Payroll Analyst

Overview

This Payroll Analyst role supports payroll operations by performing payroll audits, reconciliations, exception management, payroll investigations, reporting, data validation, and process improvement activities. The position partners with Payroll Specialists, Human Resources, Benefits, Finance, and operational leaders to help ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and effective operations in a complex healthcare environment supporting both union and non-union employees.

The role provides analytical support across Workday Payroll and UKG/Kronos Timekeeping. Responsibilities also include assisting with payroll testing, work rule validation, leave administration, payroll compliance, and continuous process improvement.

• Location: Columbus, Ohio
• Employment Type: Full-time, Fixed-Term (6-12 months with possible extension; eligible for benefits)

Responsibilities

Payroll processing and audit support

• Process and audit bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and special payroll runs, including payroll data validation, balancing, reconciliation, exception review, and resolution of discrepancies before finalization.
• Administer timekeeping activities in UKG/Kronos, reviewing employee schedules, hours, overtime, shift differentials, premium pay, missing punches, and timecard exceptions.
• Partner with managers and employees to resolve timekeeping and leave-related issues.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries and investigate discrepancies involving paychecks, taxes, deductions, direct deposits, leave balances, and payroll adjustments.
• Perform payroll reconciliations, review payroll reports and related accounts, and support internal audits, compliance reviews, and month-end and year-end activities.

Payroll compliance and tax/garnishment administration

• Support payroll tax and garnishment administration, including wage garnishments, levies, tax exceptions, and coordination with ADP for payroll-related filings and compliance documentation.
• Ensure payroll activities comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, internal controls, and confidentiality requirements.

Systems, testing, and process improvement

• Maintain accurate employee payroll records and validate employee data changes in Workday.
• Support payroll system updates, enhancements, and process improvements.
• Participate in testing and implementation of payroll system changes, including union work rules, payroll codes, schedules, and configurations.
  • Perform validation in Workday Sandbox and UKG/Kronos.
  • Document results and support production sign-off.
• Cross-train with team members and support additional payroll projects as needed.

Required system access/tools

• Workday Payroll (required)
• UKG/Kronos Timekeeping (required)
• ServiceNow

Productivity and reporting tools

• Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, and SharePoint
• Payroll reporting tools, employee master data records, and internal process documentation

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with automated payroll systems, preferably in a high-volume U.S. payroll environment.
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end U.S. payroll processing, including gross-to-net calculations, taxes, deductions, supplemental earnings, benefits, and federal and state payroll requirements.
• Experience with payroll balancing, reconciliation, employee payroll inquiries, and discrepancy resolution.
• Experience supporting unionized payroll environments, including union contracts, work rules, schedules, overtime, shift differentials, and premium pay.
• Healthcare or hospital payroll experience preferred.

Systems and technical skills

• Experience with UKG/Kronos timekeeping systems required; Workday Payroll experience preferred.
• Experience with ServiceNow preferred. ADP experience is an advantage, particularly payroll tax, garnishments, tax disbursements, quarterly filings, and W-2 support.
• Experience working with integrated HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping systems.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, sorting, filtering, data validation, and reconciliation. Macros and VBA are not required.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills, with the ability to interpret payroll regulations and organizational policies.

Professional skills

• Excellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
• Strong customer service and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgment and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Preferred qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification or equivalent.
• Healthcare payroll experience in a unionized environment.
• Experience supporting large employee populations, multiple pay groups, high-volume transactions, and complex payroll structures.

Compensation & Benefits

• Target base salary (US): $75,000-$100,000
• Compensation is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications, and geography.
• This fixed-term role is eligible for benefits.