Payroll Specialist

Job Title : Advanced Specialist, Payroll 

Description: In this role, You will be working as a senior individual contributor responsible for the validation, checking and reconciliation of payrolls across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, ensuring payrolls are accurate, timely and compliant with local legislation, company policies and internal controls. This role aligns with industry titles such as Senior Payroll specialist, Payroll operations specialist, Payroll Compliance Specialist or Assistant Manager, Payroll.

Reports To: Payroll Manager India                                                

About Pearson India

At Pearson, we’re committed to a world that’s always learning and to our talented team who makes it all possible. From bringing lectures vividly to life to turning textbooks into laptop lessons, we are always re-examining the way people learn best, whether it’s one child in our own backyard or an education community across the globe. We also create incredible assessment clinical and professional tests to help people to growth in their personal and professional lives. We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who motivate each other to explore new frontiers in an environment that supports and inspires us to always be better. By pushing the boundaries of technology and each other to surpass these boundaries we create seeds of learning that become the catalyst for the world’s innovations, personal and global, large, and small.

JOB PURPOSE

Reporting to the India Payroll Manager and working as part of the wider APACMEA Payroll team, this role provides an important second level of payroll review and control. The role will work closely with the Payroll Administrator responsible for day-to-day payroll processing, independently reviewing payroll inputs, outputs, calculations, reconciliations and statutory requirements prior to final approval.

The IC25 will also act as the backup payroll processor across the assigned countries, maintaining sufficient end-to-end payroll knowledge to ensure continuity of payroll delivery during periods of leave, absence or increased workload.

As a senior member of the team, the role will support the India Payroll Manager with complex payroll matters, compliance, controls, issue resolution and continuous improvement, while providing technical guidance and support to other payroll team members.

While the role does not have formal people-management responsibility, it is expected to demonstrate leadership through technical expertise, ownership, collaboration and the ability to work independently

Who You Will Work With

You will work closely with the India Payroll Manager and the wider South Asia and MEA Payroll team.

You will also partner with Pearson's People/HR teams, Finance, Tax, Technology, HR Business Partners, external payroll providers and other key stakeholders to ensure effective payroll delivery.

Key Responsibilities & Measures

• Support the Payroll Manager with the day-to-day operational delivery of India payroll, ensuring payroll is accurate, compliant and delivered within agreed timelines.

• Act as a senior payroll subject matter expert for India, maintaining strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation, statutory requirements and fiscal year-end processes.

• Take ownership of complex payroll activities, queries, issues and reconciliations, escalating significant risks or issues to the Payroll Manager where appropriate.

• Act as a key operational support to the Payroll Manager and provide continuity of payroll operations when the Manager is unavailable.

• Review payroll inputs, outputs, validations and reconciliations to ensure accuracy and completeness prior to payroll finalisation.

• Provide technical guidance and day-to-day support to Payroll Administrators and other team members, helping build capability and payroll knowledge across the team.

• Support the Payroll Manager in coordinating payroll activities, priorities and deadlines across the India payroll team.

• Work closely with external payroll providers to resolve operational issues and ensure agreed services and timelines are achieved.

• Maintain a strong understanding of India payroll legislation and statutory requirements, proactively identifying legislative changes and supporting their implementation.

• Support compliance with company policies, internal controls, payroll governance requirements and local legislation.

• Identify payroll risks and control gaps and work with the Payroll Manager to develop and implement appropriate corrective actions.

• Perform and/or review payroll reconciliations and support the investigation and resolution of payroll variances.

• Partner with Finance to support payroll journals, reconciliations, reporting and payroll-related accounting requirements.

• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation, responding to payroll-related audit requests and implementing agreed actions.

• Maintain accurate payroll documentation, standard operating procedures, work instructions, process maps and business continuity documentation.

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve payroll processes and ways of working.

• Support payroll system enhancements, testing, implementation activities and transformation projects.

• Play a key role in implementing legislative and regulatory changes impacting India payroll.