Senior Payroll Analyst Grand Pacific Resorts - 3.7 Carlsbad, CA Job Details Full-time $105,000 - $130,000 a year 14 hours ago Benefits Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) Tuition reimbursement Paid time off Employee assistance program Vision insurance 401(k) matching Employee discount Life insurance Referral program Retirement plan Qualifications Operational analysis Teamwork Microsoft Excel Data validation techniques Data quality assurance Software implementation HR legal compliance Bachelor's degree Continuous improvement HR compliance Systems & applications support Technical Proficiency California labor law Excel data analysis Full Job Description Position Summary The Senior Payroll Analyst provides advanced payroll analysis, reconciliation, controls, reporting, HCM system support, and process improvement for a multistate workforce of approximately 1,400 employees. Reporting directly to and working under the direction of the Director of Payroll, the role supports the Payroll Accountants/Specialists as a technical resource, proactively identifies payroll risks and recurring errors, and partners with Finance, HR, IT, and field leadership to improve accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and system effectiveness. Essential Responsibilities Payroll analysis & controls Perform complex payroll reconciliations, variance analysis, exception reviews, and post-payroll audits across entities and pay groups. Analyze off-cycle payments, retroactive adjustments, special earnings, deductions, and recurring corrections; identify root causes and corrective actions. Review payroll registers, general-ledger interfaces, labor allocations, and payroll-related balancing reports in partnership with Accounting. Develop and monitor payroll quality indicators, control checks, and trends; escalate material discrepancies promptly. Audit and review all non-exempt final pay calculations and checks before release to help ensure employees are paid accurately and timely at separation. Analyze payroll, timekeeping, and wage-and-hour data to identify emerging risk trends by location, including increases in manual time punches, missed meal or rest-period activity, recurring adjustments, and other exceptions; communicate findings and recommended corrective actions to the Director of Payroll. Compliance & operational support Research and support application of federal, state, and local wage-and-hour, final-pay, overtime, and payroll tax requirements; escalate legal interpretation to appropriate experts. Support accurate processing of complex payroll transactions, including terminations, bonuses, tips/service charges, garnishments, and leave-related pay. Serve as a technical escalation point for payroll accountants/specialists and assist with cross-training and coverage. Process the corporate payroll on a regular basis to maintain hands-on payroll processing proficiency and provide backup payroll coverage for other payrolls or pay groups as needed. Maintain audit-ready records, control evidence, and consistent procedures across locations. Reporting, systems & improvement Design reporting requirements and validate payroll-related reports, dashboards, and custom report outputs. Assist the Director of Payroll with payroll-related HCM system administration and analysis, including configuration requests, user acceptance testing, releases, interfaces, security coordination, data validation, reporting requirements, and issue resolution. Identify automation opportunities, standardize payroll SOPs, and develop practical training materials for payroll staff and field managers. Support payroll projects, system conversions, data validation, parallel testing, and implementation readiness. Collaboration & service Work closely with Benefits & Leave, HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, IT, and operations to resolve cross-functional payroll issues. Provide timely, consistent guidance through established shared payroll support channels. Prepare concise analyses and recommendations for payroll leadership and relevant stakeholders. Become familiar with approved budgeted positions and headcount by entity and location, and establish a review and exception-reporting process to identify new hires into unbudgeted positions or hires that exceed approved staffing levels for an existing title. Escalate exceptions to the Director of Payroll and appropriate Finance or operational leaders; responsibility for headcount approval remains with authorized business and Finance leadership. Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strong knowledge of multistate U.S. payroll processing and wage-and-hour compliance, including California requirements. Advanced Excel and analytical skills; ability to reconcile large data sets and communicate findings. Experience administering and supporting enterprise payroll/HCM systems, including configuration, testing, reporting, interfaces, data validation, and issue resolution. Demonstrated judgment, confidentiality, documentation discipline, and ability to resolve complex payroll issues. Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, HR or equivalent relevant experience preferred. Typically 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including advanced analysis, reconciliations, or payroll controls. CPP certification preferred. Performance Measures Payroll reconciliation accuracy and timely exception resolution Reduction in avoidable adjustments/off-cycle payments Completion and effectiveness of documented payroll controls Quality of reporting, SOPs, and cross-training support Authority & Role Boundaries This role is an individual contributor reporting directly to and working under the direction of the Director of Payroll. The Senior Payroll Analyst supports the Payroll Accountants/Specialists as a technical and analytical resource but does not supervise, direct, or evaluate their work. The Director of Payroll retains ownership and final authority for payroll operations, HCM system administration, policy, staffing, approvals, and system changes. The Senior Payroll Analyst assists with administration, analysis, testing, validation, issue resolution, and implementation of approved changes as directed by the Director of Payroll.

Pay:

$105,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Referral program Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Education:

Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

Payroll:

5 years (Preferred) Ability to

Commute:

Carlsbad, CA 92008 (Preferred) Willingness to travel: 25% (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person