Strategic Payroll Analyst: Compliance, Automation & Insights

John Hancock; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Job summary

John Hancock is seeking a highly skilled Payroll Analyst to support complex U.S. payroll operations with sound judgment and technical payroll expertise. Our North American Payroll team supports approximately 5,500 U.S.

employees across all 50 states and five EINs. This role delivers accurate, compliant payroll while reducing risk, strengthening controls, and improving processes, enhancing the employee experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex payroll, tax, and benefits issues.
• Experience with payroll audits, reconciliations, quarterly and year-end activities, taxable benefit reporting, and employee year-end reporting.
• Experience supporting payroll system or process changes, including documenting requirements and decisions, managing scope, developing test scenarios, and executing testing.
• Experience with ADP GlobalView, SAP, or similar enterprise payroll systems.
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently with minimal direction.

Responsibilities

• Independently process, audit, and validate high-volume payroll accurately and on time across multiple jurisdictions, legal entities, pay groups, and payroll cycles.
• Handle escalated payroll support cases requiring research, judgment, and timely resolution.
• Lead complex payroll activities including equity compensation, executive payroll, deferred compensation, board payments, relocation, and bonus cycles.
• Lead quarterly and year-end activities, including reconciliations, audits, amended filings, and reporting requirements.
• Research and resolve complex payroll, tax, and benefits issues while applying regulatory requirements.
• Investigate payroll discrepancies, determine root causes, and recommend sustainable solutions.
• Support payroll system testing and validate configurations during changes.
• Create and maintain process documentation and operating procedures.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Data analysis

Excel proficiency

Regulatory knowledge

Tools

ADP GlobalView

SAP

Job description

John Hancock is seeking a highly skilled Payroll Analyst to support complex U.S. payroll operations with sound judgment and technical payroll expertise. Our North American Payroll team supports approximately 5,500 U.S.

employees across all 50 states and five EINs. This role delivers accurate, compliant payroll while reducing risk, strengthening controls, and improving processes, enhancing the employee experience.