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Payroll Operations Specialist

AI Summary
Mercury is seeking a Payroll Operations Specialist to manage multi-state payroll compliance workflows, including employer registrations, workers’ compensation, and business filings. The role owns cases from intake through resolution, coordinating with government agencies, insurance carriers, brokers, customers, and internal partners. Success requires careful research of state and local requirements, precise recordkeeping, and strong deadline management in a high-volume environment. The specialist will also investigate operational issues and improve controls, documentation, and automation. This is a compliance-focused operations role rather than a payroll processing or accounting position.
Remote from
USA, Canada
Salary
USD 77k–96,200 / yr
Employment
Full Time
Experience
Open level
Published
Apply before
3 Dec 2026
Listing views
53
Application actions
2
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Opportunity details

About this role.

About the Role & Team

The Payroll Operations Specialist supports the compliance infrastructure that keeps our customers’ payroll operations running smoothly. You’ll own operational workflows across state registrations, employer account maintenance, workers’ compensation, business registrations, and related requirements.

You’ll work closely with Payroll Operations, Customer Support, Benefit, government agencies, insurance carriers, and external partners to resolve issues and deliver a strong customer experience.

What You’ll Do

  • Own end-to-end workflows across assigned areas, including state registrations, employer account maintenance, workers’ compensation, Foreign Qualification (FQAL), Registered Agent Administration (RAA), Statements of Information (SOI), and related requirements.
  • Research state and local requirements and determine the steps needed to establish and maintain employer accounts, business registrations, and coverage.
  • Work directly with government agencies, insurance carriers, brokers, and third-party partners to establish accounts, obtain information, and resolve issues.
  • Manage account, registration, and policy lifecycle changes, including registrations, updates, state additions, renewals, audits, transfers, and closures.
  • Investigate and resolve registration, account access, policy, coverage, and other operational issues.
  • Maintain accurate customer records, credentials, documentation, deadlines, and status tracking.
  • Communicate requirements, blockers, timelines, and next steps clearly to customers and internal partners.
  • Identify recurring issues and improve processes, documentation, controls, and automation.
  • Manage a high-volume workload while prioritizing time-sensitive and high-risk work.
  • Support other Payroll Operations initiatives and duties as business and team needs evolve.

What We’re Looking For

  • 2+ years of experience in payroll operations, state or business registrations, workers’ compensation, insurance operations, compliance operations, or a related field.
  • Strong ownership and ability to manage work from intake through resolution with limited oversight.
  • Strong research and problem-solving skills, including navigating unfamiliar state requirements, agency websites, and carrier systems.
  • Excellent attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and workflows.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused approach.
  • Comfortable working directly with government agencies, carriers, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
  • Curiosity and willingness to develop deep subject-matter expertise.

You May Be a Great Fit If You Have

  • Experience with multi-state employer or business registrations and account maintenance.
  • Experience with workers’ compensation policy administration, renewals, audits, or carrier relationships.
  • Experience with FQAL, RAA, SOI, or other business compliance filings.
  • Experience in payroll, fintech, PEO, benefits, insurance, or another high-growth operational environment.

Mercury values diversity & belonging and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All individuals seeking employment at Mercury are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities or special needs. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know once you are contacted about a role.

#LI-JD1

Total Rewards
The total rewards package at Mercury includes base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits.

Our salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and are updated regularly using the most reliable compensation survey data for our industry. New hire offers are made based on a candidate’s experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers.

Our target new hire base salary ranges for this role are the following:

US employees in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area:

$85,500—$96,200 USD

US employees outside of New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area:

$77,000—$86,600 USD

Canadian employees (any location):

$80,800—$90,900 CAD

Apply now >

This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.

Role DNA

A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.

Job Complexity

4/5
EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

4/5
RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

4/5
GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

4/5
IndependentCollaborative
AI insightThe position requires navigating changing multi-jurisdictional compliance requirements and resolving time-sensitive registration, insurance, and account issues. It demands independent judgment, detailed documentation, and coordination across external agencies and internal stakeholders.

Salary analysis

Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.

Estimated job median (per year)Market rate
$86,600
US market range (per year)$75k–$100k
AI insightThe yearly pay period is inferred from the job context; it was not explicitly stated by the employer. The posting discloses annual base-salary ranges for US employees, with pay varying by location: $77,000–$86,600 USD outside designated high-cost markets and $85,500–$96,200 USD in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The yearly cadence is inferred from the full-time US professional-role context because the listed base-salary ranges do not explicitly state a pay period. A reasonable estimated US market range for a payroll compliance operations specialist is $75,000–$100,000 USD per year.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Sample interview questions
How would you approach a new state employer registration when the requirements are unfamiliar?

I would first identify the applicable state agencies and registration prerequisites, then verify requirements using official agency sources. I would document each step, required credentials, deadlines, and dependencies, communicate a clear timeline to stakeholders, and track the case through confirmation and record completion.

Describe how you would manage competing urgent registration and workers’ compensation issues.

I would triage work by statutory deadlines, risk of payroll disruption, customer impact, and dependency sequencing. I would maintain a prioritized tracker, proactively flag blockers, communicate expected next steps, and revisit priorities as new information or time-sensitive requests arise.

What controls would you use to maintain accurate customer compliance records?

I would use standardized checklists, required documentation fields, date-based reminders, and status validation before closing a workflow. I would also retain source records and credentials securely, perform periodic audits of active cases, and document exceptions or changes for a clear audit trail.

How would you handle a delayed response from a government agency or insurance carrier that risks missing a customer deadline?

I would promptly document outreach attempts, escalate through available agency or carrier channels, and identify whether alternate contacts or temporary documentation are available. I would keep the customer and internal stakeholders informed of the risk, actions underway, and realistic contingency options.

Give an example of an operational improvement you might identify in this role.

If recurring cases were delayed because required information was collected inconsistently, I would analyze the common gaps and create an intake checklist or automated form with validation. I would measure the impact on turnaround time and rework, then refine the process based on feedback from customers and internal users.

This analysis is generated from the job description. Salary estimates, role characteristics and sample answers are guidance, not employer-provided facts.
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