Senior Payroll Operations Analyst

Who you are

• This role is built for a practitioner who leads with data, operates with precision, and holds the line on accuracy and compliance at every stage of the pay cycle
• 5+ years of payroll operations experience with direct processing ownership in a multi-state environment
• Advanced technical proficiency with HRIS and payroll systems
• Strong analytical and data validation skills with demonstrated accuracy in high-volume environments
• Working knowledge of wage and hour law, pay computation, and multi-state tax compliance
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills; exposure to macros or query tools a plus
• Excellent attention to detail, confidentiality, and time management in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor's degree preferred; FPC or CPP certification is a plus
• Prior experience with Rippling or comparable enterprise payroll platform
• Equity transaction processing experience and payroll tax administration for equity-based compensation
• Experience working in healthcare, startups, or high-growth multi-entity environments

What the job involves

• Reports to: Payroll Director
• As our Senior Payroll Operations Analyst, you will own end-to-end pay run execution across all company entities, serving as the function's primary processor and systems administrator
• You will work cross-functionally with HR, Finance, People Operations, and Legal to operationalize processes that are built to scale, and serve as a trusted resource for employees seeking timely, accurate answers to pay-related questions
• As the business grows, so does your ownership. This is a role designed to expand with the function and the team
• Payroll Processing (40%):
• Execute end-to-end biweekly payroll as the lead Preparer for all on-cycle and off-cycle runs
• Prepare and validate payroll inputs: new hires, terminations, bonuses, retroactive adjustments, and one-time payments
• Manage exceptions, manual overrides, and system computations with documented audit trails
• Deliver completed audit packages to Reviewer per the Preparer > Reviewer > Approver control model
• Review and validate pay results, preview reports, and exception outputs prior to submission
• Maintain earnings and deductions configurations, ensuring setup accuracy across all pay groups
• Tax & Withholding Administration (20%):
• Validate paycheck-level taxation accuracy across multi-state jurisdictions
• Monitor withholding account activity and flag discrepancies for remediation
• Process garnishments, levies, and involuntary deductions within established timelines
• Support quarterly and year-end tax reconciliation and filing validation
• Research multi-state tax requirements, wage and hour regulations, and withholding rules as needed
• Maintain compliance tracker for active tax jurisdictions and filing deadlines
• Equity Administration (10%):
• Process equity transactions in the payroll system and validate against the equity management system
• Ensure accurate supplemental withholding on equity-based compensation events
• Maintain equity-to-payroll audit logs and support year-end equity reconciliation
• Partner with Stock Administration and Finance on equity event coordination
• Systems Administration & Analytics (15%):
• Monitor and validate payroll system settings, workflow automations, and configuration setups
• Identify configuration errors, recommend improvements, and document resolution steps
• Build ad hoc reports for internal and external requests from Finance, People, and Legal partners
• Track accuracy and efficiency metrics against established KPIs
• Support GL reconciliation and payroll-to-finance reporting deliverables
• Data Integrity & Records Management (10%):
• Maintain payroll master data including employee pay records, configuration logs, and period-over-period audit trails
• Perform routine audits of pay elements, earnings/deductions setups, and tax profiles
• Maintain organized drive folders and records in accordance with retention policy
• Ensure SOPs, checklists, and playbooks remain current and audit-ready
• Employee Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration (5%):
• Serve as Tier I and Tier II escalation point for employee payroll inquiries
• Provide accurate guidance on pay, taxes, deductions, equity events, and processes
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, People Operations, and Legal on input submissions and policy questions
• Represent payroll operations in cross-functional meetings and audit reviews

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• 401K
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Parental Leave
• New Hire Equipment Stipend
• Monthly Remote Work Stipend