Senior Payroll Specialist

About the Role

Our client, a growing energy company headquartered in Houston with ~225 employees across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, is seeking an experienced contract Payroll Specialist to start immediately. This hybrid role, based in Houston, TX, or remote from North America or Europe, involves minimal travel. You will manage multi-country payroll, ensure compliance, and provide accurate payroll support to employees.

Responsibilities

• Process end-to-end payroll for employees in the U.S. and Canada, and support European and Asian payroll through external providers.
• Run payroll cycles, off-cycle payments, bonuses, commissions, and retroactive adjustments accurately.
• Review timekeeping, compensation changes, new hires, terminations, deductions, and other transactions.
• Verify payroll data and resolve discrepancies before finalizing payroll.
• Maintain payroll calendars, documentation, and processing procedures.
• Support compliance with U.S. federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements.
• Assist with Canadian payroll requirements, including CPP, EI, provincial taxes, and year-end reporting.
• Coordinate with international providers on statutory deductions, employer contributions, and reporting.
• Help review and reconcile tax filings, remittances, and year-end forms (W-2s, T4s, RL-1s, P60s).
• Track regulatory changes and update internal teams.
• Reconcile payroll registers, deductions, tax withholdings, and other transactions.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting on GL reconciliations, payroll accruals, and expense reporting.
• Research and resolve pay discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll reports and gather records for audits.
• Maintain employee payroll data in systems like Paycom, GP, and Papaya.
• Coordinate with payroll providers and assist with system updates and troubleshooting.
• Answer employee questions about pay, deductions, taxes, and direct deposits.
• Protect confidential payroll and employee information.
• Identify process improvements to enhance payroll accuracy and efficiency.
• Document and maintain payroll procedures.
• Recommend changes to reduce manual work and errors.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Accounting, Business Administration, HR, or related field preferred.
• 3+ years of hands-on payroll processing experience.
• Multi-state U.S. payroll experience required; Canadian or international payroll experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of payroll taxes, deductions, wage-and-hour laws, and reporting.
• Experience with Paycom, GP, Papaya, or similar payroll platforms preferred.
• Proficiency in Excel and standard business applications.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Discretion with confidential information.
• Ability to work across time zones with teams and providers.
• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred.
• Available to start immediately.

If you are an experienced payroll professional available now for a contract role, connect with Stephanie Tiller at stiller@novasolutions.ai to learn more.