Payroll Platforms & HR Operations Specialist (Must be in EST or CST)

About the role

The Payroll Platforms & HR Operations Specialist is responsible for collaborating on and implementing innovative HR solutions that prioritize employee engagement, satisfaction, user experience, and productivity. You will be a valued partner and work closely with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into actionable product features and strategies.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with HR leaders, IT professionals and business stakeholders to understand and prioritize product requirements and strategic objectives.
• Work with Product Owners to project manage, support and drive the development and implementation of HR software solutions from concept to delivery, ensuring alignment with business objectives and timelines in collaboration with other key stakeholders.
• Drive the development of self-service tools and process automation capabilities to streamline HR processes, reduce administrative burdens and empower employees to manage their own HR needs, such as the adoption of manager and employee self-service in UKG.
• Create and maintain key documentation such as requirements documents, process maps, functionality overview documents, UAT scripts and a data dictionary.
• Own elements of the HRIS process from discovery, requirements gathering and UAT through to change and communications, deployment, training and hypercare, while maintaining project statuses in tracking systems such as Workstack and Azure DevOps.
• Configure and build changes as required in UKG and other assigned HR platforms, including Deel, to support enhancements and break-fixes while following AVI-SPL’s core principles for HRIS delivery and change management.
• Support the review, configuration, testing and documentation of Deel changes, working with local HR, payroll teams and the vendor to ensure that requirements, employee impact and downstream processes are understood before deployment.
• Investigate Deel enquiries and platform issues, distinguishing between configuration, process and product defects. Coordinate vendor escalation, maintain clear supporting documentation and track issues through to resolution.
• Create and maintain a security matrix for core HR systems, ensuring adherence to security requirements and the completion of regular audits of roles and permissions.
• Champion data compliance, HRIS upgrades and best practices across the organization, ensuring that training is implemented as needed.
• Manage enquiries and requests related to payroll and HRIS systems, which may require research, analysis or advanced technical support. Work with vendors to address questions raised by stakeholders or external agency representatives.
• Facilitate audits where required by providing records and documentation to auditors.
• Prepare reports for senior management.
• Undertake other projects and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Experience in HR, employee experience, HRIS or HR technology, including hands-on involvement in the implementation, configuration, testing, enhancement and support of HR platforms.
• Proven track record of success in product ownership or product management, preferably in a SaaS environment.
• Experience owning and running HRIS projects involving a range of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate complex business requirements into actionable product features and strategies.
• Able to create process maps, manage change and facilitate training.
• Experience presenting to stakeholders or facilitating training relating to HR technology changes.
• Experience with project management, UAT and change-management methodologies such as Agile, Waterfall, Scrum or Kanban.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Passion for creating exceptional employee experiences and driving positive organizational change.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills.
• Organized, thorough and methodical, with the ability to apply critical-thinking skills when solving problems.
• Energized self-starter capable of working and thinking independently while meeting deadlines.
• Able to maintain integrity and confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
• Able to prepare detailed reports and perform detailed computations.
• Advanced Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Proficiency in Smartsheet.

Nice-to-haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Computer Science or a related field.
• Experience configuring UKG Pro and UKG Business Intelligence.
• Experience administering or configuring Deel, or a comparable global payroll platform, is preferred.
• Solid understanding of accounting fundamentals, payroll best practices and payroll compliance to support payroll implementations.
• Effective communication and interaction with employees, clients and colleagues, with the ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Power BI reporting experience.
• Experience with mergers and acquisitions from a payroll or HRIS perspective.
• Experience with user-centric design principles and design-thinking methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience developing self-service tools and process automation solutions.