Payroll Analyst

Overview

The Payroll Analyst is responsible for accurate, timely, and compliant end-to-end payroll processing for employees and contract employees. This role serves as a payroll subject matter expert, overseeing payroll systems, compliance, reporting, audits, reconciliations, integrations, and process improvement. The position partners with HR, Finance, IT/HRIS, employees, managers, vendors, and external agencies to resolve complex payroll issues and improve payroll operations.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Compliance
- Lead full-cycle payroll processing, including wages, overtime, shift differentials, premiums, bonuses, commissions, garnishments, deductions, taxes, and other adjustments.
- Validate timekeeping and payroll data, including complex pay structures, overlapping schedules, and historical adjustments.
- Process piece-rate payroll, ensuring accurate calculation and payment based on production-based compensation, while learning and applying company-specific piece-rate policies and procedures. 
- Manage multi-state and, where applicable, global payroll requirements.
- Ensure compliance with FLSA, IRS, Department of Labor, federal, state, local, and applicable international payroll regulations.
- Manage payroll tax filings, deposits, quarter-end and year-end activities, W-2s, and required reporting.

Audit, Reconciliation & Reporting
- Conduct payroll audits, variance analyses, and data validation to identify and resolve discrepancies.
- Reconcile payroll accounts, labor allocations, accruals, deductions, and general ledger transactions in partnership with Finance.
- Prepare and analyze pre- and post-payroll reports to ensure accuracy and data integrity.
- Support internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and investigations.
- Develop payroll metrics, dashboards, and reports to monitor accuracy, compliance, service levels, and operational performance.

Payroll Systems & Technology
- Administer and optimize payroll systems, including Paylocity, Workday, ADP Workforce Now, UKG, SAP, Oracle, or comparable platforms.
- Partner with HRIS/IT to configure, test, maintain, and enhance payroll systems and integrations.
- Support payroll implementations, migrations, upgrades, testing, integrations, and organizational changes.
- Manage pay group realignments and payroll adjustments related to mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, or other business changes.
- Use intermediate/advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas, reporting, and data analysis.

Process Improvement & Projects
- Identify payroll process inefficiencies and implement automation, system enhancements, controls, and streamlined workflows.
- Perform root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions to improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, process documentation, and audit controls.
- Lead or participate in payroll, HR compliance, analytics, system, and continuous improvement projects.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams and external vendors to ensure successful project delivery.

Collaboration & Employee Support
- Partner with HR, Finance, IT/HRIS, vendors, and business stakeholders to maintain payroll integrity and resolve complex issues.
- Support onboarding, offboarding, and final-pay requirements.
- Communicate payroll policies, tax matters, wage calculations, and compliance requirements clearly to employees and managers.
- Provide training and guidance as needed.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and security of payroll and employee information.
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% to various company locations to support payroll operations, audits, implementations, training, and other business needs.
- Lead end-to-end payroll processing for all employee groups, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance
- Compile, validate, and process payroll data, including hourly, salaried, piece rate, temporary, bonus, commission, and off-cycle payments
- Review and reconcile timekeeping data; investigate and resolve discrepancies prior to payroll submission
- Maintain, audit, and reconcile payroll records related to wages, deductions, taxes, garnishments, and benefits
- Administer payroll processes for temporary employees, including system uploads, agency reporting, and billing support
- Manage payroll-related compliance activities, including garnishments, tax filings, statutory reporting, and record retention
- Prepare payroll documentation and reports to support internal controls, audits, and financial reviews
- Partner with Accounting to provide accurate payroll data, general ledger coding, reconciliations, and year-end reporting (including W-2s)
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, providing timely resolution and clear guidance
- Collaborate cross-functionally with HR, Finance, Accounting, HRIS partners, and vendors to ensure data accuracy and process alignment
- Identify, recommend, and implement continuous improvements to payroll systems, workflows, and reporting

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field required; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 3–5 years of progressive, full-cycle payroll experience.
• Strong knowledge of payroll taxes and reporting, FLSA wage and hour laws, garnishments, deductions, and payroll compliance.
• Experience with payroll reporting, general ledger, audits, reconciliations, variance analysis, tax reporting, W-2s, and year-end processing.
• Experience with payroll/HRIS systems and system implementations, upgrades, integrations, or migrations.
• Intermediate/Advanced Microsoft Excel and payroll data analysis skills.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and external payroll vendors.
• Experience with process automation and optimization; data integrity and validation; root-cause analysis and problem resolution.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and protect sensitive data.

Nice to Haves

• Multi-state payroll experience preferred; global payroll experience is a plus.
• CPP certification preferred; additional payroll, HRIS, accounting, or compliance certifications are a plus.
• Piece rate payroll processing experience in a manufacturing environment
• Hands-on experience with Paylocity or similar payroll platforms
• Experience supporting payroll for temporary or contingent workforces
• Bilingual language skills