Sr Payroll & Tax Analyst

Overview

This role serves as a subject matter expert responsible for accurate payroll processing and payroll tax compliance across a large, complex organization covering the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

The position involves analyzing payroll data, resolving complex payroll and tax issues, conducting audits and reconciliations, supporting system enhancements, and partnering with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing in compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Audit, reconcile, and validate payroll transactions, including earnings, deductions, taxes, and employee master data.
• Research, analyze, and resolve complex payroll issues and escalations.
• Support payroll processing for multi-state and multiple-entity environments.
• Maintain payroll controls and ensure compliance with SOX and internal control requirements.
• Perform payroll reconciliations, balancing activities, and variance analyses.
• Develop payroll reports, metrics, and analytics to support operational and compliance requirements.
• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, integrations, testing, and process improvements.
• Maintain strong understanding of payroll-related benefit plans, including:
  • 401(k)
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP)
  • Deferred compensation plans
  • Non-qualified plans
  • Executive compensation programs
• Manage complex payroll situations including:
  • Garnishments
  • Leave payments
  • Termination payments
  • Executive compensation
  • Deferred compensation
  • Bonus and incentive payments
  • Equity compensation transactions
• Process ACH transactions, stop payments, reversals, and payroll funding activities.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation and reconciliation.
• Ensure data integrity and accuracy across payroll systems.
• Use advanced Excel and reporting tools to identify trends, anomalies, and improvement opportunities.
• Analyze payroll data to support audits, compliance reviews, and business initiatives.

Payroll Tax Compliance

• Support compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and regulations.
• Assist with payroll tax filings, deposits, reconciliations, amendments, and year-end reporting activities.
• Support research and resolution of payroll tax notices, agency inquiries, and compliance-related issues.
• Review and validate employee tax setup, withholding configurations, and jurisdiction assignments for accuracy.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting payroll tax operations and support implementation of required updates.
• Partner with tax vendors, government agencies, Finance, HR, Legal, and external auditors on payroll tax matters.
• Assist with payroll tax reconciliations and quarter-end/year-end balancing activities.
• Support internal and external audits and compliance reviews.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll tax processes and help mitigate compliance risks.
• Serve as a key point of contact for payroll tax matters with ADP and government agencies, escalating issues as appropriate.

Inquiry Support

• Provide inquiry support (phone, email, chat/IM) to managers, employees, and retirees regarding payroll policies and processes.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes through standardization, automation, and technology enablement.
• Use tools such as Power Automate, workflow technologies, and AI-enabled solutions to reduce manual effort and improve efficiency.
• Participate in payroll transformation initiatives and continuous improvement programs.
• Recommend automation opportunities to improve efficiency, controls, and employee experience.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to pilot and scale technology-enabled process improvements.

Projects

• Lead payroll and payroll tax process improvement initiatives.
• Document and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and controls.
• Participate in payroll system implementations, upgrades, and optimization efforts.
• Support User Acceptance Testing (UAT), parallel testing, and production validation activities.
• Develop and execute payroll testing strategies for system changes and regulatory updates.
• Support acquisition, integration, and organizational change initiatives impacting payroll.
• Train, mentor, and provide guidance to payroll team members.

Requirements

• 5+ years of US payroll experience in a large, complex multi-state organization and supporting multiple FEINs.
• Experience with US payroll operations.
• 3+ years of payroll tax compliance experience.
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • Federal, state, and local payroll taxes
  • Wage and hour laws
  • Payroll accounting principles
  • SOX compliance and internal controls
  • Knowledge of equity compensation and executive compensation programs
• Experience researching and resolving payroll tax notices, audits, and agency inquiries.
• Excellent problem-solving, critical thinking, and root cause analysis skills.
• Experience performing payroll reconciliations, audits, and compliance testing.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data analysis, pivot tables, advanced formulas, and reporting capabilities.
• Advanced analytical skills to interpret large data sets, perform variance analysis, identify trends, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Ability to leverage AI-enabled tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to support data analysis, reporting, documentation, process optimization, and decision-making.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex payroll and tax matters to diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with payroll systems such as Workday, ADP, UKG, SAP, Oracle, or similar platforms.
• Strong project support capabilities, including requirements gathering, testing, implementation, and change management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with global payroll operations.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).
• Experience with Power BI, Power Automate, SQL, or data visualization tools.
• Experience supporting payroll transformations, system implementations, or process redesign initiatives.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management, or Agile experience.
• Experience leveraging AI technologies to improve operational efficiency and reporting.

Location

United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico