excel - including VLOOKUP’s, Pivot Tables, etc)
  • Excellent attention to detail and a track record of accuracy in data entry and payroll processing.
  • Strong communication, both verbal and written, to effectively interact with employees and departments.
  • Solid organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
  • A process-first mentality, with a focus on controls and consistency.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills for managing processes and cross-functional relationships.
  • Ability to maintain strict data confidentiality and demonstrate a strong sense of professional integrity.
  • Highly analytical capability with strong organization and prioritization skills, and a proven track record of meeting hard deadlines.
  • A dedicated, flexible, and outspoken mindset, with a creative and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
  • A solution-focused, hands-on approach, with the ability to prioritise and deliver multiple tasks in order to meet conflicting timelines.
  • A proactive attitude: you flag issues and inefficiencies early, challenge the status quo and contribute ideas to improve how we work.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with a strong process improvement mindset and a desire to further develop your career in payroll.
Benefits
  • Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
  • Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
  • Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
  • Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
  • No meeting Fridays
  • Paid parental leave
  • Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
  • Paid volunteer time
  • Development Dollars
  • Leadership development
  • Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
  • Travel Discounts
  • Employee Resource Groups
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
payroll administrationdata validationcalculationsreportingpayroll processingtax compliancebenefits administrationvariance analysisreconciliationsprocess improvement
Soft Skills
attention to detailcommunicationorganizational skillstime managementinterpersonal skillsanalytical capabilityproblem-solvingproactive attitudeflexibilityprofessional integrity
Certifications
professional payroll qualification