Payroll Specialist

We are hiring a Payroll Specialist to own payroll end to end across the Shield portfolio: US payroll for every ShieldCo, plus international payroll for team members employed through our Employer of Record (EOR) partners.

Payroll is the core of this role. On any given day you might close a bi-weekly cycle for one entity, reconcile an EOR invoice for a contractor-turned-employee in another country, set up tax registrations for a newly acquired ShieldCo, and answer a pay question from an employee in between. You will also handle the benefits, 401(k), and leave work that flows through payroll, so every deduction, contribution, and leave adjustment lands correctly.

It suits someone who takes pride in accurate, on-time pay, enjoys untangling multi-entity complexity, and wants to build payroll processes that scale as the portfolio grows.

• End-to-end payroll for all ShieldCos on bi-weekly/semi-monthly cycles, from input collection through approval, funding, and post-payroll reconciliation

• Off-cycle runs, bonuses, commissions, retro pay, final pay, and corrections, in line with state final-pay timing rules

• Multi-state tax setup and compliance, including withholding, SUI/SDI, local taxes, reciprocity, and remote-worker nexus

• Garnishments, child support, tax levies, and other special deductions

• Pre-tax and post-tax deduction accuracy for benefits, 401(k), HSA/FSA, and commuter programs

• Payroll tax filings, amendments, and resolution of agency notices

• Year-end processing: W-2s, W-2Cs, 1099s, and annual reconciliations

• GL integration, payroll journal entries, and monthly reconciliations with Finance

• Day-to-day management of Shield's EOR partners for employees outside the US

• Monthly international payroll inputs: new hires, compensation changes, bonuses, allowances, leave, and terminations, submitted accurately and on each partner's cutoff

• Review of EOR payroll registers and invoices, and reconciliation of employer costs, fees, and FX against approved compensation

• Coordination of country-specific requirements with EOR partners, including statutory benefits, 13th-month pay, mandatory leave, pension contributions, and termination and notice obligations

• Onboarding and offboarding employees through EOR platforms, including offer coordination, contract issuance, and document collection

• Tracking employer cost by country and ShieldCo, and partnering with Finance on international payroll accruals and cost allocation

• First point of contact for international employee pay questions, escalating to EOR partners as needed

• Supporting evaluation of new countries and EOR vendors as ShieldCos hire globally

• Payroll audit support for internal, external, and benefit plan audits

• ACA, EEO-1, and state compliance reporting

• Payroll setup for new ShieldCos: entity setup, EIN and state tax registrations, bank and funding setup, and GL mapping

• Controls over payroll changes, approvals, and segregation of duties

• Regular payroll reporting for ShieldCo leaders and Finance, including headcount and labor cost

• Accurate benefit deductions for enrollments, life events, and terminations, plus COBRA handoffs

• Carrier invoice reconciliations against payroll deductions

• Open Enrollment support, including deduction setup and validation for the new plan year

• 401(k) administration: eligibility, deferral changes, loans, distributions, and timely contribution remittance

• Providing payroll data to recordkeepers and TPAs for nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500 filings, and plan audits

• Payroll treatment of FMLA, state paid leave, disability, military, and personal leave, including pay continuation, offsets, and benefit premium collection

• Coordinating with HR, carriers, and TPAs so pay is correct from leave start through return to work

• Tracking leave-related pay for international employees with EOR partners

• Rippling payroll administration and data integrity across HR, payroll, and benefits systems

• Integrations between Rippling, EOR platforms, and Finance systems

• Employment and income verifications

• Documenting payroll processes, calendars, and standard operating procedures, and keeping them current

• 5+ years of hands-on payroll experience, ideally across multiple entities or EINs

• Experience managing international payroll through one or more HRIS/EOR providers (Rippling preferred), or through in-country payroll vendors

• Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax, garnishments, and pre-tax/post-tax deductions

• Familiarity with common international payroll concepts, including statutory benefits, 13th-month pay, social contributions, and country-specific termination rules

• Hands-on experience with a major payroll or HRIS platform; Rippling strongly preferred

• Strong reconciliation skills and comfort in Excel (lookups, pivot tables, variance analysis)

• Experience with year-end processing, payroll tax filings, and payroll audits

• Working knowledge of benefits deductions, 401(k) administration, and FMLA and state leave pay treatment

• A clear, patient communicator who can explain pay to employees and managers in plain terms

• CPP, FPC, or GPMP (Global Payroll Management Professional) certification a plus

• High attention to detail and discretion with confidential pay, medical, and personal data

• Deadlines that hold: payroll is on time and correct, every cycle, in every country

• Comfort with ambiguity: processes are still being built, and we want people who enjoy building them

• A habit of documenting what you learn so the next person doesn't start from zero

• Genuine care for the people whose pay and benefits we are responsible for

This is a small, high-trust team that is part of the larger Shield HR team. You will own payroll from day one, work directly with the Total Rewards Manager, and see domestic and global payroll across a diverse portfolio. As Shield grows, strong performers can move into Senior Payroll Specialist and Payroll Lead roles, including ownership of global payroll strategy, and eventually team management.