Payroll Systems Analyst

Overview

This role supports payroll operations and the systems that connect payroll to the rest of the organization. You will work with Payroll, People, and Finance teams to streamline processes and build tools that handle multi-country payroll across different statutory and tax regimes, multiple currencies, and varying local requirements.

The organization is implementing a new HRIS and this position begins shortly after the HRIS go-live. The Payroll Systems Analyst reports to the HR Systems Lead within the HR Technology team.

Responsibilities

Strengthen Payroll ways of working

• Map how payroll runs across each market, including inputs, calendars, cut-offs, approvals, handoffs with HR and Finance, and in-country providers.
• Identify where payroll effort is manual, duplicated, or at risk.
• Align global payroll standards, system controls, and RACIs across countries while allowing for 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) so work is not dependent on email threads or individual memory.
• Train Payroll team members on new processes and tools and act as the primary partner for systems questions.

Build an in-house payroll-to-finance reconciliation tool

• Own the design and delivery of an internal tool that reconciles payroll outputs from providers against the HRIS and the general ledger across entities and countries, from requirements through 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.
• Build clear exception reporting so teams focus on discrepancies rather than row-matching.
• Iterate after launch based on user feedback and month-end close needs, and document the tool for maintainability and extension.

Provide core Payroll Systems support

• Support stabilization of HRIS-to-payroll data flows after HRIS go-live so hires, job and compensation changes, leave, and terminations reach payroll accurately and on time.
• Analyze payroll workflows and integrations to recommend improvements, with a focus 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 to ensure statutory changes (tax tables, social contributions, minimum wage) are applied correctly.

Drive Payroll data quality and reporting

• Own payroll data quality across systems and perform regular audits to find and resolve discrepancies.
• Develop payroll reporting and dashboards to support HR, Finance, and business decisions (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 a 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.
• Payroll certification (CPP, FPC, CIPP).

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual gross salary range up to $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 positions: work from anywhere between UTC -8 and +4 with reliable internet access in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Uganda, Kenya, or Ghana.
• In-person get-togethers: up to three per year, funded by the organization, in line with its travel policy.