Payroll Specialist

REPORTS TO: Director of Payroll

STATUS: Full-time, Exempt
 

Through artistic excellence coupled with innovative, relevant programming; initiatives to connect with and grow new audiences; engagement with communities to ignite creativity across Chicago; and a modernized Opera House that is the setting for truly great experiences, Lyric is leading the advancement of opera. This collaborative vision will deliver ever more exciting, thought-provoking and inclusive audience and community experiences – while increasing the gravitational pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Lyric Opera of Chicago seeks to hire a Payroll Specialist to join our People & Culture team. Under the direction of the Director of Payroll, the Payroll Specialist will plan, organize and review the preparation, processing, balancing, analysis, and maintenance of the payroll function across Lyric's dynamic and multidisciplinary workforce. The Payroll Specialist will work closely in partnership with People & Culture, Finance, Operations, Artistic, Technical and Production Teams. This position will help develop, improve and strengthen payroll procedures and internal controls.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Accurately prepare and process multi-state, weekly and bi-weekly payroll for union and non-union employees.
• This position will serve as the backup to the Payroll Director for four payroll groups.
• Ensure compliance with FLSA, union collective bargaining agreements (CBA), and state/federal tax regulations. 
• Review and validate timekeeping data from HRIS/Time and Attendance system, including manual timesheets.
• Process and analyze assigned payroll portfolio and support the team in executing all pay processes accurately and seamlessly across Lyric for various union and non-union groups.
• Review, process and audit time and attendance records under the provisions of labor laws and complex collective bargaining agreements (CBA).
• Review full-cycle payroll integrity, owning accuracy from inputting data to proofing final payroll output, and executing appropriate solutions. 
• Provide vital and high caliber customer service to employee inquiries pertaining to payroll related matters, including, but not limited to researching and resolving payroll related issues.
• Provide administrative support for financial statements and all internal and external audits relating to compensation, 401(k), and severance.
• Support the Payroll team in the accurate and effective administration of fringe benefit deductions and payments/reports to third parties, including wage garnishments and union dues. 
• Generate reports to calculate or verify the accuracy of payments and submit payments promptly.
• Partner with appropriate internal department supervisors and/or external software service vendors to resolve problems and correct discrepancies in pay and related payroll systems/records.
• Review proper flow of employee payroll data between the Payroll department and Company Management, Music Administration, People & Culture, Facilities & Technical, Finance, and other departments as required.
• Support year-end W-2 tie-outs and distribution of W-2s.
• Provide backup support to include coverage for others on the Payroll team.
• Contribute to the overall success of the opera by performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• Identity and implement process improvements to enhance payroll efficiency and accuracy. 
• As the business evolves, so may this role. These duties may change as Lyric’s leadership identifies the need at any time.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in the business field or 4-5 years of equivalent work experience.
• 3-5 years of payroll experience, or an appropriate combination of education and experience to demonstrate competency across the role.
• Proficiency with payroll HRIS systems (e.g. ADP Workforce Now/Enterprise eTime) required. 
• System migration and/or upgrades experience a plus. 
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (specifically Excel) and Google Suite.
• Mastery of accuracy and prioritizing and managing time effectively to meet payroll deadlines.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and organizational skills, attention to detail, and strong math aptitude.
• Prior experience working with unions and Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Functional knowledge of U.S. individual tax laws.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication and relationship-building skills to provide customer service to internal and external contacts, including handling confidential information.
• Ability to work and think independently, a motivated self-starter who works well in a larger team.

WORK CONDITIONS:

• Ability to occasionally work evenings, weekends, or holidays to process payroll.
• Sitting for extended periods and screen time.
• Ability to operate a computer and to handle other office equipment with or without accommodations. 

COMPENSATION:

Job Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Salary Range is $55,000-$62,000

Application Deadline: Monday, September 8, 2025 (5:00pm CT)

Lyric Opera offers benefits including health, dental, vision, 403B (no company match), 401(k) with company match, PTO (including sick, vacation, and personal days, and holidays), life/AD&D coverage, opportunities for professional development, and complimentary tickets.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to enhancing our diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Lyric prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, parental status, socio-economic status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state or local laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.