Tax Account Senior Analyst

The Cigna Group; Bloomfield (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cigna Group is seeking an experienced Human Resources Operations Advisor, Payroll Tax Operations to support U.S. payroll tax operations across 50+ entities, maintain tax configurations, support filings, and resolve discrepancies.

You will collaborate with the payroll tax vendor, ensure data accuracy, and contribute to year-end/quarter-end processes while proactively addressing complex tax issues.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of payroll experience in an outsourced payroll environment within a large-scale organization.
• 2+ years of payroll tax experience, preferably supporting multi-state and multi-entity tax operations.
• Familiarity with Workday Payroll and HCM preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field preferred; payroll certification a plus.

Responsibilities

• Maintain employer and employee tax setups in Workday, including tax rates and local configurations.
• Validate quarterly and annual payroll tax returns with the outsourced vendor.
• Assist with W‑2/W‑3 tasks and tax notices resolution in partnership with the vendor.
• Document issues and support year-end/quarter-end payroll tax processes.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Independent work

Communication

Education

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

Payroll certification a plus

Tools

Workday Payroll

Workday HCM

Job description

Human Resources Operations Advisor, Payroll Tax Operations

The Payroll Tax Advisor supports U.S. payroll tax operations across 50+ payroll entities by executing day-to-day payroll tax activities, maintaining accurate tax configurations, supporting tax filings, resolving employee-level tax discrepancies, and partnering with the payroll tax vendor on routine issues. This role ensures data accuracy, supports compliance tasks, and contributes to year-end and quarter-end processes within the frameworks, controls, and standards established by the Payroll Tax Compliance Manager.

This role is for an experienced tax professional with keen attention to detail, experience with implementing and building process improvements, and strong critical thinking skills to deliver highest quality of tax administration. This role will be expected to complete day-to-day operational tasks and complex projects without immediate supervision and have a degree of forward planning, while being able to anticipate the needs and issues that arise with the ability to resolve non-routine complex tax issues.

Responsibilities

Tax Data Maintenance & Daily Operations

• Maintain employer and employee tax setups in Workday, including tax rates, SIT/SUI/local tax configurations, and resident/work state accuracy.
• Execute the setup and maintenance of new tax accounts, including registrations with jurisdictions and updates to agency portals.
• Maintain agency portal credentials and ensure access is accurate and up to date.
• Process and distribute incoming tax correspondence (electronic and paper), routing items as needed to Payroll, the vendor, or Corporate Tax.
• Support employee-level tax inquiries and escalations, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.

Tax Filing Support

• Validate quarterly and annual payroll tax returns prepared by the outsourced vendor.
• Assist with W‑2/W‑3 year-end processing tasks, including data validation and taxable wage breakdowns.
• Support the timely resolution of tax notices with federal, state, and local agencies in partnership with the vendor.
• Support the research and processing of refund checks and deposits.

Compliance & Controls Support

• Execute recurring payroll tax audits and reconciliations as directed by the Payroll Tax Manager.
• Assist in maintaining and updating payroll tax SOPs, process documentation, and task checklists.
• Support the preparation of Power of Attorney forms and third‑party agent authorizations.
• Assist with agency account closures for inactive FEINs and jurisdictions.
• Run Workday payroll and tax reports to validate data, identify discrepancies, and support issue resolution.
• Investigate employee‑specific or jurisdiction‑specific tax issues and provide data for vendor remediation.
• Document issues clearly and elevate patterns or systemic concerns to the Payroll Tax Manager.

System & Project Support

• Support testing activities for payroll system updates, integrations, and configuration changes related to payroll tax.
• Participate in operational work related to year‑end, quarter‑end, and limited project activities.
• Provide operational support during mergers, acquisitions, or other organizational transitions as directed.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of payroll experience in an outsourced payroll environment within a large‑scale organization.
• 2+ years of payroll tax experience, preferably supporting multi‑state and multi‑entity tax operations.
• Familiarity with Workday Payroll and HCM preferred.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to troubleshoot tax discrepancies effectively.
• Self‑motivated, able to work independently within defined processes, and comfortable in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret tax data and identify issues.
• Customer‑service orientation with the ability to support employees and partners professionally.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field preferred; payroll certification a plus.