Senior Analyst, Payroll

Essex Property Trust•Irvine, CA

4d•$94,000 - $117,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Payroll Analyst will provide expert analysis, configure enhancements, troubleshoot complex issues, and ensure optimal system functionality. You will partner with cross-functional HR leaders to develop and maintain our payroll and absence management processes within the Workday platform. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of working with third-party vendors to assist in configuring payroll processes in Workday and possess in-depth knowledge of payroll regulations and compliance across the US. In this role, you will assist our Payroll Specialists with complex processing errors and serve as a backup to the bi-weekly payroll processing.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including hands-on payroll systems administration and payroll processing.
In-depth knowledge of payroll regulations, and compliance with multi-state and local payroll processing.
Experience in Workday components such as Payroll, Absence Management, Time Tracking and OneSource Virtual (OSV Atmosphere).
Strong working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) mid-level Excel skills; knowledge of VLOOKUP’s, Pivot Tables required.

Nice To Haves

Skilled at managing small projects independently, and identifying opportunities for improvement, driving the continuous enhancement of the payroll and absence processes.
Proven ability to work effectively and build relationships with various teams, departments, and stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to handle change and manage multiple tasks effectively by prioritizing requests and meeting tight deadlines.
Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail
Ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
High degree of discretion and confidentiality when handling employee and payroll information.

Responsibilities

Assists in maintaining Workday Payroll system and absence management settings to align with organizational policies and compliance requirements.
Identifies payroll and absence-related updates, and enhancements to align with best practices and recommendations.
Stay abreast of state and federal payroll regulations, assisting with compliance matters.
Conduct regular audits to identify and rectify discrepancies and ensure data accuracy.
Maintain and audit tax configuration for an associate population of 1,700+ specifically in California and Washington.
Generate and analyze payroll reports to identify trends, discrepancies, and opportunities for process improvement.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to investigate and resolve complex payroll issues.
Partner closely with HR and Accounting teams by offering guidance on payroll-related inquiries.
Provide training to end-users on Workday payroll system functionality.
Assists in creating and maintaining documentation rollout for payroll-related processes and procedures.
Lead bi-annual Workday Payroll and Absence feature release testing and documentation on behalf of the Payroll team.
Continuously increases regulatory knowledge in Payroll serving as an expert in SOX and compliance.
Serve as a backup to the Payroll team as Payroll processing may sometimes be required.
Prepare bi-weekly payroll funding and reconciliation between Workday/OSV Atmosphere.
Assist with tax variances between Workday/OSV Atmosphere to ensure accurate tax returns for both quarterly and annual filings.
Assist with year-end statement preparation including but not limited to off-cycle payroll runs to true up variances at the close of the year.
May guide and/or assist with other Payroll projects as assigned.
Maintain strict confidentiality of associate information.