Career Fulfillment & Culture

People come to work for Deque because of what we do: enable businesses and organizations to make their sites and apps accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The personal fulfillment employees feel here is unparalleled. In addition to the altruistic nature of our jobs, the organizational structure is extremely flat and welcoming.

Women-owned and operated, Deque CEO Preety Kumar is internationally revered for her down-to-earth personality and work ethic. Deque's core values are central to our culture of customer satisfaction. Do you share them?

- Innovation with results that matter
- Deliver what you promise
- Can-do attitude
- Open, direct & respectful communications
- We care deeply
- We practice humility

At Deque, you'll work with the best and brightest minds in the industry, sharing best practices, tackling new issues and uncovering new approaches. Accessibility Consultants at Deque also love their jobs because of the support systems in place.

Deque experts regularly contribute to W3C Accessibility Working Groups and collectively hold more CPACC, WAS, & CPWA certifications issued by the IAAP than any accessibility testing company in the world.

Role summary The Payroll Specialist owns accurate, timely end-to-end payroll processing for Deque's U.S. employees. This role manages 24 semimonthly payroll cycles each year, processes off-cycle and final payments, maintains payroll tax compliance, and keeps payroll records and controls audit-ready. The Payroll Specialist works closely with Human Resources and Finance and handles sensitive employee information with sound judgment and strict confidentiality.

While end-to-end U.S. payroll remains the primary focus and top priority, this role also provides valuable operational support to the People/HR team between payroll cycles—assisting with leave tracking, employee master data integrity, onboarding/offboarding logistics, and ad-hoc HR/recruiting administrative projects. The ideal candidate is a dependable payroll professional who enjoys variety, wears administrative hats comfortably, and welcomes the opportunity to expand their HR operational skillset.

The position is based in India. Regular overlap with U.S. Eastern Time is preferred and will be especially important during payroll close, year-end processing, audits, and urgent off-cycle payrolls.

Responsibilities

Payroll processing

- Process U.S. payroll from start to finish on a semimonthly schedule, with pay dates on the 15th and the final calendar day of each month.
- Validate approved employee changes, hourly pay, commissions, bonuses, deductions, garnishments, benefits, taxes, and other payroll inputs before each payroll closes.
- Run payroll previews, investigate variances, obtain required approvals, submit payroll, and confirm successful completion and funding.
- Process off-cycle payrolls and calculate time-sensitive final pay when required.
- Manage direct-deposit prenotes, payroll amendments, deduction codes, and payroll-to-general-ledger mappings in coordination with Finance.
- Maintain accurate employee payroll records and the payroll dashboard in ADP.

Payroll tax and compliance





- Maintain ADP SmartCompliance and respond promptly to payroll tax notices, including withholding, unemployment, and workers' compensation matters.
- Monitor payroll-related state and local requirements and alert Human Resources and Finance when employee activity creates a current registration or filing obligation.
- Audit state unemployment insurance rates and verify that required payroll tax filings and payments are completed accurately and on time.
- Review quarterly Forms 941 and annual Forms W-2 prepared by ADP and confirm timely filing.
- Complete required payroll-related filings and reports, including California payee data, Washington and Ohio workers' compensation, and New York State Insurance Fund reporting.
- Stay current on U.S. payroll laws, regulatory changes, and industry practices that affect Deque's payroll processes.

Reporting audits and controls

- Prepare payroll history, headcount, and salary-change reports and provide accurate payroll data to authorized partners.
- Analyze payroll data for trends, discrepancies, unusual activity, and compliance risk; resolve or escalate issues before payroll is finalized.
- Support the annual financial statement and 401(k) audits by preparing complete, traceable payroll documentation.
- Maintain current payroll procedures, calendars, checklists, and coverage documentation.
- Follow approval, access, and segregation-of-duties controls and protect confidential payroll and employee data.
- Provide backup support for Deque Europe payroll processing when trained and requested.

Partnership

- Partner with Human Resources to confirm approved hires, terminations, compensation changes, leave impacts, benefit deductions, and employee data changes.
- Partner with Finance on payroll funding, cash requirements, general-ledger outputs, account reconciliations, and audit support.
- Communicate clearly with employees and internal partners about routine payroll questions and escalate policy, employee-relations, or legal matters to Human Resources.
- Coordinate with ADP, Paychex, benefit providers, tax agencies, and other payroll partners as needed.

HR Operations & Team Support

- Support the HR team with administrative workflows, including leave of absence tracking, benefits changes, and status updates.
- Maintain and audit employee master data across HRIS/payroll systems to ensure data consistency between HR and Finance.
- Partner on onboarding and offboarding coordination, ensuring new hire setup and exit adjustments are seamlessly handled between HR and payroll.
- Provide adaptable administrative support on special People/HR projects, process improvement initiatives, documentation, and coordination across HR or talent acquisition workflows as needed.
- Serve as an approachable point of contact for routine employee inquiries regarding both pay and foundational HR inquiries, escalating complex matters appropriately.





Required qualifications

- At least four years of payroll experience, including direct responsibility for end-to-end payroll processing.
- Hands-on experience processing U.S. multistate payroll and working with federal, state, and local payroll taxes.
- Working knowledge of payroll controls, wage deductions, garnishments, perks deductions, year-end processing, and payroll reporting.
- Strong spreadsheet and data-review skills, including the ability to reconcile details and identify discrepancies.
- Ability to manage fixed deadlines independently, document work clearly, and communicate promptly when an issue could affect pay.
- Demonstrated discretion when handling compensation, banking, tax, and other confidential employee information.
- Prior experience supporting—or a demonstrated interest in learning—broader HR operations and administrative workflows.
- Clear written and spoken English and the ability to collaborate effectively across India and U.S. time zones.
- Comfort wearing multiple hats in a collaborative, fast-paced environment with a coachable and trainable mindset.

Preferred qualifications

- Experience with ADP Workforce Now, ADP SmartCompliance, or a comparable U.S. payroll platform.
- Experience supporting a U.S.-based company from India and working with distributed Human Resources and Finance teams.
- Experience with payroll audits, 401(k), FSA, COBRA, workers' compensation, and multistate tax notices.
- A bachelor's degree in commerce, accounting, finance, human resources, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- A recognized payroll credential or relevant qualified training.
- Hands-on experience working in a hybrid HR/Payroll role or directly supporting an HR Generalist / People Operations function.
- Exposure to leave administration (FMLA, disability, state leaves), benefits coordination, or basic talent acquisition/recruiting administrative tasks.

About Deque

Deque (pronounced dee-cue) is a web accessibility software and services company, and our mission is Digital Equality. We believe everyone, regardless of their ability, should have equal access to the information, services, applications, and everything else on the web.

We work with enterprise-level businesses and organizations to ensure that their sites and mobile apps are accessible. With over 475,000 extensions installed and over 5,000 audit projects completed, Deque is the industry standard. Join our growing family as we work to make the web a better place for everyone.

Job Location

India (Remote - EST/EDT Hours)

How to Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a cover letter. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

In Your Cover Letter

- Explain your interest in joining Deque and how you align with our Core Values
- Depict key attributes that differentiate you as a candidate

Deque is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities. Reference and background checks will be required. The expected salary range is $160,000–$185,000 but is subject to change based on the skills, abilities, and experience of each candidate. The values listed are not intended to guarantee a salary for candidates or current employees.

📌 Payroll Specialist (India)
🏢 Deque Systems
📍 India