Industry/Sector

Not Applicable

Specialism

Workforce Transformation

Management Level

Senior Associate

Job Description & Summary

At PwC, our people in workforce consulting focus on providing consulting services related to human resources, talent management, and organisational development. They analyse client needs, develop people and organisation strategies. These individuals offer guidance and support to help clients optimise their workforce, enhance employee engagement, and drive organisational effectiveness.

Those in workforce strategy at PwC will specialise in providing strategic consulting services to help organisations optimise their workforce and talent management strategies. You will work closely with clients to analyse workforce trends, develop workforce planning strategies, and design talent acquisition, development, and retention programmes to align with business objectives and drive organisational success.

The Senior Associate – Workforce Solutions (Payroll) supports the delivery of payroll services and projects for PwC clients, including payroll migrations, system implementations, compliance reviews, and ongoing managed services. This role requires strong hands-on payroll expertise, client interaction skills, and the ability to execute complex payroll activities accurately and efficiently. The Senior Associate works closely with Managers and cross-functional teams to ensure compliant payroll operations, support process improvements, and deliver high-quality client outcomes.

Essential Responsibilities

• Support the execution of payroll projects for external clients, including payroll migrations, system implementations, compliance reviews, and process transitions.
• Perform end-to-end payroll activities for client engagements, including requirements documentation, data validation, payroll processing, reporting, and post-payroll reconciliations.
• Act as a key day-to-day contact for client payroll operations, responding to inquiries and providing guidance on payroll processes and compliance matters.
• Coordinate with third-party payroll vendors and internal PwC teams to support service delivery, issue resolution, and adherence to agreed timelines.
• Assist with process improvement initiatives, including standardization, automation, and documentation of payroll procedures.
• Ensure payroll activities comply with applicable local, state, federal, and (where applicable) international payroll laws and regulations.
• Maintain accurate and complete payroll documentation in line with governance, audit, and compliance standards.
• Provide PMO support for payroll programs and projects, including maintaining project plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Track project status, risks, issues, dependencies, and action items; escalate concerns to Managers and project leads as appropriate.
• Support project governance activities, including meeting coordination, status reporting, RAID logs, and documentation management.
• Support and coach junior team members, contributing to knowledge sharing and consistent service delivery.
• Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• 4–7 years of progressive payroll experience, preferably within a professional services, consulting, or outsourcing environment.
• Hands-on experience supporting payroll operations and projects in a multi-jurisdiction or complex payroll environment.
• Solid knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, tax compliance, and labor laws; exposure to EMEA or other international payrolls is a plus.
• Experience working with payroll technology platforms such as Workday, SAP, Oracle, ADP, or equivalent systems.
• Experience in client-facing roles, with the ability to manage day-to-day client interactions effectively.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.

Desired Skills

• Strong client service orientation with the ability to build and maintain professional working relationships.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to investigate payroll discrepancies and support resolution efforts.
• Ability to interpret payroll policies, compliance requirements, and system outputs accurately.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across teams and functions.
• Familiarity with process improvement concepts, payroll controls, and automation tools.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, and commitment to quality and compliance.

Focused on relationships, you are building meaningful client connections, and learning how to manage and inspire others. Navigating increasingly complex situations, you are growing your personal brand, deepening technical expertise and awareness of your strengths. You are expected to anticipate the needs of your teams and clients, and to deliver quality. Embracing increased ambiguity, you are comfortable when the path forward isn’t clear, you ask questions, and you use these moments as opportunities to grow.

Examples of the skills, knowledge, and experiences you need to lead and deliver value at this level include but are not limited to:

• Respond effectively to the diverse perspectives, needs, and feelings of others.
• Use a broad range of tools, methodologies and techniques to generate new ideas and solve problems.
• Use critical thinking to break down complex concepts.
• Understand the broader objectives of your project or role and how your work fits into the overall strategy.
• Develop a deeper understanding of the business context and how it is changing.
• Use reflection to develop self awareness, enhance strengths and address development areas.
• Interpret data to inform insights and recommendations.
• Uphold and reinforce professional and technical standards (e.g. refer to specific PwC tax and audit guidance), the Firm's code of conduct, and independence requirements.

Travel Requirements

Not Specified

Job Posting End Date