Payroll Projects and Quality Lead

Description

The Payroll Quality Analyst is a lead individual contributor responsible for driving end-to-end quality across global payroll and timekeeping processes, with a primary focus on UKG Pro, ADP, and Workday HCM. This role combines data-driven analysis, process governance, and cross-functional stakeholder management to prevent defects, improve controls, and enhance the overall employee payroll experience.

The analyst will serve as a subject matter expert and informal mentor within the payroll and timekeeping team, partnering closely with the Payroll Back Office (PBO), HRIS/IT, People Services, Labor Relations and Human Resources to identify issues, address root causes, and support strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and monitor payroll and timekeeping quality metrics (e.g., defects, rework, adjustments, escalations, employee complaints) and translate findings into clear insights and actions.

Perform deep-dive analyses on recurring issues (e.g., time entry errors, balance discrepancies, integration failures, configuration defects) to identify root causes across processes and systems including MyTime, UKG Pro, ADP, and Workday.

Develop and maintain defect taxonomies, tracking mechanisms, and playbooks to ensure consistent classification, prioritization, resolution and reporting of payroll issues.

Partner with Payroll Operations to design and execute corrective actions, including data fixes, process changes, and control enhancements.

Support readiness assessments and cutover quality for key payroll and timekeeping initiatives.

Assess quality and control impacts of new regulatory and contractual changes (e.g., sick/vacation legislation, overtime reporting requirements) and help ensure consistent implementation across systems.

Identify control gaps and propose pragmatic solutions that strengthen compliance while supporting operational efficiency.

Build and maintain recurring quality reports and dashboards (e.g., in Excel, Power BI, or other approved tools) that surface trends, hotspots, and impacts for leaders.

Quantify the impact of defects and process issues (e.g., rework hours, late payments, employee impact, compliance exposure) to support prioritization and business cases.

Translate complex data into clear, concise narratives and visuals for leadership reviews, steering committees, and cross-functional forums.

Facilitate working sessions to align on issues, root causes, action plans, and timelines, ensuring owners are clearly identified and held accountable.

Communicate status, risks, and decisions effectively to leaders and stakeholders, tailoring messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Provide informal mentoring and guidance to analysts and coordinators on quality concepts, data validation, and problem-solving approaches.

Qualifications

Required

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, HR, Information Systems, or related field.

2 + years of experience in payroll, timekeeping, HRIS, or related operations with a strong focus on quality, analysis, or continuous improvement.

Hands-on experience with UKG Pro, ADP, Workday HCM; strong understanding of how these systems interact in an end-to-end payroll flow.

Demonstrated ability to analyze complex datasets, identify patterns and root causes, and translate findings into practical actions.

Strong process mindset with experience documenting workflows, controls, and procedures.

Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence without direct authority across Operations, IT, and HR partners.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing clear, concise updates for leadership.

Preferred

Experience in U.S. Payroll Operations within a large, complex organization (union/non-union, multiple states, and complex scheduling/time rules).

5 + years of experience in payroll, timekeeping, HRIS, or related operations with a strong focus on quality, analysis, or continuous improvement.

Familiarity with quality and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving frameworks).

Experience supporting or validating system configuration for payroll/timekeeping (e.g., pay rules, accruals, balances, overtime rules).

Prior exposure to legislative compliance (e.g., sick/vacation laws) and collective bargaining agreement implementation from a payroll/timekeeping perspective.

Experience building or maintaining reports/dashboards in tools such as Power BI or similar.

Key Competencies

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills

Attention to detail with the ability to see end-to-end impacts

Structured problem solving and root-cause analysis

Relationship building and stakeholder influence

Clear, concise communication and storytelling with data

Ownership mindset and bias for action

Adaptability in a changing systems and regulatory environment

Location: Hybrid. This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to the - Global HQ Warren MI three times per week, at minimum [or other frequency dictated by the business]

GM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. THIS INCLUDES DIRECT COMPANY SPONSORSHIP, ENTRY OF GM AS THE IMMIGRATION EMPLOYER OF RECORD ON A GOVERNMENT FORM, AND ANY WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIRING A WRITTEN SUBMISSION OR OTHER IMMIGRATION SUPPORT FROM THE COMPANY (e.g., H-1B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.)

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