Payroll Analyst

Lesley University; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 73,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition assistance programs

Retirement plan

Job summary

Lesley University in Cambridge, MA seeks a Payroll Analyst to join the Human Resources team. You will ensure timely on-cycle and off-cycle payroll processing, audits, reconciliations, and payroll reporting, leveraging Workday configuration and reporting to maintain accurate operations.

Working with Finance, IT, and Financial Aid, you will develop reports and support general ledger reconciliations, tax compliance, and process improvements while safeguarding confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field or equivalent work experience
• 2–5+ years of payroll experience (required); higher education experience preferred
• Experience using Workday for payroll configuration, reporting, and time tracking (required)
• Knowledge of payroll and accounting principles, federal/state regulations, and tax compliance
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and meet deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and cross-department collaboration

Responsibilities

• Process on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls accurately and timely
• Conduct audits, reconciliations, and variance analyses; prepare payroll reporting
• Troubleshoot payroll and system issues; support Workday upgrades and enhancements
• Support general ledger reconciliations, payroll tax compliance, and internal controls
• Document standard operating procedures and respond to employee payroll inquiries

Skills

Payroll processing

Analytical skills

Time management

Communication

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Workday

Job description

Lesley University is seeking a Payroll Analyst to join the Human Resources department. Reporting to the Payroll Manager, this role supports the timely and accurate processing of on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls, audits, reconciliations, variance analysis, and payroll reporting. The Payroll Analyst will leverage Workday payroll expertise, including configuration, reporting, calculated fields, and time tracking, to maintain and optimize payroll operations. Responsibilities include troubleshooting payroll and system issues, supporting system upgrades and enhancements, conducting audits, ensuring compliance with federal and state payroll regulations, and implementing process improvements.

Working closely with Finance, IT, and Financial Aid, the Payroll Analyst will develop reports and analytics, support general ledger reconciliations and payroll tax compliance, monitor Federal Work Study earnings and award balances, and help maintain strong internal controls. Additional responsibilities include documenting standard operating procedures, responding to employee payroll inquiries, and supporting other payroll-related initiatives.

This position requires a highly detail-oriented professional with payroll expertise, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively across departments while maintaining confidentiality and compliance.

Qualities & Capabilities

A successful candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field or equivalent work experience
• Two to five+ years of direct payroll experience (required); Experience within a higher education setting (preferred)
• Demonstrated success utilizing Workday as a payroll system (required)
• Knowledge of payroll and accounting principles, payroll methods, Department of Labor regulations, and federal and state tax regulations
• Demonstrated experience working autonomously and managing deadlines effectively
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; Strong ability to maintain effective working relationships with all levels of the university and external partners
• Excellent time management skills; Ability to multitask while maintaining accuracy and precision

Located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lesley University is highly regarded for its graduate and undergraduate programs in the human arts of education, the arts, and applied social sciences. Lesley fosters a highly creative environment in which innovative ideas thrive, theory is integrated with practice and its 6,400 students and 90,000 alumni are empowered to improve and enrich communities.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. In addition, we offer significant paid time off, a generous retirement plan, and tuition programs that enable employees and their dependents to expand their knowledge and skills.

Lesley is committed to the ongoing pursuit of strategic diversity initiatives that help to position diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental to institutional and academic excellence at Lesley. In doing so, Lesley strives for a campus culture and community that fosters a true sense of belonging for all, provides opportunity for everyone to participate equally and fully in the Lesley experience, and helps to develop each individual's capacity to confidently and competently engage within and across difference. Given an evolving national context and the rapid change in the demographic profile of our country, the University has made a significant commitment to addressing and enhancing its campus climate and diversity capabilities as an institution.

At Lesley University we strive for a supportive and equitable environment where people -- regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sex, physical ability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or military status, membership in uniformed services, and all other categories protected by applicable state and federal laws -- can participate equally and fully as their true selves in all aspects of university life. Accordingly, the University prohibits discrimination based on these protected categories in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admission and in employment. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the fabric of our institution. Individuals may submit concerns or questions related to discrimination to the University's Director of Equal Opportunity. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity's webpage for the University's entire notice of nondiscrimination and for additional information.

Base Pay Range: $72,618 - $82,521 annually