Senior Payroll Tax Analyst/Payroll Operations

AMS; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

AMS is seeking a Senior Payroll Tax Analyst/Payroll Operations to join the HR organization and own payroll tax and garnishment administration for a large multi-state U.S. payroll.

You will partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to ensure compliance, accuracy, and timely processing, while supporting peak periods and team absences. The ideal candidate will bring deep payroll tax expertise, strong analytics, and a drive for continuous improvement, leveraging automation and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own payroll tax operations and lead all related processing and audits.
• Manage tax account registrations, filings, reconciliations, and notices.
• Administer ADP SmartCompliance including filings and notices.
• Investigate and resolve payroll tax inquiries and discrepancies.
• Collaborate with Corporate Tax, Finance, Legal, HR, and vendors to ensure compliance.
• Monitor changes in tax regulations and implement policy updates.
• Explore automation and AI-enabled solutions to improve payroll efficiency.
• Lead garnishments administration end-to-end.
• Provide guidance to Payroll team and maintain confidentiality.
• Support payroll operations during peak periods and system implementations.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Analytical thinking

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

ADP SmartCompliance

Workday Payroll and Time Tracking

Excel

ServiceNow

Job description

The Senior Payroll Tax Analyst/Payroll Operations will join the Payroll team under the Human Resources organization and own payroll tax and garnishment administration for a large multi-state U.S. payroll while providing payroll operations support during peak processing periods and planned or unplanned team absences. This role is accountable for the accuracy, integrity, and timely execution of payroll tax operations and serves as the functional lead for payroll tax-related processes, compliance, and continuous process improvement initiatives.

The Senior Payroll Tax Analyst partners closely with Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, and external vendors to ensure payroll tax compliance, mitigate risk, maintain strong internal controls, and deliver an exceptional employee experience. The ideal candidate is a collaborative problem solver with deep payroll tax expertise, strong payroll operations experience, exceptional analytical skills, and a passion for operational excellence. They are also forward-thinking, agile, and technology-minded, with a curiosity for leveraging automation, AI-enabled tools, and emerging technologies to streamline payroll processes, improve decision-making, enhance compliance, and deliver operational excellence.

Responsibilities:

Payroll Tax Administration

Payroll tax administration is the primary responsibility of this role. The Senior Payroll Tax Analyst owns the execution, administration, and continuous improvement of payroll tax operations across the Payroll function.

• Own payroll tax operations for the Payroll team, serving as the functional lead and primary point of contact for payroll tax matters across the Human Resources organization.
• Lead and execute all payroll tax operations, including tax account registrations, jurisdiction setup and maintenance, payroll tax withholding, quarterly and annual tax filings, tax reconciliations, amendments, W-2 and W-2C processing, year-end activities, and agency compliance.
• Own the administration of ADP SmartCompliance, ensuring accurate tax filings, agency notice management, tax account maintenance, jurisdiction setup, tax reconciliations, amendments, and timely resolution of payroll tax issues.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of payroll tax inquiries, agency notices, employee tax questions, tax discrepancies, and complex payroll tax issues.
• Partner with Corporate Tax, Finance, Legal, Human Resources, and external vendors to drive compliant payroll tax practices and resolve complex employment tax matters.
• Monitor changes to U.S. federal, state, and local employment tax regulations, evaluate business impacts, and implement process or policy changes to maintain compliance.
• Evaluate and leverage technology, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to improve payroll tax research, compliance monitoring, reporting, reconciliations, and operational efficiency while maintaining appropriate governance, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead payroll tax audits, support tax authority examinations, internal reviews, and SOX controls by preparing documentation, reconciliations, supporting analyses, and responding to audit requests.
• Analyze payroll tax data and trends to identify opportunities to strengthen internal controls, improve operational efficiency, reduce risk, and ensure payroll tax accuracy.
• Utilize data analytics and AI-assisted insights to identify trends, proactively mitigate risk, improve decision-making, and recommend enhancements to payroll tax processes and controls.
• Support payroll tax requirements related to supplemental wages, relocation benefits, severance, bonuses, equity compensation, executive compensation, and other employee compensation programs.
• Own the end-to-end administration of employee garnishments, including child support orders, tax levies, creditor garnishments, bankruptcy orders, and other involuntary deductions. Review legal orders, determine withholding priorities, establish deductions, ensure timely remittance, respond to employee and agency inquiries, and maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance payroll tax procedures, documentation, standard operating procedures, and internal controls.
• Lead initiatives to improve payroll tax operations by leveraging automation, AI-enabled capabilities, system enhancements, process standardization, and best practices to increase efficiency, strengthen internal controls, mitigate risk, and enhance the employee experience. Champion the adoption of innovative technologies that modernize payroll operations and support the Company's digital transformation journey.

