Sutherland - Senior Associate - Payroll Specialist - HR Shares Services

Designation: Senior Associate - HRSS

Functional Title: Payroll Specialist

Levels Covered: L2

Location: Chennai, India

Experience: 3-5 yrs

Job Description:

This foundational role is responsible for the meticulous execution of the monthly payroll cycle, ensuring flawless calculation, timely disbursement, and rigorous statutory compliance. The Specialist must maintain the highest standards of data confidentiality, operational accuracy, and audit-readiness in a high-stakes environment.

This role requires working in night shifts with rotational weekly offs and is based out of our Chennai office (work from office).

Key Responsibilities:

- End-to-End Payroll Processing: Execute all steps of the monthly payroll cycle, including input validation, calculation, and final reconciliation, directly using enterprise Payroll applications: PeopleStrong and CHRONOS (ASYS).

- Multi-Platform Reconciliation: Conduct meticulous reconciliation of payroll inputs and outputs across integrated systems, ensuring data synchronization between core HRIS and specialized regional processing tools, including ADP, Dimep, and UKG.

- Statutory Compliance: Manage all required statutory submissions and deductions (PF, ESI, TDS/Income Tax, LWF), ensuring absolute compliance and timely filing with regulatory bodies.

- Audit Readiness: Maintain detailed, audit-ready payroll records and documentation, supporting internal and external audits with required data and reconciliation logs.

- Employee Support: Provide knowledgeable and empathetic first-line support for complex employee inquiries related to pay, tax, and statutory benefits.

Qualifications:

- 3-5 years of dedicated global payroll experience.

- Mandatory hands-on expertise with high-volume Payroll applications; knowledge in PeopleStrong or CHRONOS (ASYS) is a significant advantage.

- Degree in HR, Commerce, or Finance; Payroll certification is highly valued.

Competencies:

- Precision in Handling Confidential Data: Unwavering commitment to accuracy and strict adherence to data privacy and security protocols for sensitive payroll information.

- Strong Knowledge of India Statutory Payroll Compliance: Expert-level working knowledge of all local payroll, tax, and labor welfare fund compliance requirements.

- Clear Communication & Problem-Solving: Ability to clearly explain complex payroll concepts to employees and effectively resolve payroll discrepancies and inquiries.

- Reconciliation Expertise: Advanced skill in reconciling large datasets between multiple systems (HRIS and Payroll tools) to ensure accuracy and prevent errors.

- Operational Rigor: Meticulous process adherence and discipline required for managing fixed monthly deadlines and high-stakes financial transactions.