Payroll Specialist

The Trade Desk · Ventura

  • Junior
  • Full-time
  • $48,200 – $88,300
  • Posted 2026-11-09
  • Confirmed live on 10 November 2026

Apply at The Trade Desk

Job description

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising, with over 3,000 employees across more than 30 offices. Our technology helps advertisers reach the right audiences across the open internet — from streaming TV and podcasts to mobile apps, news, and more.

Advertising powers the content people love. By making it more transparent, effective, and responsible, we help support trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and creators worldwide. The world’s brands and agencies rely on us to reach their customers and grow their businesses responsibly.

The scale of our platform brings unique technical challenges — from processing massive datasets in real time to building systems that operate reliably on a global scale. When you work here, your impact is worldwide. We welcome diverse perspectives, encourage curiosity, and build teams that learn from one another. If you’re driven to solve meaningful challenges, we’d love to meet you.

What we do:

The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for accurate, timely payroll processing for Canada and U.S. employees across multiple states, from time collection through final processing and reconciliation. The Payroll Specialist reports to the Manager, Regional Payroll. This role also uses AI tools to improve the accuracy, speed and insight of our payroll operations.

What you'll do:

The responsibilities are not limited to the following, other items will be assigned as needed.

• Act as the first point of contact for employee payroll inquiries via the ticketing system, ensuring timely, accurate resolution with a strong service focus and escalating complex issues as needed

• Support end-to-end payroll processing across Canada and U.S. employees across multiple states on schedule, from time and attendance collection and validation through data entry, calculation review, pre-transmission audit and post-payroll reconciliation

• Reconcile payroll registers, tax liabilities and general ledger postings, and validate confirmation reports; research and correct variances

• Perform 401(k) reconciliations each pay cycle, tying employee deferrals, employer match and loan repayments to recordkeeper files, and resolve discrepancies and process corrections

• Process garnishments, levies, child support and other involuntary deductions, including calculating withholdings within federal and state limits, setting up orders, remitting payments on time and maintaining documentation

• Apply state and local tax withholding and unemployment (SUI) requirements for multi-state employees, track work-location changes, and support new state registrations with guidance from the Payroll Manager

• Support quarterly and year-end reporting across federal, state and local jurisdictions, including W-2 and T4 preparation and W-2 corrections, and research and respond to tax notices with guidance as needed

• Support accurate taxation and reporting of employer-paid benefits and equity compensation, including RSU vesting, NSO exercises, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and Incentive Stock Option (ISO) events, in partnership with senior team members

• Load and validate import files and prepare ad hoc payroll reports as requested

• Use company-approved AI tools to assist with payroll audits, variance analysis, reconciliations and drafting employee responses, always applying human review

• Protect employee PII and confidential compensation data

• Collaborate with stakeholders such as Finance, People Ops and Benefits, and assist other teams with special projects

• Ensure compliance with SOPs, local regulatory requirements, and SOX control standards

• Support internal and external audits and respond to requests for supporting documentation

• Monitor and stay current on statutory and regulatory payroll changes across the U.S. and Canada

• Support documentation of payroll processes and contribute to process improvements and automation initiatives

• Work effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines

Who you are:

• Minimum 3-5 years of multi-state payroll processing experience, including setting up state EINs and managing state and local tax registrations and filings

• Strong working knowledge of payroll and HRIS software

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office programs including Excel, Word, Outlook

• Strong critical thinking skills to resolve issues or improve processes; self-starter who can work and learn quickly

• Working knowledge of, or strong interest in, AI tools (e.g., Excel / Workday AI features or generative AI assistants) and the ability to apply them to payroll audits, research and reporting, with sound judgment in verifying outputs and safeguarding sensitive data

• Ability to prioritize and work under deadline pressures

• Sound judgment in knowing when to escalate issues and seek guidance

• Strong knowledge of payroll principles, best practices, federal and state

Interview problems reported for The Trade Desk

Reported by candidates and public write-ups, not by The Trade Desk. Practice each one here:

More at The Trade Desk

All open software jobs