Payroll Analyst

Fortra; United States; Remote; USD 50,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortra is seeking a Payroll Analyst to ensure accurate US and Canadian payroll tax processing and compliance. The role partners with Sr. Payroll Analyst and Payroll Manager to maintain tax filings, registrations, and year-end activities, utilizing Workday and external providers.

You will handle payroll inputs, audits, reconciliations, and ad hoc reports, while driving process improvements and ensuring data integrity across multiple locations in the US and Canada.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and payroll experience.
• 3+ years of US payroll experience with payroll tax or compliance responsibilities.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll taxation (federal, state, local).
• Experience performing payroll and payroll tax reconciliations and researching discrepancies.
• Experience with third-party payroll, tax filing, unemployment, or compliance providers.
• Strong Excel skills and ability to work with payroll data and reconciliations.
• Strong analytical, organizational, documentation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines and escalate risks appropriately.
• High integrity and discretion handling confidential employee/payroll information.

Responsibilities

• Assist administration and reconciliation of US federal, state, local taxes and Canadian deductions and employer contributions.
• Review tax liabilities and reconcile payroll results with provider records and GL data.
• Monitor tax filings, payments, and items with third-party providers; pursue resolutions.
• Research and coordinate responses to payroll tax notices and agency inquiries.
• Support employer tax registrations and jurisdiction changes as locations change.
• Review employee tax setup and investigate withholding discrepancies for US/Canada.

Skills

US payroll experience

Payroll tax reconciliation

Excel skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Deadline management

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Tools

Workday Payroll

ADP Workforce Now

Job description

Whether you’re an experienced professional or just getting started, your contributions matter at Fortra. If you’re passionate about tackling meaningful challenges alongside talented team members committed to helping each other succeed, all while having lots of fun, we want to hear from you.We offer competitive benefits and salaries, personal and professional development opportunities, flexibility, andmuch more!

The Payroll Analyst supports accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for US and Canadian employees, with a primary focus on payroll tax administration and compliance. The role supports federal, state, local, and provincial payroll tax activities, including tax setup, reconciliations, agency notices, registrations, reporting, and coordination with third-party tax and unemployment providers. Working closely with the Sr. Payroll Analyst and Payroll Manager, this role researches and resolves payroll tax discrepancies, monitors tax filings and liabilities, maintains supporting documentation, and helps ensure employee and employer tax obligations are accurately reflected in Workday and with external agencies and providers. The Payroll Analyst also supports assigned payroll processing activities and contributes to continuous improvement, automation, and standardization across US and Canadian payroll operations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

US & Canada Payroll Tax and Compliance

• Support administration and reconciliation of US federal, state, and local payroll taxes and Canadian federal and provincial payroll deductions and employer contributions.
• Review payroll tax liabilities and reconcile payroll results to tax provider records, payroll control totals, and general ledger data as applicable.
• Monitor payroll tax filings, payments, and outstanding items completed through third-party tax providers and follow issues through resolution.
• Research and coordinate resolution of federal, state, local, provincial, and unemployment tax notices, working with payroll vendors and government agencies as appropriate.
• Support employer tax registrations, account setup, jurisdiction changes, and agency account maintenance as the organization adds or changes employee work locations.
• Review employee tax setup and investigate withholding discrepancies, including US state and local taxation and Canadian federal and provincial withholding.
• Support year-end payroll tax activities, including Forms W-2 and W-2c, Canadian T4 and T4A slips, associated reconciliations, corrections, and employee inquiries.
• Support reconciliation and administration of US unemployment taxes and Canadian Pension Plan and Employment Insurance deductions and employer contributions.
• Maintain complete documentation and audit trails for tax filings, payments, notices, reconciliations, corrections, and agency correspondence.
• Track tax issues through resolution and escape material compliance risks or recurring discrepancies to the Sr. Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

US & Canada Payroll Processing

• Execute assigned US and Canadian payroll activities, including payroll inputs, audits, reconciliations, corrections, and post-payroll validation, partnering with the Sr. Payroll Analyst to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant results.
• Perform pre- and post-payroll audits to identify discrepancies involving taxable wages, deductions, withholding, and employer taxes.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee tax issues within established payroll deadlines.
• Support off-cycle payrolls, adjustments, prior-period corrections, and year-end payroll processing as assigned.
• Generate recurring and ad hoc payroll and tax reports for management and business partners.
• Provide responsive, accurate, and confidential support to employees regarding payroll and tax-related inquiries.

Systems, Vendor Management, and Process Improvement

• Review and validate payroll tax configuration and employee tax elections in Workday Payroll, escalating configuration issues when appropriate.
• Identify potential payroll configuration or data issues through reconciliation and audit reports.
• Partner with People Systems resources to test payroll and tax-related configuration changes, Workday releases, payroll tax updates, and regulatory changes.
• Serve as the payroll point of contact for unemployment tax, coordinating requests with the external service provider, monitoring deadlines and outstanding items, and escalating unresolved issues as needed.
• Collaborate with People Experience, Finance, and other departments to support accurate data flow and effective resolution of payroll-related issues.
• Identify and recommend process improvements, including stronger controls, automation, standardization, and clear process documentation.
• Maintain current knowledge of US and Canadian payroll tax changes and assess potential operational impacts.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant payroll experience.
• 3+ years of US payroll experience, including hands-on payroll tax or payroll compliance responsibilities.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll taxation, including US federal, state, and local withholding and unemployment taxes
• Experience performing payroll and payroll tax reconciliations and researching discrepancies.
• Experience researching and coordinating responses to payroll tax notices or government agency inquiries.
• Experience working with third-party payroll, tax filing, unemployment, or compliance service providers.
• Experience reviewing tax, wage, liability, and reconciliation reports.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with payroll data and reconciliation reports.
• Strong analytical, organizational, documentation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines, follow issues through resolution, and escape risks appropriately.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and payroll information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Canadian payroll, including CPP, EI, federal and provincial taxation, and year-end reporting.
• Experience with Workday Payroll; experience with ADP Workforce Now or a comparable payroll platform is also valuable.
• Experience with employer tax registrations and multi-jurisdiction payroll tax account maintenance.
• Experience supporting year-end W-2 and T4 reconciliation and processing.

This position requires proficiency in English to interact, support and/or provide services to non-French speaking customers, employees and/or partners inside and/or outside the province of Quebec.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

We do not require Canadian work experience; all relevant experience will be considered. This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Expected Compensation : C$70,000 - C$90,000

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or disability status.