Sr Payroll Analyst

The Senior Payroll Analyst ensures the company's payroll process is accurate and timely; this position is also responsible for compliance with all relevant laws and regulations, maintaining payroll records, and processing paychecks. 

Essential Functions: 

• Examines each payroll run for accuracy, efficiency, and compliance; prepares summary report to the Director of Payroll on any apparent improvement opportunities 

• Analyzes the payroll process and its efficiency over time, identifies areas of opportunity, and presents improvement plans; if improvement plans are considered viable, may be tasked with their implementation 

• Prepares reports highlighting performance against targets and any identified issues, as well as trending payroll performance over time to encourage continuous improvement, including suggestions for long-term enhancements to the process 

• Ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, including tax laws, wage and hour laws and other payroll-related regulations 

• Verifies that work records have been captured correctly and completely; checks that all the performed work is a true reflection of the entered work records 

• Validates bonuses, overtime, expense claims, or other ad hoc remuneration 

• Verifies wage and salary data for errors/inconsistencies and highlights any issues 

• Inspects mistakes and anomalies to determine whether they are systemic or resulting from faulty data input; flags systemic failures and liaises with the Director of Payroll to rectify them 

• Performs regular spot checks to ensure deductions are accurate for each payroll run 

• Audits the deductions process to determine and rectify the root cause of errors 

• Overseeing the distribution of paychecks and direct deposits 

• Ensures payroll information updates such as promotions, salary band revisions, or annual salary increases, are entered into the HRMS by payroll staff; checks for accuracy 

Reporting Relationship: The Senior Payroll Analyst reports directly to the Director of Payroll 

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:  

• Education and Experience: The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 3 years: 

• In a technical role: Requires 3-5 years of payroll experience   

• A bachelor’s degree in a program related to the functional area can count for 2 of the 3-year requirement. 

• An MBA or a master’s level degree in a program related to the functional area can count for an additional 1 years of 3-year requirement  

• In the industry: 3-5 years of Hospitality, F&B and/or Retail experience  

• Must have previous experience processing high volume payroll 

Specialized Training:  

• Knowledge of state, local, and federal tax regulations, as well as wage and hour regulations and laws 

• Knowledge of Canadian federal and provincial laws and regulations preferred 

• Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits 

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel 

• Requires PeopleSoft payroll experience; experience with Success Factors & ADP preferred 

• Analytical mindset and keen eye for detail 

• Business acumen and also has the mindset required to understand the long-term implications of payroll planning and to advance the organizations goals 

• Demonstrated history of understanding the needs of the business, stakeholders, the employee population and individual circumstances 

• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments to achieve common goals 

Location: This position is based at the F&B Center of Excellence in Bethesda, MD