Payroll Analyst

Overview

This role supports accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for US and Canadian employees, with a primary focus on payroll tax administration and compliance.

Responsibilities include supporting federal, state, local, and provincial payroll tax activities—such as tax setup, reconciliations, agency notices, registrations, reporting, and coordination with third-party tax and unemployment providers. The role also helps research and resolve payroll tax discrepancies, monitors tax filings and liabilities, maintains supporting documentation, and ensures employee and employer tax obligations are accurately reflected in Workday and with external agencies and providers. Assigned payroll processing activities and continuous improvement efforts (automation and standardization) are also part of the position.

Responsibilities

US & Canada Payroll Tax and Compliance

• Administer and reconcile US federal, state, and local payroll taxes and Canadian federal and provincial payroll deductions and employer contributions.
• Review payroll tax liabilities and reconcile payroll results to tax provider records, payroll control totals, and general ledger data as applicable.
• Monitor payroll tax filings, payments, and outstanding items completed through third-party tax providers; follow issues through resolution.
• Research and coordinate resolution of federal, state, local, provincial, and unemployment tax notices with payroll vendors and government agencies as appropriate.
• Support employer tax registrations, account setup, jurisdiction changes, and agency account maintenance as employee work locations are added or changed.
• Review employee tax setup and investigate withholding discrepancies, including US state and local taxation and Canadian federal and provincial withholding.
• Support year-end payroll tax activities, including Forms W-2 and W-2c, Canadian T4 and T4A slips, associated reconciliations, corrections, and employee inquiries.
• Support reconciliation and administration of US unemployment taxes and Canadian Pension Plan and Employment Insurance deductions and employer contributions.
• Maintain complete documentation and audit trails for tax filings, payments, notices, reconciliations, corrections, and agency correspondence.
• Track tax issues through resolution and escalate material compliance risks or recurring discrepancies to the Sr. Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

US & Canada Payroll Processing

• Execute assigned US and Canadian payroll activities, including payroll inputs, audits, reconciliations, corrections, and post-payroll validation, partnering with the Sr. Payroll Analyst to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant results.
• Perform pre- and post-payroll audits to identify discrepancies involving taxable wages, deductions, withholding, and employer taxes.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee tax issues within established payroll deadlines.
• Support off-cycle payrolls, adjustments, prior-period corrections, and year-end payroll processing as assigned.
• Generate recurring and ad hoc payroll and tax reports for management and business partners.
• Provide responsive, accurate, and confidential support to employees regarding payroll and tax-related inquiries.

Systems, Vendor Management, and Process Improvement

• Review and validate payroll tax configuration and employee tax elections in Workday Payroll; escalate configuration issues when appropriate.
• Identify potential payroll configuration or data issues through reconciliation and audit reports.
• Partner with People Systems resources to test payroll and tax-related configuration changes, Workday releases, payroll tax updates, and regulatory changes.
• Serve as the payroll point of contact for unemployment tax by coordinating requests with the external service provider, monitoring deadlines and outstanding items, and escalating unresolved issues as needed.
• Collaborate with People Experience, Finance, and other departments to support accurate data flow and effective resolution of payroll-related issues.
• Identify and recommend process improvements, including stronger controls, automation, standardization, and clear process documentation.
• Maintain current knowledge of US and Canadian payroll tax changes and assess potential operational impacts.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant payroll experience.
• 3+ years of US payroll experience, including hands-on payroll tax or payroll compliance responsibilities.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll taxation, including US federal, state, and local withholding and unemployment taxes.
• Experience performing payroll and payroll tax reconciliations and researching discrepancies.
• Experience researching and coordinating responses to payroll tax notices or government agency inquiries.
• Experience working with third-party payroll, tax filing, unemployment, or compliance service providers.
• Experience reviewing tax, wage, liability, and reconciliation reports.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with payroll data and reconciliation reports.
• Strong analytical, organizational, documentation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines, follow issues through resolution, and escalate risks appropriately.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and payroll information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Canadian payroll, including CPP, EI, federal and provincial taxation, and year-end reporting.
• Experience with Workday Payroll; experience with ADP Workforce Now or a comparable payroll platform is also valuable.
• Experience with employer tax registrations and multi-jurisdiction payroll tax account maintenance.
• Experience supporting year-end W-2 and T4 reconciliation and processing.
• This position requires proficiency in English to interact, support and/or provide services to non-French speaking customers, employees and/or partners inside and/or outside the province of Quebec.

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected Compensation: C$70,000 - C$90,000

• Competitive benefits and salaries

• Personal and professional development opportunities

• Flexibility

Location

This role involves support for payroll tax administration and compliance for US and Canadian employees, including responsibilities that may involve interaction with partners, employees, and customers inside and/or outside the province of Quebec.