About This Role The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for managing complex global payroll operations and serving as a subject matter expert within the payroll organization. This role partners closely with payroll service providers, Human Resources, Finance, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple countries. The position drives operational excellence through strong payroll controls, continuous process improvement, issue resolution, and knowledge sharing.
Key Responsibilities
Global Payroll Operations
- Prepare, review, and approve complex payrolls across multiple countries and legal entities, ensuring compliance with statutory and company requirements.
- Coordinate payroll activities with managed service providers to ensure timely and accurate payroll delivery.
- Process and review special payments including bonuses, commissions, severance, retroactive adjustments, overtime, and other off-cycle payments.
- Serve as the payroll subject matter expert for assigned countries and payroll processes.
Compliance, Controls & Reporting
- Perform payroll audits, reconciliations, variance analysis, and control reviews to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance.
- Investigate and resolve complex payroll discrepancies, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
- Maintain working knowledge of payroll legislation, tax regulations, and statutory requirements within assigned countries.
- Prepare, review, and analyze payroll reports, metrics, and supporting documentation as required.
Stakeholder & Vendor Partnership
- Partner with Human Resources to ensure employee data, benefits, and organizational changes are accurately reflected within Workday and payroll systems.
- Collaborate with payroll service providers, Finance, Benefits, and other stakeholders to resolve payroll-related issues and improve service delivery.
- Support internal and external audit activities and compliance reviews.
Process Improvement & Project Support
- Lead or support payroll projects, implementations, testing efforts, acquisitions, and process enhancement initiatives.
- Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, strengthen controls, reduce risk, and increase operational efficiency.
- Maintain payroll documentation, process maps, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and training materials.
Team Development
- Mentor and train payroll team members, supporting cross-training and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
- Provide guidance on complex payroll matters and assist with escalation management as needed.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field preferred.
- CPP, FPC, or equivalent payroll certification preferred.
Experience
- Minimum 5 years of payroll experience with progressive responsibility.
- Experience supporting multi-country or global payroll operations.
- Experience working with outsourced payroll providers and payroll audits.
- Demonstrated expertise managing complex payroll calculations, compliance requirements, and issue resolution.
Technical Skills
- Experience with ADP, Workday, or comparable payroll and HRIS platforms.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including payroll analysis and reconciliations.
- Strong understanding of payroll controls, reporting, and compliance requirements.
Core Competencies
- Payroll Compliance & Controls
- Analytical Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
- Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Communication & Collaboration
- Process Improvement & Change Management
- Attention to Detail & Confidentiality
- Independent Judgment & Accountability
- Ability to Thrive in a Fast-Paced Global Environment
Who are we?
At Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT), we guide the leaders who shape the world.
Our mission relies on expert analysis and bold ideas to deliver actionable, objective business and technology insights, helping enterprise leaders and their teams succeed with their mission-critical priorities.
Since our founding in 1979, we’ve grown to 20,000 associates globally who support over 13,000 client enterprises in ~90 countries and territories. We do important, interesting and substantive work that matters. That’s why we hire associates with the intellectual curiosity, energy and drive to want to make a difference. The bar is unapologetically high. So is the impact you can have here.
What makes Gartner a great place to work?
Our vast, virtually untapped market potential offers limitless opportunities – opportunities that may not even exist right now – for you to grow professionally and flourish personally. How far you go is driven by your passion and performance.
We hire remarkable people who collaborate and win as a team. Together, our singular, unifying goal is to deliver results for our clients.
Our teams are inclusive and composed of individuals from different geographies, cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and generations.
We invest in great leaders who bring out the best in you and the company, enabling us to multiply our impact and results. This is why, year after year, we are recognized worldwide as a great place to work.
Gartner is the world authority on AI
At Gartner, you’ll join a company at the very center of the AI revolution. Gartner has proactive, objective guidance throughout clients’ AI journeys. We set the standard for how organizations leverage artificial intelligence to drive meaningful impact. You’ll have access to unmatched resources, expertise, and technology, and play a key role in helping Gartner and our clients innovate and grow as we leverage AI to transform business and technology landscapes.
It’s an exciting time to be at Gartner, with limitless opportunities to make a real impact, grow your skills, and build a lasting, meaningful career in a field that’s reshaping the way we operate. If you’re passionate about AI and want to be part of a team that’s guiding the leaders who shape the world, Gartner is the place for you.
What do we offer?
Gartner offers world-class benefits, highly competitive compensation and disproportionate rewards for top performers.
In our hybrid work environment, we provide the flexibility and support for you to thrive - working virtually when it's productive to do so and getting together with colleagues in a vibrant community that is purposeful, engaging and inspiring.
Ready to grow your career with Gartner? Join us.
Gartner believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is 46,000 USD - 68,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role-based, uncapped sales incentive plan. Our talent acquisition team will provide the specific opportunity on our bonus or incentive programs to eligible candidates. We also offer market leading benefit programs including generous PTO, a 401k match up to $7,200 per year, the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount, and more. The policy of Gartner is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status and to seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity.
Gartner is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers, including job seekers with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the Company’s career webpage as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by calling Human Resources at +1 (203) 964-0096 or by sending an email to ApplicantAccommodations@gartner.com.
Job Requisition ID:115194
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