{"id":2502248,"url":"https://alion.io/job/pearson-advanced-specialist-payroll","title":"Advanced Specialist, Payroll","company":{"id":34029,"name":"Pearson","domain":"pearson.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/pearson","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":78,"open_postings":25,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.88,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":29,"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"}},"role":"Finance","role_family":"Finance","seniority":null,"employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Bengaluru, India"],"countries":["IN"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-14T05:54:57Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-14","last_verified_at":"2026-10-27T12:54:07Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":13,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":13},"description":"AI-generated content may be incorrect.\" width=\"199\" height=\"69\" v:shapes=\"Picture_x0020_6\" uploadprocessed=\"true\">\nJob Title :Advanced Specialist, Payroll\nDescription: 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.\nReports To: Payroll Manager India\nAbout Pearson India\nAt 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.\nJOB PURPOSE\nReporting 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.\nThe 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.\nAs 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.\nWhile 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\nWho You Will Work With\nYou will work closely with the India Payroll Manager and the wider South Asia and MEA Payroll team.\nYou 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.\nKey Responsibilities & Measures\nSupport the Payroll Manager with the day-to-day operational delivery of India payroll, ensuring payroll is accurate, compliant and delivered within agreed timelines.\n\nAct as a senior payroll subject matter expert for India, maintaining strong knowledge of payroll legislation, taxation, statutory requirements and fiscal year-end processes.\n\nTake ownership of complex payroll activities, queries, issues and reconciliations, escalating significant risks or issues to the Payroll Manager where appropriate.\n\nAct as a key operational support to the Payroll Manager and provide continuity of payroll operations when the Manager is unavailable.\n\nReview payroll inputs, outputs, validations and reconciliations to ensure accuracy and completeness prior to payroll finalisation.\n\nProvide technical guidance and day-to-day support to Payroll Administrators and other team members, helping build capability and payroll knowledge across the team.\n\nSupport the Payroll Manager in coordinating payroll activities, priorities and deadlines across the India payroll team.\n\nWork closely with external payroll providers to resolve operational issues and ensure agreed services and timelines are achieved.\n\nMaintain a strong understanding of India payroll legislation and statutory requirements, proactively identifying legislative changes and supporting their implementation.\n\nSupport compliance with company policies, internal controls, payroll governance requirements and local legislation.\n\nIdentify payroll risks and control gaps and work with the Payroll Manager to develop and implement appropriate corrective actions.\n\nPerform and/or review payroll reconciliations and support the investigation and resolution of payroll variances.\n\nPartner with Finance to support payroll journals, reconciliations, reporting and payroll-related accounting requirements.\n\nSupport internal and external audits by preparing documentation, responding to payroll-related audit requests and implementing agreed actions.\n\nMaintain accurate payroll documentation, standard operating procedures, work instructions, process maps and business continuity documentation.\n\nIdentify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve payroll processes and ways of working.\n\nSupport payroll system enhancements, testing, implementation activities and transformation projects.\n\nPlay a key role in implementing legislative and regulatory changes impacting India payroll.\n\nMonitor recurring payroll issues and trends and recommend improvements to strengthen payroll accuracy, controls and employee experience.\n\nSupport knowledge sharing and cross-training across the payroll team to reduce key-person dependency and strengthen operational resilience.\n\nBuild strong working relationships with People/HR, Finance, Tax, Technology and other stakeholders to ensure payroll issues are resolved effectively.\n\nSupport the Payroll Manager with payroll reporting, operational metrics and information required for regional payroll governance.\nMain Job Dimensions\n\nSenior individual contributor supporting the operational delivery of India payroll.\n\nProvides technical leadership and guidance without formal people-management responsibility.\n\nSupports the Payroll Manager in coordinating workload, priorities, deadlines and operational activities across the India payroll team.\n\nActs as a subject matter expert for India payroll legislation, taxation, statutory compliance and year-end requirements.\n\nSupports strong payroll governance, controls, reconciliations and audit readiness.\n\nTakes ownership of complex payroll issues and supports their resolution.\n\nDrives continuous improvement and supports payroll transformation and system initiatives.\nKey Relationships / Stakeholders\n\nPayroll Manager - South Asia & MEA\n\nRegional Payroll Manager\n\nIndia Payroll Team\n\nPeople / HR Care\n\nHR Business Partners\n\nFinance Business Partners\n\nPearson Financial Services\n\nPayroll Vendors\n\nCountry Stakeholders\nRequired Skills / Experience\n\nStrong hands-on experience in India payroll operations, preferably within a large, complex or multinational organisation.\n\nStrong knowledge of India payroll legislation, statutory requirements, taxation, social security and fiscal year-end processes.\n\nDemonstrated experience managing complex payroll activities and resolving payroll issues independently.\n\nExperience performing and/or reviewing payroll reconciliations, validations and payroll controls.\n\nStrong understanding of payroll governance, risk and internal controls.\n\nExperience working with third-party payroll providers and managing operational payroll issues.\n\nAbility to interpret legislative or regulatory changes and translate them into payroll processes and requirements.\n\nStrong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.\n\nAbility to prioritise multiple payroll deadlines and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.\n\nDemonstrated ability to coach, guide and support other payroll team members without requiring formal people-management responsibility.\n\nStrong stakeholder-management and relationship-building skills.\n\nStrong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across different functions, cultures and levels of the organisation.\n\nExperience supporting payroll projects, system implementations, testing or process-improvement initiatives would be advantageous.\n\nExperience with Oracle and/or major payroll platforms would be advantageous.\n\nMust be fluent in English, both written and 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