Senior Payroll Operations Analyst

Red Robin; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Red Robin is seeking a detail-oriented Senior Payroll Operations Analyst to ensure payroll accuracy, controls, and compliance across cycles. You will partner with HR, Finance, and external providers to optimize processes and resolve issues with judgment and confidentiality.

You will mentor junior staff, lead workstreams, and back up the Payroll Manager as needed, while maintaining strong controls and timely reporting across the payroll function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience in accounting/finance.
• 3–5+ years in payroll/HR operations or related accounting disciplines.
• Experience with multi-state payroll tax compliance and year-end activities.

Responsibilities

• Support payroll processing activities to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across recurring payroll cycles.
• Review and validate payroll transactions, adjustments, earnings, deductions, and related data changes.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies by partnering with HR, Finance, Accounting, field leadership, and external vendors.
• Support complex payroll cases, escalations, and off-cycle processing needs as required.
• Assist with periodic and year-end payroll activities, including data validation, reporting, corrections, and employee inquiry support.
• Maintain current knowledge of payroll practices, internal policies, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Perform payroll-related reconciliations, including liabilities, deductions, benefits, tax activity, and GL support.
• Investigate variances across systems; recommend corrective actions where appropriate.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities with timely reporting and analysis.
• Coordinate with Accounting and external partners for accruals, reporting, and financial analysis.
• Provide documentation for audits, compliance reviews, and control testing.

Skills

Payroll operations

Multi-state tax

Analytical skills

Process improvement

Communication

Leadership support

AI/automation tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Workday

ADP

HRIS systems

Job description

We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytical Senior Payroll Operations Analyst to support payroll transaction accuracy, operational controls, reconciliations, reporting, and compliance-related activities across the payroll function.

This role will help ensure payroll processes are accurate, timely, well-controlled, and aligned with internal policies and applicable regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate brings strong payroll operations experience, payroll tax knowledge, sound judgment, analytical capability, and a continuous improvement mindset. This role will partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, and external providers to support payroll administration, issue resolution, reporting, process optimization, and operational execution.

This role will also serve as a senior resource within the payroll team, providing guidance to junior team members, supporting day-to-day execution, leading assigned workstreams, and backing up the Payroll Manager on selected activities as needed.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Transaction Support

• Support payroll processing activities to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across recurring payroll cycles.
• Review and validate payroll transactions, adjustments, earnings, deductions, and related data changes.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies by partnering with HR, Finance, Accounting, field leadership, and external vendors.
• Support complex payroll cases, escalations, and off-cycle processing needs as required.
• Assist with periodic and year-end payroll activities, including data validation, reporting, corrections, and employee inquiry support.
• Maintain current knowledge of payroll practices, internal policies, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Reconciliations, Reporting & Controls

• Perform payroll-related reconciliations, including payroll liabilities, deductions, benefit-related activity, tax-related activity, and general ledger support.
• Investigate variances across payroll, HRIS, vendor, and financial systems; recommend corrective actions where appropriate.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities through timely reporting, analysis, and documentation.
• Partner with Accounting and Finance to support payroll-related accruals, reporting, and financial analysis.
• Provide documentation and support for internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and control testing.
• Contribute to the enhancement of payroll controls, reporting standards, and operational procedures.
• Support compliance-related payroll activities, including periodic reporting, data reviews, agency/vendor inquiries, and issue resolution.
• Coordinate with payroll service providers and external partners to research and resolve processing, reporting, or compliance-related matters.
• Assist with regulatory updates, payroll notices, and required follow-up in partnership with internal stakeholders and third-party providers.
• Support ongoing documentation of payroll procedures, controls, and best practices.

Team Support & Operational Leadership

• Serve as a senior resource for payroll team members by providing guidance, coaching, and support on payroll processes, reconciliations, compliance-related activities, and issue resolution.
• Support onboarding, training, and development of junior payroll team members through knowledge sharing, process walkthroughs, and review of work as appropriate.
• Act as a backup to the Payroll Manager for selected operational activities, escalations, reporting, meetings, and follow-up items as needed.
• Lead or coordinate assigned payroll workstreams, projects, audits, process improvements, or recurring operational activities.
• Help monitor team workload, deadlines, and deliverables to support accurate and timely completion of payroll-related activities.
• Escalate risks, issues, or resource constraints to the Payroll Manager and support resolution planning.
• Promote consistent payroll practices, strong controls, and a high standard of service across the payroll team.

Expense, Systems & Process Support

• Provide operational support for employee reimbursement, expense-related data, or adjacent payroll/finance processes as needed.
• Support system updates, enhancements, testing, and optimization across payroll, HRIS, and related platforms.
• Identify process improvement opportunities that improve accuracy, efficiency, scalability, and employee experience.
• Develop and maintain process documentation, job aids, reporting templates, and standard operating procedures.
• Participate in cross-functional initiatives involving Payroll, HR, Finance, Accounting, and external vendors.

Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of progressive payroll, payroll operations, HR operations, accounting operations, or related experience.
• Payroll tax experience required, including exposure to multi-state payroll tax compliance, reconciliations, filings, notices, or year-end activities.
• Strong understanding of payroll processes, payroll controls, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Experience researching and resolving payroll discrepancies, transaction issues, or vendor/system variances.
• Familiarity with payroll compliance requirements, year-end activities, and multi-state payroll practices.
• Experience coaching, training, or providing guidance to junior team members preferred.
• Ability to lead assigned workstreams, manage deadlines, and influence outcomes without direct reporting authority.
• Comfortable leveraging generative AI and automation tools to improve efficiency, accelerate routine tasks, support analysis, and enhance documentation, while maintaining appropriate judgment, confidentiality, and quality control.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and follow-through skills.
• Advanced Excel skills and comfort working with large data sets.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to partner effectively across HR, Finance, Accounting, and external providers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Workday, ADP, or other integrated HR/payroll platforms.
• Experience supporting audits, compliance reviews, control testing, or process optimization.
• Exposure to employee reimbursement, expense administration, or finance operations processes.
• Experience documenting payroll procedures, controls, and process improvements.