Payroll Analyst – Data Validation & Controls

Payroll Analyst – Data Validation & Controls

Locations: Poughkeepsie, NY

Schedule: Hybrid

Salary: Up to $120,000

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Opportunity

A growing, multi-location transportation organization is seeking an experienced Payroll Analyst to join its Payroll team. This position will focus on the analytical and data integrity side of payroll, including data validation, auditing, reconciliations, reporting, controls, and identifying discrepancies across multiple systems.

This is not a traditional payroll processing role. The Payroll Analyst will serve as an additional layer of review and control, helping ensure payroll data is complete and accurate while identifying potential issues before they impact employees or financial reporting.

The position works closely with Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Benefits, HRIS, and Operations and is ideal for someone who understands payroll but excels at working with data, identifying discrepancies, and solving problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and validate payroll data for accuracy, completeness, and consistency
• Conduct pre-payroll and post-payroll audits and reconciliations
• Analyze employee, compensation, tax, deduction, benefit, and timekeeping data
• Identify discrepancies, exceptions, unusual activity, and potential payroll errors
• Perform variance analysis and investigate significant changes between payroll periods
• Reconcile payroll information across payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, benefits, and financial systems
• Research discrepancies to determine root causes and coordinate appropriate resolutions
• Validate employee changes including new hires, terminations, compensation adjustments, bonuses, deductions, and other payroll-impacting transactions
• Review payroll reports for inconsistencies, trends, and potential data issues
• Partner with Payroll, HR, Benefits, Finance, HRIS, and Operations to resolve data discrepancies
• Support internal controls, compliance reviews, and payroll-related audits
• Maintain documentation related to payroll validation procedures and controls
• Develop and maintain payroll reports, dashboards, and ad hoc analyses
• Work with large data sets to identify trends and ensure data integrity
• Participate in system implementations, upgrades, integrations, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• Identify opportunities to strengthen payroll controls, improve reporting, and streamline validation processes

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in payroll, payroll analytics, HRIS, payroll accounting, or a related function
• Strong understanding of payroll concepts, processes, and data
• Experience with payroll auditing, reconciliation, data validation, or variance analysis
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas, and large data sets
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to identify inconsistencies and independently investigate the underlying cause
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively across Payroll, HR, Finance, Benefits, HRIS, and Operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Workday, ADP, UKG, Dayforce, Oracle, SAP, or comparable payroll/HRIS platforms
• Experience with payroll reporting, analytics, or business intelligence tools
• Knowledge of payroll controls, compliance requirements, and audit procedures
• Experience supporting payroll/HRIS implementations, integrations, system testing, or process improvements
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related field preferred

The primary focus of this position is payroll data validation, analytics, reconciliation, auditing, controls, and reporting—not processing payroll.