Senior Payroll Operations and Tax Analyst

Universal Music • Woodland Hills, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Payroll Operations and Tax Analyst helps deliver accurate, timely payroll and compliant payroll tax administration across a large, multi-state U.S. workforce. The role combines hands-on payroll processing support with ownership of payroll tax and garnishment activities, and contributes to strong controls, responsive employee service, and practical process improvements. The analyst works with Payroll, People, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, and external service providers to resolve issues, maintain compliance, and support reliable payroll operations. The role also evaluates technology and automation opportunities that can improve accuracy, reporting, and efficiency while protecting employee data.

The position is hybrid, with two days in the Woodland Hills office. It supports payroll operations across weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly cycles and provides coverage during peak periods and team absences. Responsibilities span payroll processing, tax administration, garnishments, employee support, compliance, audits, reconciliations, documentation, and operational improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least five years of progressive payroll experience in a large, multi-state U.S. payroll environment.
• At least four years of payroll tax experience, with working knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local employment tax requirements.
• Experience managing payroll tax operations, including quarter-end and year-end activities, reconciliations, agency notices, account maintenance, and compliance.
• Hands-on experience administering employee garnishments, including order implementation, remittance, and employee or agency communication.
• Experience with ADP SmartCompliance or a comparable payroll tax administration platform.
• Experience processing payroll in Workday Payroll and Time Tracking or a comparable enterprise payroll system.
• Knowledge of payroll tax reporting, payroll accounting, payroll audits, wage and hour requirements, and payroll compliance.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including analysis, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Ability to use technology, automation, data analytics, or AI-enabled tools to improve payroll processes and operational results.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to explain payroll and tax topics to different audiences.
• Ability to build productive working relationships across Payroll, People, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, and external service providers.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or another relevant professional credential.
• Experience supporting executive compensation, supplemental wage taxation, equity compensation, and employee benefits taxation.
• Experience with payroll tax audits, tax authority examinations, or SOX controls.
• Experience with payroll system implementations, payroll tax technology, automation, or process improvement initiatives.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, or organizational changes that affect payroll.
• Knowledge of general ledger reconciliations and payroll-related financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate payroll operations across weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly cycles, providing coverage during peak periods and planned or unexpected team absences.
• Prepare, validate, and enter payroll data, including hours, earnings, deductions, taxes, leave, direct deposits, and payroll adjustments.
• Review employee changes and payroll records, including hires, terminations, transfers, retroactive transactions, tax elections, and direct deposit updates.
• Own payroll tax administration, including tax account registration and maintenance, jurisdiction setup, withholding, quarterly and annual filings, reconciliations, amendments, W-2 and W-2C processing, and year-end activities.
• Administer ADP SmartCompliance and resolve filing issues, agency notices, tax account questions, and other payroll tax exceptions.
• Review payroll registers and reconcile payroll and tax reports; investigate out-of-balance items and correct discrepancies before or after payroll completion as appropriate.
• Process manual checks, off-cycle payrolls, payroll corrections, and other adjustments, confirming related tax and deduction impacts.
• Administer employee garnishments from receipt through resolution, including legal-order review, withholding priorities, deduction setup, remittance, recordkeeping, and employee or agency responses.
• Research and resolve payroll, tax, garnishment, and timekeeping questions from employees and business partners through the established case-management process.
• Partner with People, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, vendors, and other stakeholders on employment tax matters and payroll questions that require coordinated resolution.
• Monitor federal, state, and local employment tax requirements and assess changes that affect payroll practices, systems, or procedures.
• Support payroll tax treatment for supplemental wages, relocation, severance, bonuses, equity and executive compensation, and other employee pay programs.
• Prepare documentation and analyses for payroll tax audits, tax authority examinations, internal reviews, and SOX controls; respond to audit requests and track follow-up actions.
• Analyze payroll and tax data to identify trends, strengthen controls, reduce compliance risk, and recommend improvements to reporting and reconciliation practices.
• Maintain payroll procedures, process documentation, and control records; support system updates, implementations, acquisitions, and other payroll projects.
• Evaluate and use automation, analytics, and AI-enabled tools where appropriate to streamline research, reconciliations, reporting, and compliance monitoring, following governance and data privacy requirements.
• Share payroll tax and processing knowledge with colleagues and handle employee information with professionalism, discretion, and care.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, including 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services.
• Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants.
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and more, up to $720 per year.
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement.
• 401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of employee contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution.
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees.
• Three weeks of PTO for non-exempt employees.
• Two weeks of paid Winter Break.
• Ten company holidays, including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day.
• Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior