Associate Global Payroll Specialist - Finance Division

The Finance Division at Carnegie Mellon University is responsible for providing financial management, enterprise planning and stewardship in support of education, research, and strategic goals of the university. As part of the Controller’s Office Team, the payroll department supports the entire scope of pay operations for CMU, including staff, faculty, and students, across international and domestic multi-state locations.

Carnegie Mellon University’s Finance Division is searching for an Associate Global Payroll Specialist to join our team of experts dedicated to processing payroll and administering related pay activities for the university’s faculty, staff and students (i.e., standard and off-cycle payroll runs, W-2 processing, garnishment maintenance, treaty documentation for non-resident aliens, etc.) using the Workday HR/Payroll system.

Core responsibilities will include:

Payroll Processing & Execution

• Assist with processing global payrolls, including U.S., U.S. expatriate, and international payrolls (Qatar, Rwanda, Australia), ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness.
• Execute standard and off-cycle payroll runs, including review, validation, and completion of payroll cycles within required deadlines.
• Perform payroll input and adjustment processing (earnings, deductions, benefits, retirement, tuition, and finance-related corrections).
• Support payroll activities such as W-2 processing, garnishments, and non-resident alien treaty documentation.
• Maintain accuracy, urgency, and data integrity across all payroll transactions.
• Support payroll reconciliation activities, including gross-to-net validation, register review, and exception identification.

Employee Support & Case Management

• Resolve payroll case management tickets by providing timely, accurate, high-quality customer service to employees, HR, and business partners.
• Research and investigate payroll inquiries, discrepancies, and issues using payroll systems and supporting documentation.
• Perform root cause analysis and ensure accurate resolution in alignment with policy and compliance requirements.
• Escalate complex or high-risk issues as appropriate while maintaining ownership through resolution.
• Communicate payroll outcomes, corrections, and status updates clearly and professionally.

Compliance, Systems, Controls & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain awareness and application of federal, state, and international payroll regulations, including taxation and statutory requirements across assigned countries.
• Support payroll compliance activities, including tax filings, year-end processes, and regulatory documentation inputs.
• Utilize payroll systems and reporting tools to extract, validate, and analyze payroll data to support accuracy, reporting, audit requirements, and payroll close readiness activities.
• Support payroll system testing, including validation of calculations, configurations, and updates, as well as system enhancements in partnership with technical and functional teams.
• Participate in payroll-related projects and process improvement initiatives.

General Responsibilities

• Adhere strictly to payroll calendars and deadlines.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of sensitive payroll and employee data at all times.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of payroll operations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1 to 3 years of Payroll experience
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs and PivotTables
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements:

• Successful pre-employment background check