Senior Payroll Analyst

Ford • Dearborn, MI

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Ford U.S. Employee Payments Team is seeking a Senior Payroll Analyst responsible for ensuring accurate and timely employee compensation by managing payroll functions, including calculating paychecks, withholding taxes, and maintaining payroll records. This role also involves addressing employee inquiries and ensuring compliance with payroll regulations. It is a key position on the Employee Payments’ (Payroll) Team, requiring an understanding of end-to-end payroll processes for U.S. employees, compliance with local regulations, accurate data management, and timely payments. The analyst will also address employee queries and collaborate with HR, external service providers, and finance teams. There are opportunities to learn about Ford payroll taxes, other deductions, and the year-end process for W-2s. This position is heavily involved in key initiatives and projects related to tax compliance and the launch of the new Oracle Cloud payroll system. The role requires working on-site at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, MI, a minimum of four days a week.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field is required
• 5+ years of experience processing and/or calculating payroll in a multi-state environment
• Familiar with payroll software and systems is a must, including Oracle Cloud or a similar payroll system
• Payroll tax experience is a must (international tax experience is desirable)
• Must keep abreast of legislative / regulatory updates and best practices for payroll including but limited to FLSA, FMLA, and other common payroll compliance related topics
• Understanding accounting principles (debits, credits, general ledger, month-end and quarter-end close, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) desirable
• Must be proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Quick learner, self-motivated, can multi-task, and change priorities quickly
• Proactive, excellent attention to detail, and strong analytical abilities
• Good communication and presentation skills

Responsibilities

• Process payroll in adherence with federal, state, and regional pay guidelines (including UAW CBA), while ensuring employees are paid timely and correctly.
• Utilizing and understanding how to follow detailed Payroll Runbooks, assist in auditing payroll runs, including key pre-validations of data.
• Execution of payroll runs and other processes using Oracle Cloud Payroll System.
• After each pay period, review the variance analysis for earnings, tax deductions (i.e. FICA, Federal, State of Employment, State of Residency, Hypo Taxes, etc.), and other elements of pay and prepare an explanation of variance(s) if needed.
• Prepare Ops Review Metrics data and slides for the quarterly Op Review and Metrics meeting, as it relates to the balance adjustments and W-2/W-2C stats.
• Prepare balance adjustments for current tax year and corrections of W-2s for prior tax years in the payroll system, including, but not limited to: Unearned wages that are repaid, working in collaboration with other functional teams (the Earnings team within Payroll, Cash Application team, and Receivables team). State employment/residency, FICA exempt/non-exempt, and Federal tax corrections & refunds, working closely with local HR reps, People First HR team, and the payroll help desks.
• Assist with the year-end W-2 process, including, but not limited to: Work closely with other internal HR areas and external partners to ensure that all required information is included in employees’ payroll records and W-2s. Maintain and update the timetable (checklist) that tracks all W-2 year-end tasks to ensure all items are completed timely. Conducted multiple audit reviews and testing to ensure accuracy of employees’ payroll records, including their W2s.
• Understanding and maintaining accuracy of paid time off plan configuration and balances for both statutory and plans defined in the UAW CBA.
• Assist with supplemental unemployment payments for five states per the guidelines of the UAW CBA.
• Assist with the pay-related implementation of a new hourly timekeeping system.
• Fast-paced environment where attention to detail and a commitment to confidentiality are essential.
• Assist with research & resolution of all discrepancies, including all internal and external audit requests in a timely manner.
• Assist other internal business partners (i.e., HR, Employee Benefits Team, etc.) in implementing new or changes to existing FLSA, FMLA, and other common payroll compliance-related topics and/or programs.
• Troubleshoot system issues and test system configuration changes.
• Participate in continuous company improvement initiatives by identifying and correcting inefficiencies.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees