Payroll Systems Analyst

Lesley University; United States; On-site; USD 73,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Long-term disability insurance

Tuition programs for employees and/or

Significant paid time off

Excellent retirement plan

Job summary

Lesley University in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Payroll Systems Analyst to join the Human Resources team. You will support on-cycle and off-cycle payroll processing, audits, reconciliations, variance analysis, and payroll reporting, leveraging Workday payroll expertise to configure fields and time tracking.

You'll collaborate with Finance, IT, and Financial Aid to develop reports, support GL reconciliations and payroll tax compliance, monitor Federal Work Study earnings, and help maintain

Qualifications

• Direct payroll experience, preferably in higher education
• Proficient in Workday payroll configuration, reporting, and time tracking
• Strong knowledge of federal and state payroll regulations and tax regulations
• Ability to analyze data, reconcile payroll discrepancies, and generate reports
• Excellent communication and collaboration across departments

Responsibilities

• Process on-cycle and off-cycle payrolls accurately and timely.
• Audit, reconcile, and perform variance analysis for payroll.
• Configure and optimize Workday payroll, including calculated fields and time tracking.
• Support system upgrades, enhancements, and process improvements.
• Develop reports and analytics; assist GL reconciliations and payroll tax compliance.
• Document SOPs and respond to employee payroll inquiries.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Written and oral communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

Workday

Job description

Payroll Systems Analyst - Lesley University

The Opportunity Lesley University is seeking a Payroll Systems 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 Systems 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 Systems 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

• 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

Why Lesley

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.

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

At our core, we are a caring and compassionate community bound together by our passion for improving the lives of others through education, mental health, and the arts. At Lesley, we believe actively advancing our own and all others' potential leads to a just and humane world. Lesley is the only university in the country focused on advancing human potential through the life-time cultivation of professionals in education, mental health and the arts. We share an eagerness to build just and humane communities in a stressful and rapidly changing world.

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.