Human Resources - USA Payroll Specialist
About the role
Senior USA Payroll Specialist
Location: Calgary, AB or Houston, TX
We are seeking an experienced Senior USA Payroll Specialist to lead and manage our end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state workforce. This role is ideal for a payroll professional who is detail-oriented, highly knowledgeable in U.S. payroll regulations, and capable of driving process improvements while ensuring exceptional accuracy and compliance.
The Senior Payroll Specialist will serve as the subject matter expert for payroll, audits, reporting, and system administration partnering closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to ensure seamless payroll cycles, proper taxation, auditing and high service quality for all employees.
Key Responsibilities
Payroll Operations
- Manage end-to-end bi weekly/semi monthly payroll processing for U.S. employees across multiple states and entities.
- Validate time and attendance data, deductions, earnings, bonuses, and commissions with a high degree of accuracy.
- Reconcile payroll reports and general ledger interfaces; research and resolve discrepancies proactively.
- Maintain payroll records and ensure compliance with all applicable payroll laws and internal controls
- Administer off cycle payrolls, manual payments, and year-end adjustments as needed.
- Provides reporting and manages monthly audits across all entities.
- Support Canada payroll when required.
Regulatory Compliance
- Maintain full compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, including FLSA, multistate taxation, garnishments, and wage attachments.
- Oversee federal and state tax registrations, unemployment accounts, and periodic audits (internal/external).
- Ensure accurate and timely processing of W 2s, W 4 updates, and year end filings.
- Support regulatory and financial audits, including workers' compensation, 401(k), and external payroll audits
Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as a system administrator for payroll and timekeeping platforms such as Dayforce.
- Partner with HR and Finance teams to implement system enhancements, optimize workflows, and improve data integrity.
- Develop and maintain documentation for payroll processes, procedures, and compliance requirements.
- Maintain payroll system configuration, including earnings and deduction codes, tax setups, and pay group structures
Customer Service & Cross-Functional Support
- Provide expert-level guidance and support to employees and managers on payroll matters.
- Collaborate with HR on benefits-related deductions, LOAs, and retirement plan contributions.
- Work with Finance to support auditing, budgeting, and month-end close processes.
Qualifications
Required
- 5–7+ years of hands-on experience managing U.S. payroll for a multi-state workforce.
- Strong knowledge of federal and state payroll laws, tax regulations, and best practices.
- High proficiency with Dayforce for a payroll and HRIS system.
- Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and data accuracy.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
- Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, data reconciliation).
Preferred
- Experience supporting a company with 250+ employees.
- Prior involvement in system implementations or major process overhauls.
- CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification).
- Experience with multi-entity payroll.
- Experience with 401(k) contributions, garnishments, and benefit deductions
- Strong communication & cross-functional collaboration skills
About Cathedral Energy Services
WHO WE ARE
Cathedral Energy Services is a trusted partner to North American energy companies requiring high performance directional drilling services. We work in collaboration with our customers to tailor our equipment and expertise to meet their specific geographical and technical needs. Our experience, technologies and responsive personnel enable our customers to achieve higher efficiencies and lower project costs.
Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. based in Calgary, Alberta is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) and operates in the U.S. under Cathedral Energy Services Inc. Cathedral is a public company and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol TSX:CET.
Strong financial performance supports our efforts today and creates opportunities in the future for all our stakeholders. We aim to achieve top quartile investor returns for our shareholders and distribute cash to shareholders regularly through our dividend program.
Since 1998, Cathedral Energy Services has been committed to delivering exceptional service and innovative drilling technologies. With over 500 employees and contractors and local operation centers in each of the key basins across North America, Cathedral is strategically positioned to meet our customers’ evolving requirements.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US
We never forget our business is dependent on our existing and new customers. We focus on customer service and making sure we add value to our customers businesses.
At Cathedral, our success is attributed to our most important asset—great people. We believe in providing our employees with an exceptional work environment that encourages career growth and development. We give our employees the opportunity to excel through providing meaningful work and giving them autonomy and accountability, resulting in an industry-leading, high performance team.
We are a company governed by our Guiding Principles. Excellence, Honesty & Integrity, Teamwork, Live Well, and Creating Value support our vision and reflect what we value. These are our core beliefs that guide us to industry-leading successes with a customer focus and quality operations.
We look for innovative ways of doing things and are proud of our best-in-class proprietary directional drilling technologies.
A safe and healthy work environment is our priority and we are committed to our Work Smart Live Well vision. Work Smart is about recognizing and managing risks we are exposed to. Live Well is about providing great work opportunities and getting people home safely every day to the things that matter most.
WHY CHOOSE CATHEDRAL
We believe in providing our employees with an exceptional work environment that encourages diversity, career growth and development. We give our employees the opportunity to excel through providing meaningful work and giving them autonomy and accountability, resulting in a high performance team.
At Cathedral, our success is attributed to our most important asset—great people. And, we are always looking for great people.
