Payroll Business Analyst - Policy, Procedures & Compliance

Ensign Services • San Juan Capistrano, CA

12h • $75,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As a Payroll Business Analyst, you will serve as the bridge between legislative requirements and operational excellence. Your focus will be on architecting the framework of our payroll department moving beyond simple data entry to assist in the design of policies, procedures, and optimizations that ensure we are compliant, efficient, and scalable across multiple markets.

If you enjoy improving payroll processes, creating clear policies, and partnering with teams to stay compliant, we encourage you to apply and grow your career with Ensign Services.

Requirements

• High school diploma required; some college or equivalent experience preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in payroll operations or payroll‑focused business analysis, with strong involvement in policy and procedure development.
• Solid understanding of federal and state wage and hour laws; experience using payroll compliance research tools preferred.
• Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable procedures.
• Experience with enterprise payroll or HCM systems such as Workday, ADP, or SAP.
• Experience with process mapping tools such as Lucidchart, Visio, or PowerPoint.
• Strong Excel skills for analyzing large and complex data sets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain compliance changes and the “why” behind them to non‑technical audiences.
• Willingness to support ad hoc projects and additional responsibilities as needed.
• Exceptional technical writing skills with the ability to explain "the why" behind compliance changes to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation.
• Experience in multi-state or union payroll environments.
• Six Sigma or Lean certification for process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Design, document, and maintain payroll policies that align with service center controls, company policies, and labor laws.
• Partner closely with Payroll Operations, Market Supervisors, the FSS team, and other stakeholders to ensure policies are practical and clearly understood.
• Create state‑specific and market‑specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including requirements for overtime, paid sick leave, local taxes, and other jurisdictional rules.
• Maintain clear, audit‑ready documentation in a centralized repository to support audits, onboarding, and training.
• Analyze end‑to‑end payroll workflows to identify inefficiencies, manual processes, and risk areas.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts by recommending automation and streamlined processes that improve accuracy and reduce cycle time.
• Collaborate with Business Systems Analysts (BSA) and IT/IDT teams to align system configurations with optimized process designs.
• Monitor federal, state, and local payroll law updates using resources such as the American Payroll Association (APA) and Bloomberg Tax/Payroll.
• Evaluate the impact of regulatory changes and coordinate updates to policies, procedures, and systems as needed.
• Serve as the payroll subject matter expert during internal and external audits, ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.

Benefits

• We are committed to providing a competitive benefits and compensation package which includes medical/dental/vision coverage, company-provided life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and sick/vacation plans.
• Additionally, enjoy access to our fully equipped onsite gym (San Juan Capistrano office location).
• We also believe in supporting our employee’s professional growth and development through our Learning Management System as well as training sessions and seminars.
• Take a look at these benefits (and more!) at www.ensignbenefits.com [http://www.ensignbenefits.com/]

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees