Payroll Analyst

Payroll Analyst Circular Services is a leading developer and operator of circular economy infrastructure and services and the largest private recycling and organics company in the U.S. with operations across the country. We help businesses and municipalities reduce and divert waste, lowering disposal costs and fueling local supply chains by ensuring materials are recovered, recycled, and reused. The Payroll Analyst is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. This role supports payroll operations through data analysis, detailed payroll auditing, reporting, system maintenance, and process improvement initiatives. A key focus of the role is auditing employee payroll earnings and deductions to ensure pay is calculated accurately, deductions are applied correctly, variances are researched, and payroll data is complete and reliable before payroll is finalized. The Payroll Analyst partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Benefits, and operational leaders to resolve payroll issues, improve efficiency, and ensure employees are paid accurately and on time. Benefits: Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage Company-paid Life Insurance Flexible Spending Account (FSA) 401k with company match Paid Parental Leave Paid Time Off (PTO) Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Tuition Reimbursement Program Responsibilities: Payroll Administration Process and audit multi-state payrolls for exempt, non-exempt, hourly, and salaried employees. Review payroll transactions including new hires, terminations, promotions, pay changes, bonuses, commissions, and deductions. Validate payroll calculations for regular earnings, overtime, shift differentials, PTO, holiday pay, garnishments, and other earnings or deductions. Ensure payroll is processed accurately and within established deadlines. Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries in a timely manner. Perform detailed pre- and post-payroll audits of employee earnings and deductions to confirm accuracy, completeness, and alignment with approved payroll inputs. Audit regular wages, overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, commissions, PTO, holiday pay, retroactive pay, and other earnings to ensure calculations are accurate and supported by appropriate documentation. Review benefit deductions, retirement contributions, garnishments, tax withholdings, arrears, imputed income, and other employee deductions to ensure they are properly calculated and applied. Identify, research, and resolve payroll variances by comparing payroll registers, timekeeping data, HRIS records, benefit enrollment data, and approved change documentation. Payroll Compliance Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws. Maintain accurate payroll records and support internal and external audits. Process wage garnishments, tax levies, child support orders, and other payroll deductions. Coordinate year-end payroll activities, including W-2 processing and tax reconciliation. Monitor changes in payroll legislation and recommend process updates as needed. Reporting & Analytics Prepare recurring payroll reports and ad hoc analyses for HR, Finance, and leadership. Reconcile payroll reports to the general ledger and investigate variances. Analyze payroll trends, labor costs, overtime, and payroll metrics to identify opportunities for improvement. Develop dashboards and reports that provide meaningful payroll insights. Systems & Process Improvement Maintain payroll system data integrity and assist with system testing and upgrades. Partner with HRIS and Finance teams to improve payroll workflows and reporting capabilities. Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve payroll efficiency. Develop and maintain payroll procedures and documentation. Cross-Functional Partnership Partner with Human Resources on employee status changes, compensation updates, and benefits deductions. Collaborate with Finance to ensure payroll expenses are properly recorded. Support audits, acquisitions, integrations, and payroll transitions as needed. Provide exceptional customer service to employees and managers regarding payroll questions. Minimum Job Qualifications: 35 years of payroll processing experience, preferably in a multi-state environment. Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related field preferred. Hands-on experience processing payroll in Workday Payroll is required. Experience supporting payroll for a large, multi-location organization preferred. Experience with payroll audits, reconciliations, tax filings, and year-end payroll processes. Demonstrated ability to perform detailed audits of employee earnings and deductions, identify root causes of discrepancies, and document corrective actions. Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll laws, wage and hour regulations, and payroll tax compliance. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality while handling sensitive employee and payroll information. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas, and data analysis. Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to identify discrepancies, audit payroll data, and ensure a high level of accuracy. Preferred Job Qualifications: Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification is a plus. Experience with HRIS implementations, system testing, or payroll system enhancements is a plus. Experience working with unions. EEOC: Circular Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: Circular Services is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Circular Services are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Circular Services will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.