Senior Lead Software Engineer - Payroll

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

In a fast-paced, high-accountability environment where innovation drives the future of AI-ready connectivity, a Senior Software Engineer - HCM plays a pivotal role behind every successful payroll cycle. This professional serves as the steward of Employee Central Payroll, ensuring that payroll configurations, calculation logic, and system integrations operate accurately and reliably. Knowing that even minor defects can directly affect employee pay, they take ownership of building, testing, and supporting the systems that keep payroll running smoothly.Rather than focusing solely on software development, they work at the intersection of technology and business operations. Their days are spent managing payroll rules, schemas, wage types, and tax configurations while overseeing the flow of data between SuccessFactors Employee Central, payroll, time management systems, finance platforms, and external vendors. Equally important, they collaborate closely with HR, Payroll Operations, Benefits, Tax, and Finance teams, translating complex technical decisions into practical business solutions that support accurate and dependable payroll outcomes.

Location

This is a work from home position from within the US. 

The Main Responsibilities

Payroll Configuration & Compliance
• Configure and maintain Employee Central Payroll and Workforce Software, including schemas, PCRs, wage types, payroll controls, off-cycle processing, and time configurations.
• Own U.S. payroll configuration for earnings, deductions, garnishments, retro pay, third-party remittances, and year-end processing.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and support SOX and other compliance controls.

Calculation Logic & Tax
• Partner with Payroll Operations and Tax on SAP BSI, regulatory updates, and tax changes.
• Configure payroll rules, wage type processing, and tax models; troubleshoot calculation issues and implement fixes.
• Ensure compliance with changing tax and regulatory requirements.

Integration & Vendor Support
• Support integrations between SuccessFactors Employee Central, Employee Central Payroll, Workforce Software, and SAP CATS.
• Manage payroll interfaces and vendor files for benefits, retirement, tax, garnishment, and finance processes.
• Resolve integration, monitoring, and file-processing issues with internal teams and vendors.

Leadership, Testing & Delivery
• Serve as payroll functional lead, translating requirements, reviewing designs, and guiding developers.
• Lead testing activities, including unit, integration, regression, year-end, acceptance, and parallel testing.
• Partner with HR, Payroll, Tax, Finance, and IT stakeholders to manage projects, incidents, enhancements, and delivery through ServiceNow, Jira, and Agile practices

What We Look For in a Candidate

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, accounting, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 
• Seven or more years of experience supporting enterprise payroll systems, including direct, hands-on configuration responsibility. 
• Demonstrated Employee Central Payroll configuration experience, or strong SAP ECC payroll configuration experience with the ability to apply it to Employee Central Payroll. 
• Working knowledge of SAP BSI, including how tax authority maintenance and update cycles are planned and applied in partnership with Payroll and Tax. 
• Deep US payroll knowledge covering multi-state taxation, reciprocity, garnishments, unions, imputed income, retroactive pay, W-2 processing, third-party reconciliation, and quarter-end and year-end requirements. 
• Deep timesheet knowledge for US, covering non-exempt rules across states, FLSA rules, Union support and the partnership with a payroll system.
• Experience troubleshooting payroll integrations and interface errors across connected systems. 
• Proven ability to partner with business stakeholders and to explain payroll outcomes clearly to non-technical audiences. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• SuccessFactors Employee Central experience, including data models, business rules, and point-to-point replication. 
• SAP CATS configuration and support experience. 
• Workforce Software time and attendance experience. 
• Payroll experience in a large, multi-entity US employer or a shared services environment. 
• Experience supporting payroll through a system migration, upgrade, or major transformation program.  

Compensation

Requisition #: 343304

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes. 

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.  

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:  
https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit:
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Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

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