Senior Payroll Analyst

Color Employer, LLC; Georgia; Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lyric is seeking a Senior Payroll Analyst to drive end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state population in the United States. You will coordinate with HRIS, a third-party payroll processor, and internal stakeholders to ensure accurate payroll data and strong controls.

The role requires deep Workday Payroll knowledge, ability to manage payroll configurations, and a focus on process improvements, audits, and timely employee pay inquiries. Strong communication is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of full cycle payroll processing.
• Minimum of three (3) years of hands-on Workday Payroll experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee payroll processing and payroll tax filing services.
• Manage biweekly and semimonthly payroll processing for ~450 employees.
• Serve as Workday Payroll SME and lead payroll configurations.

Skills

Payroll processing

Workday Payroll

Multi-state payroll

Data integrity

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Workday

Payroll systems

Job description

Lyric is the trusted leader in healthcare decision intelligence. Built on more than 35 years of proven results, Lyric combines responsible AI with clinical, payment, regulatory, and policy expertise to deliver transparent, auditable insights in milliseconds across real-time claims workflows. Lyric augments human decision-making so health plans can make faster, more accurate payments while maintaining full control. Today, Lyric supports 200 million lives, with nine of the top 10 U.S. health plans relying on its platform to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and support accurate payments.

Applicants must already be legally authorized to work in the U.S. Visa sponsorship/sponsorship assumption and other immigration support are not available for this position.

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Payroll Analyst is accountable for the accurate and timely execution of end-to-end payroll operations for a complex, multi-state employee population while adhering to federal, state, and local requirements. Serving as the primary liaison among internal stakeholders, HRIS, and the third-party payroll processor, this role provides operational oversight, drives issue resolution, and maintains strong payroll controls and data integrity. The Senior Payroll Analyst provides Workday Payroll expertise, manages payroll-impacting configurations and change controls, and drives cross-functional process improvements that enhance efficiency, system reliability, and employee experience.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the third-party provider responsible for payroll processing and payroll tax filing services. Establish clear performance expectations; monitor service levels and issue resolution; validate payroll and tax outputs; and ensure payroll data in Workday is accurate and complete.
• Manage biweekly and semimonthly payroll processing for approximately 450 employees, including the collection and review of payroll inputs, supporting documentation. processing of required adjustments, and final validation of payroll results.
• Serve as the Workday Payroll subject matter expert and lead payroll-impacting configuration activities in partnership with HRIS, including the creation of earnings and deduction codes and calculation rules.
• Define requirements, assess payroll impacts, maintain configuration and change-control documentation, perform testing, and coordinate appropriate reviews and approvals.
• Drive the cross-functional partnership with HR, HRIS and Finance to proactively identify, prioritize, and resolve payroll issues; establish clear ownership, timelines, and escalation paths; lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions; track progress until resolution.
• Perform recurring payroll audits and reconciliations of earnings, deductions, taxes, and benefits; investigate discrepancies, identify root causes and ensure timely resolution.
• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll requirements; assess the impact of regulatory changes and coordinate necessary updates to payroll processes, controls, and system configurations.
• Provide timely and accurate responses to employee inquiries regarding pay, deductions, and taxes; research and resolve escalated or complex issues and follow through to completion.
• Develop, maintain, and periodically review payroll procedures, controls, job aids, and to promote consistency, accuracy, and operational continuity.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in full cycle payroll processing
• Demonstrated ability to independently own and execute end-to-end payroll operations in a lean, fast-paced environment while effectively prioritizing competing responsibilities, managing multiple deadlines, and delivering accurate results.
• Minimum of three (3) years of hands-on Workday Payroll experience, including system maintenance, testing, troubleshooting, and production support.
• Ability to build partnerships and effectively work with internal customers at all levels in the organization
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex payroll information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience overseeing a third-party payroll and tax services provider
• Experience in Workday Payroll configuration, including creation of earnings and deduction codes, calculation rules, business processes, and related payroll integrations.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll tax filings, agency notices, registrations, and year-end reporting.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification

***The US base salary range for this full-time position is: $86,973.00 - $130,460.00 The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, education, and work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not reflect the value of the total rewards compensation. ***

Lyric is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace collaborative success. Lyric is the trusted leader in healthcare decision intelligence. Built on more than 35 years of proven results, Lyric combines responsible AI with clinical, payment, regulatory, and policy expertise to deliver transparent, auditable insights in milliseconds across real-time claims workflows. Lyric augments human decision-making so health plans can make faster, more accurate payments while maintaining full control. Today, Lyric supports 200 million lives, with nine of the top 10 U.S. health plans relying on its platform to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and support accurate payments.