Senior Payroll & Tax Analyst

About the role

The Senior Payroll & Tax Analyst acts as a subject matter expert ensuring accurate payroll processing and payroll tax compliance across a large, complex organization covering the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The role covers payroll operations, payroll tax compliance, process improvement and automation, and supports audits, reconciliations and system enhancements.

Key responsibilities

• Provide inquiry support (phone, email, chat/IM) to managers, employees and retirees on payroll policies and processes
• Ensure accurate, timely payroll processing and audit, reconcile and validate payroll transactions, earnings, deductions, taxes and employee master data
• Resolve complex payroll issues and escalations, and support multi-state, multi-entity environments
• Maintain payroll controls and compliance with SOX and internal controls, and run reconciliations, balancing and variance analyses
• Develop payroll reports, metrics and analytics, and support system implementations, upgrades, testing and process improvements
• Manage complex situations such as garnishments, leave and termination payments, bonuses, equity compensation and ACH transactions, and support year-end activities including W-2 preparation
• Support compliance with federal, state and local payroll tax laws, including filings, deposits, amendments and year-end reporting, and partner with tax vendors, government agencies, Finance, HR, Legal and external auditors
• Review employee tax setups, withholdings and jurisdiction assignments, and monitor regulatory changes
• Improve processes through standardization, automation and technology, using tools such as Power Automate and AI-enabled solutions, and lead process improvement initiatives
• Document payroll policies and controls, support UAT, parallel testing and production validation, and train and mentor payroll team members

Required profile

• 5+ years of US payroll experience in a large, complex multi-state organization supporting multiple FEINs
• 3+ years of payroll tax compliance experience
• Strong knowledge of federal, state and local payroll taxes, wage and hour laws, payroll accounting and SOX compliance
• Excellent problem-solving, critical thinking and root cause analysis skills
• Strong verbal and written communication and attention to detail
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or HR; Certified Payroll Professional (CPP); experience with global payroll, Power BI, SQL or data visualization tools, Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management or Agile

Required skills

• Advanced Excel, including pivot tables, advanced formulas and reporting
• Proficiency with payroll systems such as Workday, ADP, UKG, SAP or Oracle
• Ability to use AI-enabled tools such as Microsoft Copilot