What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Payroll Specialist position at Canvas?
Job Title: Senior Payroll Specialist
Position Summary
We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to oversee and process multi-state payroll operations with a high degree of accuracy, compliance, and confidentiality. This role will be responsible for ensuring timely and accurate payroll processing, maintaining payroll records, supporting audits and reporting, and serving as a key resource for payroll tax compliance across multiple states. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of payroll experience, strong knowledge of multi-state payroll tax requirements, and hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint.
Key Responsibilities
Position Summary
We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Senior Payroll Specialist to oversee and process multi-state payroll operations with a high degree of accuracy, compliance, and confidentiality. This role will be responsible for ensuring timely and accurate payroll processing, maintaining payroll records, supporting audits and reporting, and serving as a key resource for payroll tax compliance across multiple states. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of payroll experience, strong knowledge of multi-state payroll tax requirements, and hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint.
Key Responsibilities
- Process payroll accurately and on time for employees across multiple states
- Maintain payroll records, earnings, deductions, garnishments, benefits, and tax withholdings
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations
- Research and resolve payroll tax issues, including multi-state withholding and reciprocity matters
- Reconcile payroll reports, tax filings, benefit deductions, and general ledger payroll accounts
- Prepare and review payroll-related reports for management, audits, and year-end processing
- Coordinate and support payroll tax filings, W-2 processing, and quarter/year-end close activities
- Partner with HR, Accounting, and Benefits teams to ensure accurate employee data and payroll changes
- Respond to employee payroll questions in a professional and timely manner
- Assist with payroll audits, compliance reviews, and process improvement initiatives
- Maintain system accuracy in Costpoint and support payroll-related testing or system updates as needed
- Stay current on payroll laws and regulatory changes affecting multi-state payroll processing
- Minimum of 5 years of payroll processing experience
- Experience processing multi-state payroll
- Strong knowledge of federal and state payroll tax regulations
- Hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint
- Experience with payroll reconciliations, quarterly filings, and year-end payroll processing
- Strong attention to detail and high level of accuracy
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately
- Strong Excel and reporting skills
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills
- Experience in a government contracting or professional services environment
- Familiarity with labor distribution, project-based payroll, or timesheet systems
- Experience supporting audits and compliance reviews
- Payroll compliance knowledge
- Multi-state tax expertise
- Problem-solving and research skills
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to manage deadlines and competing priorities
- Strong customer service mindset