Sr. Payroll Analyst

About the role

We’re looking for a Senior Payroll Analyst who can operate as both an owner and a problem-solver—someone who takes pride in running payroll accurately, efficiently, and without surprises. This role is responsible for end-to-end payroll processing across the US and Canada and plays a critical role in ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time, every time.

You’ll sit within the Finance organization and partner closely with HR, Legal, Benefits, and Stock Administration. This isn’t just a processing role—you’ll be deeply involved in equity compensation payroll, month-end close, compliance, and system optimization within Workday. The environment is fast-paced and evolving, so success in this role requires both precision and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll operations for US (multi-state) and Canadian employees across semi-monthly and bi-weekly cycles, ensuring all payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, tax updates, garnishments, etc.) are processed accurately and on time
• Act as the primary payroll point of contact for employees and internal stakeholders, resolving inquiries with a high level of accuracy, professionalism, and urgency
• Lead payroll system operations in Workday, including configuring deductions and withholdings, managing EIB uploads, building reports, and troubleshooting issues in partnership with HRIS
• Manage equity compensation payroll events, including RSUs, NSOs, and ISOs, ensuring proper taxation, reporting, and reconciliation in coordination with Stock Administration and external platforms
• Support month-end close and accounting activities, including preparing journal entries, reconciling payroll-related GL accounts, and analyzing variances in partnership with Accounting
• Ensure compliance across jurisdictions, staying up to date on US federal, state, and local regulations as well as Canadian provincial requirements
• Own year-end payroll processes, including W-2 T4, and T2200 preparation, reconciliations, and filings, ensuring everything is accurate and submitted on time
• Drive process improvements and automation, identifying opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce manual work, and strengthen internal controls
• Support audits and SOX compliance efforts, maintaining documentation, executing controls, and partnering with auditors as needed

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on experience managing payroll in Workday, with Workday Payroll as the primary system of record
• Proven experience running full-cycle payroll for US (multi-state) and Canadian employees
• Deep understanding of equity compensation payroll, including RSU, NSO, and ISO taxation, processing, and reporting requirements
• Experience supporting month-end close, including preparing journal entries and reconciling payroll-related GL accounts
• Strong knowledge of US payroll tax laws (federal, state, and local), with working knowledge of Canadian payroll regulations
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and managing large datasets
• Exceptional attention to detail and a track record of maintaining high levels of accuracy in complex payroll environments
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot issues and identify root causes