Human Resources - USA Payroll Specialist
About the role
Senior USA Payroll Specialist
Location: Calgary, AB or Houston, TX
We are seeking an experienced Senior USA Payroll Specialist to lead and manage our end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state workforce. This role is ideal for a payroll professional who is detail-oriented, highly knowledgeable in U.S. payroll regulations, and capable of driving process improvements while ensuring exceptional accuracy and compliance.
The Senior Payroll Specialist will serve as the subject matter expert for payroll, audits, reporting, and system administration partnering closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to ensure seamless payroll cycles, proper taxation, auditing and high service quality for all employees.
Key Responsibilities
Payroll Operations
- Manage end-to-end bi weekly/semi monthly payroll processing for U.S. employees across multiple states and entities.
- Validate time and attendance data, deductions, earnings, bonuses, and commissions with a high degree of accuracy.
- Reconcile payroll reports and general ledger interfaces; research and resolve discrepancies proactively.
- Maintain payroll records and ensure compliance with all applicable payroll laws and internal controls
- Administer off cycle payrolls, manual payments, and year-end adjustments as needed.
- Provides reporting and manages monthly audits across all entities.
- Support Canada payroll when required.
Regulatory Compliance
- Maintain full compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, including FLSA, multistate taxation, garnishments, and wage attachments.
- Oversee federal and state tax registrations, unemployment accounts, and periodic audits (internal/external).
- Ensure accurate and timely processing of W 2s, W 4 updates, and year end filings.
- Support regulatory and financial audits, including workers' compensation, 401(k), and external payroll audits
Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as a system administrator for payroll and timekeeping platforms such as Dayforce.
- Partner with HR and Finance teams to implement system enhancements, optimize workflows, and improve data integrity.
- Develop and maintain documentation for payroll processes, procedures, and compliance requirements.
- Maintain payroll system configuration, including earnings and deduction codes, tax setups, and pay group structures
Customer Service & Cross-Functional Support
- Provide expert-level guidance and support to employees and managers on payroll matters.
- Collaborate with HR on benefits-related deductions, LOAs, and retirement plan contributions.
- Work with Finance to support auditing, budgeting, and month-end close processes.
Qualifications
Required
- 5–7+ years of hands-on experience managing U.S. payroll for a multi-state workforce.
- Strong knowledge of federal and state payroll laws, tax regulations, and best practices.
- High proficiency with Dayforce for a payroll and HRIS system.
- Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and data accuracy.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
- Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, data reconciliation).
Preferred
- Experience supporting a company with 250+ employees.
- Prior involvement in system implementations or major process overhauls.
- CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification).
- Experience with multi-entity payroll.
- Experience with 401(k) contributions, garnishments, and benefit deductions
- Strong communication & cross-functional collaboration skills
About Cathedral Energy Services
WHO WE ARE
Cathedral Energy Services is a trusted partner to North American energy companies requiring high performance directional drilling services. We work in collaboration with our customers to tailor our equipment and expertise to meet their specific geographical and technical needs. Our experience, technologies and responsive personnel enable our customers to achieve higher efficiencies and lower project costs.
Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. based in Calgary, Alberta is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) and operates in the U.S. under Cathedral Energy Services Inc. Cathedral is a public company and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol TSX:CET.
Strong financial performance supports our efforts today and creates opportunities in the future for all our stakeholders. We aim to achieve top quartile investor returns for our shareholders and distribute cash to shareholders regularly through our dividend program.
Since 1998, Cathedral Energy Services has been committed to delivering exceptional service and innovative drilling technologies. With over 500 employees and contractors and local operation centers in each of the key basins across North America, Cathedral is strategically positioned to meet our customers’ evolving requirements.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US
We never forget our business is dependent on our existing and new customers. We focus on customer service and making sure we add value to our customers businesses.
At Cathedral, our success is attributed to our most important asset—great people. We believe in providing our employees with an exceptional work environment that encourages career growth and development. We give our employees the opportunity to excel through providing meaningful work and giving them autonomy and accountability, resulting in an industry-leading, high performance team.
We are a company governed by our Guiding Principles. Excellence, Honesty & Integrity, Teamwork, Live Well, and Creating Value support our vision and reflect what we value. These are our core beliefs that guide us to industry-leading successes with a customer focus and quality operations.
We look for innovative ways of doing things and are proud of our best-in-class proprietary directional drilling technologies.
A safe and healthy work environment is our priority and we are committed to our Work Smart Live Well vision. Work Smart is about recognizing and managing risks we are exposed to. Live Well is about providing great work opportunities and getting people home safely every day to the things that matter most.
WHY CHOOSE CATHEDRAL
We believe in providing our employees with an exceptional work environment that encourages diversity, career growth and development. We give our employees the opportunity to excel through providing meaningful work and giving them autonomy and accountability, resulting in a high performance team.
At Cathedral, our success is attributed to our most important asset—great people. And, we are always looking for great people.