International company seeks experienced Senior Payroll Analyst to join their fantastic team!

As a key member of the Corporate Shared Services Payroll team, the Sr. Payroll Analyst will oversee and audit the daily operations of the Payroll department; identify and research discrepancies ensuring they are resolved in a proper and timely manner; be able to spot numerical errors, anomalies and trends in data. As we are just starting our shared services journey, your input and guidance will be crucial to the future development of the program. This role requires extensive knowledge of the laws and regulations in multiple states regarding compensation and taxation. In this high-volume and fast-paced team you will be working against tight deadlines with high volumes of work. This job reports to the Director of HCM Services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and grow the shared services payroll function
• Ensure compliant, accurate and timely processing of payroll using ADP Vantage
• Work with our business units to maintain and update payroll records, including employee data, timekeeping, and tax information.
• Develop payroll best practices and implement across our business units
• Resolve payroll discrepancies and respond to business unit payroll inquiries.
• Audit and reconcile quarterly and annual filings and respond to agency notices as received.
• Support benefits administration as it relates to payroll
• Prepare and maintain HR and payroll reports, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices.
• Work collaboratively with the HCM team and the HR teams at our business units
• Work closely with field payroll specialists and offer training as needed.

Individual Accountabilities

Payroll Processing – 80%

• Audit work performed by field payroll specialists
• Audit and transmit live payroll including net pay, garnishments and tax files to the payroll vendor, ADP
• Reconcile and remit third party payments including voluntary deductions, 401(k), and others as required
• Process supplemental and stock related off-cycle payrolls
• Calculate and process transactions that impact the Gross to Net payroll including regular pay (salary), incentive payments, one-time payments, termination pay (voluntary & involuntary), vacation on termination, leave payments, overpayments & recovery, voluntary deductions, garnishments, employee tax set-up
• Prepare and upload batch files into the payroll system according to system specifications
• Assist in producing and amending the year-end tax reporting (W2, W2c, etc.) for all payroll groups
• Assist with other quarterly, monthly, and yearend report balancing, reconciliation, and remittances including but not limited to: Quarterly SIT and SUI tax filings, etc.
• Calculate and process transactions that impact gross to net payroll including salary, overtime, incentive payments, termination and severance pay, deductions, etc.
• Create on-demand checks and EFTs for off-cycle payments or payroll corrections
  
  

Payroll Governance, Audits, and Controls – 20%

• Verify payroll data for reasonableness and compliance, able to identify anomalies and outliers
• Ensure payroll documentation and procedures are followed and maintained, periodically review and update SOP (Standard Operating Procedures)
• Address and resolve tax notices
• Research, plan, test & implement legislative changes related to payroll, and make the necessary system and/or processes updates, liaise with Payroll vendor as needed
• Test system scenarios and assist with implementing new configurations
• Provide recommendations and implement process improvements and optimization projects
• Other responsibilities as assigned

And here is what you will need to be successful:

Qualifications

• 4 to 6 years of payroll processing, preferably high volume, with large selection of US states
• Bachelor’s/University degree in Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or Business Administration or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Fully capable of performing all Payroll tasks
• Strong sense of logic and an aptitude for mathematics
• Strong knowledge of payroll processing, tax principles, wage & hours legislation
• Experience with large third-party payroll providers like ADP, Ceridian, UKG, Tricor
• Experience with ADP Vantage and ADP Smart Compliance strongly preferred
• Exposure to complex payroll scenarios
• Able to demonstrate problem-solving and data analysis skills during interview
• Able and willing to participate in Teams, Zoom, Webex or other conference platforms on camera

Competencies

• Strong Excel skills and able to solve complex inquiries using formulas (pivot table, power query, nested if/then, date functions, vlookup, hlookup, match), macros, and other functions
• Ability to maintain complete confidentiality and protect sensitive and personal data
• Excellent organizational & time management skills capable to prioritize work
• Attention to detail, accuracy, efficiency, while juggling multiple priorities
• Analytical, problem-solving, critical thinking
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with cross functional team members
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Ability to communicate complex or technical explanations to Manulife employees and different government departments (tax questions, breakdown for pay statement etc) all staff, regardless of level
• Capable to work autonomously and as a Team
• Assist with the training of other staff assigned to the department
• Able to review colleagues work and detect errors, offering guidance and retraining as needed
• Work independently following designated procedures and process documentation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in HR and payroll, with a strong background in ADP systems.
• Excellent knowledge of payroll and benefits administration.
• Strong understanding of HR processes and best practices.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and integrity.