Senior Payroll Tax Specialist

Location

Brookfield Chicago - 350 N Orleans Street, Suite 300

Brookfield Culture

Brookfield has a unique and dynamic culture. We seek team members who have a long-term focus and whose values align with our Attributes of a Brookfield Leader: Entrepreneurial, Collaborative and Disciplined. Brookfield is committed to the development of our people through challenging work assignments and exposure to diverse businesses.

Job Description

Human Resources Services (HRS) is an internal function providing global operations and business support across Brookfield’s lines of business.

The Senior Analyst – Payroll Tax is responsible for ensuring accurate and compliant payroll tax processing for the organization’s Canada and United States operations. This role will partner closely with payroll, tax, finance and HR teams to interpret tax legislation, implement appropriate controls, monitor filings and remittances, resolve issues, and support continuous improvement of payroll tax processes across both countries.

Key Responsibilities

• •Manage and oversee payroll tax processing for US federal, state/local jurisdictions and Canadian federal and provincial/territorial jurisdictions — including withholding, employer contributions, remittances, filings and reconciliations.
• •Act as a subject-matter expert on payroll tax regulations and implications (US: e.g., federal FICA/Medicare/Unemployment, state unemployment tax, local tax; Canada: federal CPP, EI, provincial/territorial tax, Employer Health Tax, etc.).
• •Coordinate with payroll/HRIS systems and vendors to ensure correct tax setup, deductions, classifications, tax rates, and reporting.
• •Monitor changes in payroll tax laws and regulations in both Canada and US; assess impacts and drive implementation of required changes.
• •Support filing of quarterly, annual and ad hoc payroll tax returns for US states/localities and Canadian provinces/territories. Investigate and resolve notices or audits from tax authorities.
• •Reconcile payroll tax accounts (general ledger, bank, payroll register) for accuracy and completeness across both countries.
• •Develop, document and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), internal controls and audit documentation for payroll tax activities.
• •Serve as key escalation point for payroll tax inquiries and issues from payroll teams, HR, finance and external auditors.
• •Provide reporting and analytics on payroll tax metrics (e.g., remittance timeliness, balance sheet reconciliations, tax notices).
• •Drive process improvements, automation, and standardization of payroll tax workflows across Canada and US operations.
• •Mentor and train junior payroll tax staff, support cross-functional teams on tax matters.
• •Collaborate with external vendors/suppliers (tax filing services, payroll providers, third-party tax vendors) to ensure timely and accurate service delivery.
• •Partner with Finance/Accounting for year-end tax activities: US W-2/1099 filings, Canadian T4/T4A filings, corporate tax support as needed.

Qualifications & Skills

• •Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related field (or equivalent experience).
• •Minimum 4-6 years (or more) of payroll tax, payroll operations, tax compliance or similar experience — preferably covering both the US and Canada.
• •Strong knowledge of US payroll tax regulations (federal, state/local) and Canadian payroll tax regulations (federal and provincial/territorial).
• •Experience working with payroll systems/HRIS and tax filing software; familiarity with vendor services for tax filings preferred.
• •Proficiency in MS Excel (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros) and ability to analyze large data sets.
• •Excellent attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines and with multiple jurisdictions.
• •Strong communication (written and verbal) skills; ability to explain complex tax issues to non-tax stakeholders.
• •Ability to lead projects, drive improvements and implement change.
• •Certification in payroll (e.g., CPP, FPC) or tax is preferred.
• •Ability to work across time zones

Salary Range: $85,000 - $105,000

Our compensation structure is comprised of a base salary and a short-term incentive program (cash bonus). Cash compensation tends to vary based on geography to account for local market conditions and is set to be market competitive. Compensation decisions are based on a number of factors including relative experience, overall years of experience, industry experience, education and designations.

Brookfield is committed to maintaining a Positive Work Environment that is safe and respectful; our shared success depends on it. We do not tolerate workplace discrimination, violence or harassment. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit and business needs, without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Applicant information is collected and handled in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice.