Senior Payroll Analyst

Join our team at Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)!
This is a senior-level professional position focused on payroll and financial analysis, requiring previous payroll experience. The role involves processing complex payroll transactions, resolving employee pay issues, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, and maintaining accurate records. It requires strong analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills, along with proficiency in payroll systems and accounting principles.
Key responsibilities include analyzing, processing, and auditing payroll data—including wages, deductions, benefits, and taxes—while ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The position manages payroll discrepancies, responds to employee inquiries, and addresses compliance-related issues. It also prepares reports for supervisors, auditors, and government agencies, and maintains accurate payroll records in accordance with privacy and audit standards. Additionally, the role supports payroll system upgrades, testing, and data integrity efforts, and provides detailed analysis and reporting to support organizational goals and audit requirements.
Note: This position may be underfilled depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate. Multiple candidates may be hired from this posting. An eligibility list may also be established to fill future vacancies.

FLSA Exemption Status

Summary

Advanced professional and technical payroll work requiring independent, critical thought to solve complex payroll and financial challenges. This role performs high-level payroll analytical activities, conducts deep-dive research, and leads process improvements. The position operates under general supervision, reports to a designated supervisor, and may review or direct the work of other payroll staff. It is distinguished from lower-level classes by its technical autonomy, complex problem-solving demands, and advanced data-driven research focus.

Examples of Work

Essential Functions:

Conducts Audits: Reviews pay computations and conducts rigorous audits to ensure precision in employee data, tax withholdings, and off-cycle payments.

Resolves Issues: Investigates and resolves complex payroll errors by analyzing the end-to-end integration between human resources and financial systems.

Generates Reports: Prepares detailed financial, technical, and operational reports, including quarterly summaries, cost forecasts, and workflow charts.

Advises Stakeholders: Researches and explains complex pay, deduction, and fringe benefit scenarios for timekeepers and departmental stakeholders.

Presents Solutions: Explores root causes of recurring payroll issues and presents visual findings and actionable recommendations to leadership.

Optimizes Workflows: Evaluates payroll methods and internal controls, recommending and implementing specific system or process upgrades.

Manages Data: Develops and maintains secure database files, cost support schedules, and tracking mechanisms for payroll operations.

Communicates Outcomes: Delivers clear, timely, and professional compliance and payroll updates to employees and internal partners.

Examples of Work (continued)

Non-Essential Functions:

Required to respond in emergency conditions.

Performs other duties as assigned.

May supervise, plan, and coordinate the work of subordinates.

May require local travel to other GRU locations within the Gainesville area.

May be required to attend meetings outside regular business hours.

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, finance, accounting or a related field.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered if it meets the requirements of the department.

Experience

Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in financial and payroll analysis,

GRU Competencies

Role Specific Competencies

Certifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Regulatory Compliance: Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local tax laws, wage/hour laws, and payroll regulations.

System Expertise: Advanced knowledge of integrated Financial/HR data processing systems and modern web-based payroll software. Preferred expertise in SAP, Success Factors, WorkForce Software, and/or Employee Central Payroll.

Critical Thinking: Ability to rapidly assess payroll anomalies and deploy compliant solutions under strict regulatory rules.

Benefit Administration: Strong understanding of how pensions, garnishments, and fringe benefits impact gross-to-net payroll logic.

Analytical Skills: Proven ability to lead complex audits, identify variances, and drive process optimization initiatives.

Technical Agility: Skill in navigating system implementations, user acceptance testing (UAT), and legislative software updates.

Time Management: Ability to prioritize competing deadlines and manage sensitive, confidential data with total discretion.

Communication Power: Strong written and verbal communication skills to explain technical financial data to non-technical staff.

Physical Requirements

Environmental Requirements

Compensation Data

SALARY RANGE MIMIMUM:

$61,812.36

SALARY RANGE MAXIMUM:

$92,718.54