[Hiring] Payroll Specialist @Cencora

Role Description

The MSO Payroll Specialist supports accurate and timely payroll processing through payroll data validation, reconciliation, issue resolution, and operational controls. Partners with payroll operations, HR, timekeeping, benefits, and other stakeholders to investigate payroll discrepancies, resolve employee-impacting issues, and support payroll governance and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Processes payroll inputs and validates pay data to enable accurate, on-time payments and correct withholdings.
• Validates timekeeping, HR, benefits, and other payroll-impacting data changes to ensure information is complete, authorized, and correctly applied.
• Prepares payroll adjustments within established procedures and controls for recurring, off-cycle, retroactive, and correction items.
• Reconciles payroll results and reports to identify variances and exceptions, completes or coordinates corrections, and supports payroll close activities.
• Supports payroll escalations by researching complex or time-sensitive payroll issues, determining employee and payroll impact, coordinating corrective actions, and tracking issues through resolution.
• Performs root cause analysis on payroll errors and recurring exceptions to identify the source of the issue, including data, process, system, integration, or handoff failures.
• Partners with appropriate teams to implement corrective and preventive actions and verifies that identified payroll issues have been fully resolved.
• Identifies recurring payroll trends and process breakdowns and escalates systemic issues requiring broader operational, system, or control remediation.
• Maintains payroll records, reconciliation support, issue documentation, and other evidence required for employee inquiries, statutory requirements, internal reporting, and audit readiness.
• Resolves payroll inquiries by researching transactions and source data, explaining findings, confirming corrective actions, and escalating exceptions through defined workflows.
• Updates procedures, job aids, issue-resolution documentation, and control evidence as processes change to support consistent execution and audit readiness.
• Supports payroll testing, validation, and implementation activities associated with system changes, integrations, enhancements, and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience required.
• 2+ years of payroll processing, payroll operations, or payroll support experience.
• Working knowledge of payroll calculations, deductions, taxes, timekeeping, reconciliations, and payroll corrections.
• Experience researching payroll discrepancies and performing structured root cause analysis.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong Excel and data-analysis skills, including comparing payroll data across multiple source systems.
• Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, and ability to manage payroll issues with strict deadlines.
• Ability to coordinate across Payroll, HR, Benefits, Finance, IT, and external payroll providers.
• Proficiency in clear oral and written communication, including documenting processes and responding to inquiries.
• Ability to build effective working relationships using strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
• Ability to implement and improve processes that support satisfactory audit practices and compliance requirements.
• Experience with payroll and HR platforms such as ADP and Workday preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Benefits

• Compensation, benefits, and resources that enable a highly inclusive culture.
• Traditional offerings like medical, dental, and vision care.
• Comprehensive suite of benefits focusing on physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of wellness.
• Support for working families, including backup dependent care, adoption assistance, infertility coverage, and family building support.
• Behavioral health solutions, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave.
• Variety of training programs, professional development resources, and opportunities to participate in mentorship programs, employee resource groups, and volunteer activities.