Sr Payroll Accountant

AVEVA•Lake Forest, CA

2d•$94,000 - $156,800•Hybrid

About The Position

AVEVA is creating software trusted by over 90% of leading industrial companies. This pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation that the position offers, and final compensation can vary within the range depending on work location, job experience, skills, and relevant educational attainment and/or training. We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Payroll and Financial Analyst to join our finance team. This role plays a critical part in managing comprehensive payroll operations, preparing and recording journal entries, and overseeing payroll-related accruals to ensure accurate financial reporting. The successful candidate will also be responsible for maintaining compliance with company policies, internal financial controls, and regulatory requirements, while providing analytical support to Payroll accounting related tasks. In this role, you will collaborate with internal stakeholders and external payroll and benefit vendors to ensure timely and precise payroll execution, troubleshoot discrepancies, and implement best practices. You will also play a key role in month-end and year-end close processes, contribute to audit readiness, and participate in continuous improvement initiatives across payroll and accounting functions. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of payroll processes, a solid foundation in accounting principles, and a proactive approach to solving problems. Excellent analytical skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to communicate clearly across teams are essential for success in this role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
5–10 years of experience in payroll accounting or general accounting with payroll responsibilities.
Experience working in a multi-state payroll environment.
Strong knowledge of payroll systems (e.g., ADP, SAP, Workday, Oracle, Paycom, etc.).
Proficiency in accounting software and ERP systems.
Advanced Excel skills (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, formulas).
Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP and payroll accounting principles.
Familiarity with payroll tax , garnishments, and benefits administration.
Experience with general ledger reconciliations and journal entries.
Working knowledge of payroll-related compliance requirements (e.g., FLSA, IRS regulations).
Strong analytical and numerical skills with high attention to detail.
Ability to interpret complex payroll data and resolve discrepancies quickly.
Experience in preparing accruals for vacation, bonuses, and benefits.
Ability to reconcile payroll accounts and support month-end close processes.
Strong organizational and time-management skills; able to meet tight deadlines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently and collaborate cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and external vendors.
High level of integrity and ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
Proactive problem-solver with a process-improvement mindset.

Nice To Haves

Experience in payroll systems or HRIS (e.g., Workday, ADP) are a plus.
Exposure to internal and external audit processes is beneficial.

Responsibilities

Review and Validation: Review, analyze, and validate bi-weekly/monthly payroll reports to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
Issue Resolution: Collaborate closely with Human Resources, Finance, and external payroll service providers to investigate and resolve discrepancies related to earnings, deductions, taxes, and benefit contributions.
Payroll Processing: Process complex payroll transactions including off-cycle adjustments, garnishments, and final settlements etc.
Reconciliation: Perform monthly reconciliations of payroll-related general ledger (GL) accounts, ensuring that variances are identified, explained, and resolved in a timely manner.
Data Integrity: Maintain accurate payroll data and ensure timely updates of employee information, job changes, compensation changes, and tax data within payroll systems.
Audit Support: Prepare and provide payroll documentation for internal and external audits as needed.
Journal Preparation: Prepare and record timely and accurate payroll-related journal entries, including but not limited to vacation accruals, health benefits, 401(k) contributions, bonuses, commissions, sales incentives, etc.
Cost Allocation: Ensure that all payroll expenses are properly coded and allocated to appropriate cost centers, departments, and business units in the financial systems.
Accrual Management: Maintain and update payroll-related accrual schedules, ensuring that employee payroll, PTO, bonuses are captured and reported in line with company policy and accounting standards.
Financial Accuracy: Collaborate with accounting teams to ensure payroll and personnel costs are accurately captured and reflected in monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
Close Support: Support the month-end and year-end financial close process, including variance analysis, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
System Integration and system support: Work with ERP/payroll systems to ensure data flows are accurate and journal interfaces are functioning correctly.
Policy Compliance: Ensure payroll processes adhere to internal financial controls, company policies, SOX requirements (if applicable), and local labor and tax laws.
Documentation Management: Maintain up-to-date process documentation, control checklists, and audit trails for payroll transactions, journal entries, and accruals.
Audit Participation: Assist in the planning and execution of internal and external payroll audits, addressing inquiries and implementing corrective actions from audit findings.
Risk Mitigation: Identify risks within payroll operations and accounting, and propose enhancements to strengthen controls and reduce exposure.
Reporting & Analysis: Generate and analyze payroll-related reports and dashboards for Finance, HR, and senior leadership, supporting decision-making with accurate data insights.
Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline payroll, reconciliation, and reporting processes, participating in process redesign initiatives and system enhancement projects.
Systems Support: Support payroll system upgrades, testing, and implementations in coordination with IT, Finance, and HR teams.
Ad-Hoc Projects: Provide analytical support and complete special projects or assignments related to payroll, compensation, or employee benefits as required by leadership.