Senior Payroll Specialist - Deerfield, IL

This is where your work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Your role at Baxter:

The Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for assisting in executing payroll operations accurately and efficiently within the organization. This role supports end-to-end payroll processing, ensures compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements, and delivers exceptional service to employees, managers, and HR partners. The Payroll Administrator collaborates closely with Human Resources, Finance, Benefits, Time & Attendance, and external payroll providers to ensure timely and accurate payroll delivery. Additionally, this role combines payroll operations expertise with instructional design and communication skills to ensure payroll processes, procedures, and system functionality are consistently documented, maintained, and effectively communicated across the organization.

What you'll be doing

• Process payroll accurately and on time for assigned employee populations, ensuring adherence to established service level agreements (SLAs).
• Review, validate, and reconcile payroll inputs and integrations, including equity, bonuses, commissions, deductions, garnishments, and other payroll transactions.
• Conduct payroll audits, resolve discrepancies, and support off-cycle payroll requests and special payments.
• Serve as a payroll subject matter resource by addressing employee questions related to pay, taxes, deductions, direct deposit, time reporting, and payroll policies.
• Investigate and resolve payroll issues while maintaining exceptional customer service, confidentiality, and professionalism.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international payroll regulations, maintaining accurate records and adhering to internal controls, audit requirements, and SOX standards.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, operational excellence, and supporting payroll system testing, upgrades, implementations, and process documentation.
• Create, maintain, and deliver payroll-related SOPs and Knowledge Articles covering Payroll, Tax, Time & Labor, and Absence Management, while supporting training, change management, and organizational readiness for Workday enhancements and implementations.

What you'll bring:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of payroll processing experience with 3+ years of Workday Payroll expertise.
• Strong knowledge of payroll principles, payroll taxes, wage and hour regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Experience utilizing Workday, ADP, or similar payroll systems and platforms.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and data analysis.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, confidentiality, customer service, organizational, and communication skills.
• Preferred experience in a Shared Services or Global Business Services environment, with knowledge of Time & Attendance systems and HRIS platforms.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices.

The estimated pay range for this position is 68,000 to 90,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less within the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change.

Individual pay is based upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position is also eligible for an annual bonus. For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. …