Payroll Systems Analyst

Overview

This role involves streamlining payroll operations and building tools that connect payroll processes to the rest of the business. The Payroll Systems Analyst will work across Payroll, People (HR), and Finance functions, partnering with technical capabilities to support multi-country payroll with varying statutory, tax, and currency requirements.

Responsibilities

• Define and strengthen payroll operating practices

  • Map how payroll runs today across each market, including inputs, calendars, cut-offs, approvals, and handoffs with HR and Finance, plus the in-country providers involved.
  • Identify where work is manual, duplicated, or at risk.
  • Align global payroll standards, system controls, and RACIs across countries while accommodating local statutory requirements that cannot be standardized.
  • Define how payroll requests, changes, and issues are received, tracked, and resolved (e.g., via an internal service desk) to avoid reliance on email threads or individual memory.
  • Train Payroll team members on new processes and tools and serve as the primary partner for systems questions.

• Build an internal payroll-to-finance reconciliation tool

  • Own the design and delivery of an internal tool reconciling payroll outputs from providers against the HRIS and the general ledger across entities and countries, covering requirements, build, testing, and rollout.
  • Define reconciliation logic with Payroll and Finance, including headcount, gross-to-net, employer costs, accruals, cost center and entity mapping, FX, and variance thresholds.
  • Automate data ingestion from payroll provider reports and HRIS extracts, with exception reporting that helps teams focus on discrepancies rather than row-by-row matching.
  • Iterate after launch based on user feedback and month-end close needs, and document the tool for ongoing maintenance and extension.

• Provide core payroll systems support

  • Support stabilization of HRIS-to-payroll data flows following new HRIS go-live, ensuring hires, job and compensation changes, leave, and terminations reach payroll accurately and on time.
  • Analyze payroll workflows and integrations to recommend improvements, with emphasis on reducing manual inputs and spreadsheet handoffs between HR, Payroll, and Finance.
  • Support future payroll provider changes, consolidations, integrations, and new-market launches.
  • Coordinate testing for legislative and system updates so statutory changes (tax tables, social contributions, minimum wage) are applied correctly.

• Drive payroll data quality and reporting

  • Own payroll data quality across systems through regular audits to find and resolve discrepancies.
  • Develop payroll reporting and dashboards to support HR, Finance, and business decision-making (e.g., payroll cost by entity and country, period-over-period variance).
  • Manage data privacy and access controls for sensitive pay and banking data in line with GDPR and other applicable regulations.

Requirements

• Fluent in English and French.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in HRIS, payroll operations, payroll systems, or payroll accounting, ideally in a multi-country or multi-entity organization.
• Experience and understanding of end-to-end payroll processes, including inputs, calendars and cut-offs, gross-to-net, statutory deductions, and payments.
• Hands-on experience reconciling payroll to the general ledger, including employer costs, accruals, and cost center and entity mapping.
• Experience working with third-party or in-country payroll providers and data flows between HRIS, payroll, and finance systems.
• Demonstrated experience documenting, standardizing, and improving processes (controls, checklists, sign-off flows, and RACIs).
• Advanced knowledge of data management, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience building tools or automations (scripts, Apps Script, low-code platforms like Workato or Zapier), or strong interest in learning to.
• Experience with Business Intelligence systems like Sigma, Power BI, or Looker.
• Effective written and verbal communication to collaborate with Payroll, HR, and Finance stakeholders and explain technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Payroll experience in francophone West Africa (e.g. CNPS, IPRES/CSS, ITS/IRPP) or with OHADA accounting.
• Experience with Workday or another enterprise HRIS.
• A payroll certification (CPP, FPC, CIPP).

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual gross salary range: $88,100 - $125,900, depending on level and location.
• Subsidized health insurance for you and your dependents and retirement contributions (vary by country).
• 6 months fully paid parental leave and subsidized fertility assistance.
• Flexible vacation, with most folks taking between 30–40 days per year.
• $10,000 annual charitable donation matching.

Location

Remote employees can work remotely from anywhere between UTC -8 and +4 with reliable internet access in: US, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Uganda, Kenya, or Ghana.

Additional Information

• This role reports to the HR Systems Lead within the HR Technology team and starts shortly after a new HRIS go-live.
• The organization operates a rapidly growing in-country team across Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, plus remote team members worldwide.
• Applications are reviewed frequently; resume and cover letter should be submitted in English.