Payroll Operations Support

Payroll operations support is a secondary responsibility of this role and is performed to support business continuity during peak payroll cycles, planned and unplanned absences, and other operational needs.

• Support the processing of weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly multi-state U.S. payroll while ensuring accurate and timely payroll delivery.
• Compile, validate, and enter payroll data, including hours worked, earnings, deductions, taxes, vacation, personal time, holiday pay, direct deposits, and payroll adjustments.
• Audit new hires, terminations, employee transfers, retroactive transactions, tax elections, direct deposits, and employee payroll records to ensure payroll accuracy.
• Review payroll registers to validate payroll tax calculations, garnishment deductions, wage calculations, earnings, deductions, and timekeeping data prior to payroll completion.
• Review and reconcile payroll reports, identify out-of-balance conditions, investigate discrepancies, and implement corrections as needed.
• Process manual checks, off-cycle payrolls, payroll adjustments, and payroll corrections.
• Resolve payroll, payroll tax, and time tracking inquiries through ServiceNow, delivering exceptional customer service to employees and business partners.
• Prepare payroll reports, support internal and external audit requests, and participate in payroll-related projects, system implementations, acquisitions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Participate in the evaluation, testing, implementation, and continuous improvement of payroll technologies, AI-enabled solutions, and digital tools that enhance payroll accuracy, employee experience, and operational efficiency.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to Payroll team members on payroll tax, garnishment administration, payroll processing, and regulatory requirements.
• Handle sensitive employee information with the highest level of confidentiality, professionalism, and discretion.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience supporting a large multi-state U.S. payroll environment.
• 4+ years of payroll tax experience with extensive knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local employment tax regulations.
• Demonstrated experience owning payroll tax operations, including quarter-end and year-end processing, tax reconciliations, agency notice resolution, tax account maintenance, and payroll tax compliance.
• Hands-on experience administering employee garnishments from implementation through resolution, including employee and agency communications.
• Experience utilizing ADP SmartCompliance for payroll tax administration, tax filings, agency notice management, tax account maintenance, tax reconciliations, and year-end processing.
• Experience processing payroll using Workday Payroll and Time Tracking or a comparable enterprise payroll system.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology, automation, AI-enabled tools, or data analytics to improve payroll operations, streamline processes, and drive operational efficiencies.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax reporting, payroll accounting, payroll auditing practices, wage and hour laws, and payroll compliance.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data analysis, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Strong technology aptitude with the ability to quickly learn, evaluate, and adopt emerging payroll technologies and AI-enabled solutions.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills with the ability to independently prioritize multiple competing responsibilities.
• Forward-thinking, adaptable, and comfortable leading through change with a continuous improvement mindset and a passion for innovation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex payroll and tax concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to build collaborative partnerships across Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, and external business partners.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and commitment to maintaining confidential information.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or other relevant professional certification.
• Experience supporting executive compensation, supplemental wage taxation, equity compensation, and employee benefits taxation.
• Experience supporting payroll tax audits, tax authority examinations, and SOX controls.
• Experience with payroll system implementations, payroll tax technology, AI-enabled solutions, intelligent automation, and process improvement initiatives that drive operational excellence.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, or organizational restructuring activities affecting payroll.
• Knowledge of payroll accounting, general ledger reconciliations, and payroll-related financial reporting.