Business Analyst Payroll

Aston Carter•Toronto, ON

7d•CA$45 - CA$55•Hybrid

About The Position

The Payroll Business Analyst plays a key role in supporting payroll-related change initiatives by capturing, documenting, and validating payroll processes and requirements. This delivery-focused role provides hands-on analysis across payroll operations, systems, and data, working closely with Payroll subject matter experts, Project Managers, and delivery partners to ensure requirements are clear, testable, and delivered in line with agreed scope and governance. You will contribute to global finance systems and process-related projects within established Finance PMO frameworks, helping to improve payroll efficiency, accuracy, and integration with wider finance and HR systems.

Requirements

Proven experience working as a Business Analyst on payroll-related initiatives, such as operational payroll, system implementation, or process improvement projects.
Practical understanding of end-to-end payroll processes and relevant statutory requirements in a complex environment.
Ability to produce clear and structured analysis artefacts, including detailed process maps, requirements documentation, and test materials.
Experience working in project delivery environments, taking direction from a Project Manager and/or transformation lead within established PMO frameworks.
Experience supporting workshops and working sessions with Payroll subject matter experts and key stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively within multi-disciplinary and global teams.
Working knowledge of how payroll integrates with wider finance processes and systems, including journal posting, funding, and banking files, with the ability to identify related risks and dependencies.
Experience with workflow analysis and process modelling techniques to assess and improve payroll processes.
Experience interpreting payroll and finance transactional data to support reconciliations, data mapping, and validation in complex systems environments.
Awareness of change management considerations, including the ability to support training materials and communications for new processes and systems.
Ability to work collaboratively across multiple payroll teams globally and manage competing priorities in a delivery-focused, project-driven environment.
Hands-on experience with business analysis in areas such as process mapping, as-is analysis, system implementation, ERP implementation, and process improvement.
Strong analytical skills with experience in data analysis related to payroll and finance operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience using requirements and project management tools to support requirements capture, planning, and reporting.
Experience working in complex change programmes and adapting analysis plans to meet evolving business needs.
Exposure to multi-country or global payroll environments, including understanding of varied statutory and regulatory requirements.
Experience supporting vendor-led payroll system implementations and collaborating with external solution providers.
Practical experience with ERP implementation in a finance or payroll context.
Proficiency with process mapping and visualization tools such as Microsoft Visio or similar applications.
Background in finance and payroll operations, with familiarity across payroll, finance, and system implementation disciplines.
Interest in challenging, large-scale transformation projects and the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

Capture and document end-to-end payroll processes, including current-state and agreed future-state scenarios, ensuring clarity and consistency.
Elicit and document detailed payroll requirements using agreed standards such as process maps, functional requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
Identify process gaps, risks, and dependencies within payroll operations and systems, and escalate issues where clarification or decisions are required.
Document payroll system and integration requirements, including interfaces with HR and Finance systems such as General Ledger, Treasury, and banking files.
Support data-related activities, including data analysis, migration preparation, reconciliation, and validation across complex systems environments.
Prepare comprehensive test scenarios, test data, and expected results aligned to payroll calculations and statutory requirements.
Support business-led testing activities, including coordinating user acceptance testing (UAT), logging defects, and tracking issues through to resolution.
Maintain robust requirements traceability to support solution design, testing, and assurance throughout the project lifecycle.
Support and facilitate payroll workshops and working sessions, capturing outputs, decisions, and actions to inform project deliverables.
Work collaboratively with Project Managers, Payroll SMEs, and delivery teams, adhering to agreed governance, PMO standards, and delivery processes.
Support prioritization of work by clarifying functional and non-functional requirements and partnering with the project team to plan and sequence analysis activities.
Interpret payroll and finance transactional data to support reconciliations, data mapping, and validation activities.
Apply workflow analysis and process modelling techniques to assess current processes and recommend improvements.
Contribute to change management activities, including supporting training materials and communications related to new payroll processes or systems.
Collaborate effectively across multiple payroll teams globally, managing competing priorities in a delivery-focused environment.
Use requirements and project tools to support requirements capture, planning, status tracking, and reporting.
Adapt analysis plans and activities to meet evolving business needs within complex change programmes.
Support vendor-led payroll system implementations, ensuring requirements and testing activities are aligned with vendor delivery.