Payroll Analyst

Payroll AnalystThe Department of Neurology has an outstanding opportunity for a Payroll Analyst to join their team. Reporting to the Human Resources Department Manager, the Payroll Analyst is responsible for administering and overseeing complex payroll, compensation, and leave activities for Department of Neurology faculty, staff, and trainees. This position serves as a departmental subject-matter expert on payroll and compensation administration and is responsible for ensuring employees are paid accurately, timely, and in compliance with University, School of Medicine, state, and federal requirements.In addition to operational payroll responsibilities, the position conducts HR and workforce analytics to support departmental planning and leadership decision-making. This includes compensation and internal equity analysis, workforce and turnover metrics, internal auditing, employee service and milestone data, and other HR reporting and analysis.Key ResponsibilitiesPayroll & Leave Management – 50%Manage complex payroll activities for Department of Neurology faculty, staff, and trainees by independently performing payroll review, reconciliation, statistical and data analysis, and problem resolution.Ensure payroll transactions are accurate, timely, and compliant with University, School of Medicine, state, and federal requirements. Identify discrepancies and independently research and resolve complex payroll issues.Manage and analyze faculty and staff compensation actions, including salary changes, costing allocations, hospital funding, practice plan compensation, additional compensation, temporary pay increases, retention increases, and other compensation elements.Maintain a comprehensive understanding of School of Medicine faculty compensation structures and analyze changes to faculty compensation and distributions, including X/Y/Z salary components, clinical and administrative compensation, costing allocations, hospital funding, and other applicable compensation elements.Exercise independent judgment and advanced analytical skills to research complex payroll, compensation, and leave questions and recommend accurate, compliant, and fiscally responsible solutions.Review payroll and compensation transactions for accuracy and consistency with approved appointment, salary, FTE, funding, and compensation documentation.Serve as a departmental resource for faculty, staff, managers, and leadership regarding payroll, compensation, and leave policies and procedures.Provide guidance to faculty and staff regarding leave options and associated payroll impacts, including FMLA, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave, unpaid leaves of absence, FTE changes, and other leave programs based on the applicable employment category.Coordinate complex payroll and leave matters with central UW and School of Medicine partners as appropriate and ensure necessary departmental documentation and approvals are maintained.Establish and maintain controls and tracking mechanisms to ensure payroll and compensation actions are completed accurately and within required deadlines.Reports, Analysis & Process Improvement – 20%Develop and maintain centralized tracking mechanisms to monitor payroll components, compensation elements, leave activity, funding changes, and related transactions for Department of Neurology faculty, staff, and trainees.Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports and perform comparative and trend analyses related to payroll, compensation, leave, and other HR activities to support departmental planning and decision-making.Conduct in-depth analyses of payroll, compensation, and leave processes to identify risks, discrepancies, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement; recommend and implement appropriate solutions.Develop and maintain internal controls, standard operating procedures, and departmental workflows to ensure payroll, compensation, and leave processes are accurate, efficient, and compliant with University and School of Medicine requirements.Identify departmental operational needs and independently recommend, design, and implement improvements to payroll, compensation, and leave workflows.Perform routine audits and reconciliations of payroll and compensation data and proactively identify and resolve inconsistencies.Develop and maintain training materials, standard operating procedures, guides, and other resources related to payroll, compensation, and leave administration.Provide training and procedural updates to managers, supervisors, faculty, staff, and trainees regarding departmental payroll and leave processes and applicable policy changes.HR Analytics – 20%Develop, maintain, and analyze workforce and HR data for the Department of Neurology to support compensation planning, workforce management, internal equity, and strategic decision-making.Conduct faculty and staff compensation analyses, including tracking departmental salary averages and ranges, reviewing internal salary relationships, evaluating equity and salary compression, and providing comparative data to support compensation decisions.Prepare compensation analyses and supporting documentation for proposed salary adjustments, retention increases, in-grade salary increases, temporary pay increases, additional compensation, and other faculty and staff compensation requests.Compile and analyze data to support annual compensation processes, including merit increases and other departmental or University salary programs.Develop and maintain workforce metrics related to employee turnover, retention, vacancies, length of service, and other key employment trends. Analyze changes over time and identify trends or areas requiring further review.Track employee service anniversaries, length of service, appointment dates, and other employment milestones to support workforce planning, reporting, and employee recognition activities.Conduct routine internal audits of HR, payroll, compensation, position, and employee data to identify discrepancies, maintain data integrity, and support compliance with University and School of Medicine requirements.Develop dashboards, reports, and other analytical tools that provide department leadership with meaningful workforce and compensation information.Prepare recurring and ad hoc HR reports and analyses for departmental HR and administrative leadership to support workforce planning, budgeting, compensation review, recruitment, retention, and organizational decision-making.Maintain accurate historical HR and compensation data and develop mechanisms for monitoring trends and supporting year-over-year analysis.Other Duties as Assigned – 10%Provide cross-coverage and back-up support for Department of Neurology HR operations during staff absences, vacancies, periods of increased workload, and other operational needs to ensure continuity of critical HR functions.Provide back-up support for staff HR activities, including recruitment and hiring, position and compensation actions, employee changes, onboarding and offboarding, and related HR transactions and processes.Provide back-up support for faculty appointments and academic HR activities, including new appointments, reappointments, promotions, appointment changes, and coordination of required School of Medicine and University processes.Assist with faculty and staff onboarding and appointment-related activities as needed, including coordination and tracking of required documentation and approvals.Participate in departmental HR projects and initiatives and provide additional support for payroll, compensation, faculty affairs, and HR operations as assigned by the Manager of Human Resources.Required QualificationsTo be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.Minimum QualificationsBachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Public Administration, or related field and two years or more of payroll and fiscal administration experience.Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager.Desired QualificationKnowledge of and familiarity with University policies, procedures, and systems (Workday, FIS, CTM)Knowledge of Washington State employment law and University of Washington human resource, payroll, leave policiesPayroll, time and leave, HR experience in an academic settingSome understanding of the fellow appointment and management processes within the School of Medicine at the University of Washington and relationships with outside institutions (Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, etc.)Application RequirementThis recruitment requires a cover letter. Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be forwarded to the hiring department. Please address the following in your cover letter:Describe your experience with payroll, compensation, time and leave, or related HR and financial processes.Provide an example of a complex payroll, compensation, or financial issue you identified, analyzed, and helped resolve.Working ConditionsThis is a hybrid position that may require up to three days per week in the office to support in-person business needs.This role involves working in a shared office space with additional team members.Compensation, Benefits and Position DetailsPay Range Minimum:$61,200.00 annualPay Range Maximum:$78,000.00