Payroll Analyst

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Payroll Analyst I is an entry-level individual contributor responsible for full-cycle payroll processing for assigned populations, entities, or states, and for providing Tier 2 payroll support. This role performs pay calculations, owns reconciliations, supports payroll tax compliance and reporting, and resolves employee and manager cases escalated from Tier 1 through the ServiceNow ticketing platform. The Payroll Analyst I works with limited supervision, serves as a subject matter resource for assigned areas, contributes to process improvement initiatives, and provides guidance and training to less experienced team members.

KEY RESPONSIBLITIES

• Own end-to-end payroll processing for assigned employee populations, legal entities, or states/countries across multiple pay frequencies.
• Perform complex calculations, including retroactive pay, prorations, severance, relocation, equity compensation, imputed income, gross-ups, and taxable fringe benefits.
• Reconcile payroll to the general ledger, validate funding requirements, and research and clear variances prior to close.
• Review and validate quarterly and annual tax filings and unemployment returns; partner with the tax service provider to resolve agency notices.
• Administer multi-state and local tax setup, including reciprocity agreements and remote-work tax implications; audit benefit deductions, retirement contributions, and leave accruals.
• Own the Tier 2 ServiceNow queue: resolve escalated pay, tax, garnishment, and deduction cases within SLA, with complete documentation.
• Determine and execute case resolution via off-cycle payment, adjustment, or upstream fix; identify recurring themes and recommend process improvements.
• Serve as subject matter resource for assigned states/entities; prepare payroll journal entries and support internal, external, and SOX audits.
• Participate in UAT for system releases; prepare payroll funding files and support Treasury with settlement confirmation.
• Process assignment-related pay elements for globally mobile employees; validate pay transparency and pay equity data extracts.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. 1–3 years of progressive multi-state/country payroll processing experience.
2. Solid knowledge of federal, state, and local wage and hour law, payroll taxation, garnishment administration, and year-end requirements.
3. Demonstrated experience operating a major payroll platform through the full payroll cycle.
4. Intermediate Excel skills, including pivot tables, advanced lookups, conditional formulas, and reconciliation of large data sets.
5. Experience reconciling payroll to the general ledger and researching wage and tax variances.
6. Experience resolving escalated cases in a service management platform (ServiceNow strongly preferred); proven track record maintaining confidentiality.

KEY SKILLS

• Tier 2 case ownership in ServiceNow, including research, resolution documentation, and SLA management
• Analytical and research skills for resolving complex pay and tax discrepancies
• Reconciliation discipline and an audit-oriented mindset
• Ability to prioritize and deliver against competing deadlines
• Clear communication, including translating regulatory requirements into plain language
• Ownership, accountability, and process improvement orientation
• Cross-functional partnership and mentoring of less experienced colleagues

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.
• Hands-on experience with Oracle, ADP, UKG, Dayforce, SAP, or other leading payroll systems.
• Experience administering equity compensation (RSUs, options, ESPP) or mobility/expatriate payroll.
• Experience with union environments, collective bargaining agreements, or multi-EIN structures.
• Exposure to Germany and EMEA payrolls; ability to build custom reports or queries within a payroll or HCM system.

SALARY

• Base salary: 1700 EUR gross/monthly
• Annual bonus: 10%
• Base salary can be higher depending on the candidate's experience 

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