Payroll Lead Consultant

At Allstate, great things happen when our people work together to protect families and their belongings from life’s uncertainties. And for more than 90 years, our innovative drive has kept us a step ahead of our customers’ evolving needs. From advocating for seat belts, air bags and graduated driving laws, to being an industry leader in pricing sophistication, telematics, and, more recently, device and identity protection. Job DescriptionThe Payroll Tax Lead is an individual contributor role responsible for managing all U.S. payroll tax compliance activities for the organization. This lead ensures the company meets all federal, state, and local payroll tax obligations and serves as the subject-matter expert on payroll tax matters. The role requires hands-on expertise with ADP Smart Compliance and ADP GlobalView systems to ensure accurate tax withholding, filing, and reporting, while maintaining strong internal controls and driving process improvements for efficiency and compliance.Key ResponsibilitiesEnsure Regulatory Compliance: Oversee the U.S. payroll tax compliance at the federal, state, and local levels, including timely and accurate withholding, depositing, and reporting of payroll taxes. Stay current with regulatory changes and verify all payroll tax processes adhere to applicable laws and guidelines.Tax Filings & Payments: Working with the vendor, ensure on-time, 100% accurate submission of periodic, quarterly, and annual tax returns (e.g., federal Forms 941, 940, W-2 and corresponding state/local returns). Confirm that tax deposits and filings are completed in full compliance and proactively address any variances to keep accounts in good standing.Reconciliation & Amendments: Validate reconciliations, ensuring the accuracy of filings, and approving all amendments in accordance with regulatory requirementsTax Notice & Audit Management: Receive and manage tax notices or inquiries from the IRS and state/local agencies, investigate issues, and draft timely responses to resolve notices, discrepancies, or penalties. Lead payroll tax audits by gathering required documentation and workpapers, coordinating with internal stakeholders (e.g. Corporate Tax, Finance, Internal Audit), and implementing any required corrective actions.Maintain strong internal controls and documentation for all tax processes, supporting compliance reviews and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) audits as applicable.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Payroll, Finance/Accounting, HR, and Legal teams to align payroll tax operations with other business processes. Serve as the internal subject matter expert on payroll taxes, providing guidance and training to colleagues and stakeholders as needed.Process Improvement & Issue Resolution: Identify opportunities for process enhancements or automation in payroll tax and drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase accuracy and efficiency. Take ownership of troubleshooting complex payroll tax issues (such as system errors, tax “fallouts,” or misconfigurations), performing root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.Policy & Rate Management: Maintain payroll tax policies and procedures in line with best practices and regulatory requirements. Regularly update tax rate tables and jurisdictional configurations (e.g., SUI rates, state/local income tax settings) in payroll and compliance systems, ensuring changes are implemented correctly and communicated to relevant parties. Register new tax accounts/jurisdictions as the company expands into new locations, coordinating with tax agencies and ADP to set up new accounts and maintain compliance from day one.Internal Controls & Compliance: Work with the Payroll Compliance Manager to develop and maintain robust internal controls and documentation for all payroll tax processes. Ensure policy compliance and audit readiness by performing periodic self-audits or reviews of tax processes, and by documenting key controls to meet internal and SOX compliance.Qualifications & Functional Skills RequiredEducation & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience) with 5–7 years of progressive experience in U.S. payroll and multi-state payroll tax compliance, including federal, state, and local filings.Technical Expertise: Hands-on experience with ADP Smart Compliance and ADP GlobalView (or similar enterprise payroll system) is required, including proficiency in using these platforms for tax filing, funding, reconciliation, and issue resolution.Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of U.S. payroll tax laws and regulations (IRS rules, state/local income tax, unemployment insurance, FICA, etc.) and staying current on tax law changes.Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail, with a proven ability to analyze large sets of payroll data and perform reconciliations to identify and correct discrepancies. Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities to address complex payroll tax issues.Organizational & Time Management: Superior organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. Able to set up structured processes and controls to manage recurring tax cycles (monthly, quarterly, annual) and meet all critical deadlines for deposits, filings, and audits.Communication & Collaboration: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clearly explain payroll tax matters to non-specialists and to coordinate effectively with internal teams and external partners.Preferred Qualifications:Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) (or equivalent credentials) is highly desirable, demonstrating advanced payroll knowledge and commitment to the field.Supervisory Responsibilities• This job does not have supervisory duties.Allstate provides a comprehensive technology setup, including a la