Senior Payroll Analyst

Job Description About Lazer Logistics

Lazer Logistics is the industry leader in third-party yard management services. Spotting and local shuttles are our core business, not an auxiliary function. For our customers, a choice to work with Lazer Logistics means you get our full attention, our years of experience, and our commitment to customer satisfaction. You will not find another company that works harder or understands better how to make your facility function more efficiently.

For our employees, a choice to work at Lazer Logistics means you joined an organization that lives by a set of shared values that guide our actions and behaviors:

• Driven to achieve
• We keep each other safe
• Our leaders serve and develop our people.
• Resilient to our core
• If you are here, you are family.

Summary

The Senior Payroll Analyst is a member of the Payroll team, responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of payroll operations. This role extends beyond transactional payroll processing, focusing on the month-end close cycle, general ledger reconciliations, analytical review, and proactive audit functions. The ideal candidate brings deep technical payroll expertise, complemented by a strong accounting foundation and a continuous improvement mindset.

Job Description

Monthly Journal Entries & General Ledger

• Prepare, review, and post all payroll-related monthly journal entries, including gross wages, employer taxes, benefits, bonuses, PTO accruals, and deferred compensation.
• Reconcile payroll accounts to the general ledger monthly, investigating and resolving variances in a timely manner.
• Partner with the Accounting team to support month-end and year-end close, ensuring payroll entries are complete and accurate within established deadlines.
• Maintain and update payroll accrual schedules, ensuring proper cut-off of wages and benefits expenses across reporting periods.
• Assist in the preparation of balance sheet reconciliations for all payroll-related accounts (wages payable, tax withholdings, garnishments, benefit liabilities).

Payroll Analysis

• Conduct period-over-period payroll variance analysis, identifying and documenting drivers of change in headcount, compensation, and employer costs.
• Develop and maintain payroll reporting dashboards and metrics for Finance and HR leadership.
• Analyze payroll data to support labor cost forecasting, budget preparation, and department-level allocations.
• Collaborate with FP&A on headcount and compensation planning, providing payroll actuals and trend data as needed.
• Respond to ad hoc data requests from Finance, HR, and Operations leadership with clear, well-documented analysis.
• Audit payroll system interfaces and integrations (HRIS, time and attendance, benefits) to ensure data integrity across platforms.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, including wage and hour laws.
• Support W-2, ACA, and other year-end filings, auditing outputs before submission.
• Document and maintain payroll audit procedures, controls, and findings in accordance with SOX or internal control frameworks as applicable.

Process Improvement & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Identify gaps in payroll processes and controls; develop and implement improvements to reduce risk and increase efficiency.
• Train and provide technical guidance to junior payroll staff.
• Partner with HR, Benefits, and IT on system implementations, upgrades, and integrations that impact payroll.
• Promote a business partner and ownership mindset to the team to prioritize customer service excellence, adaptability and resilience to change and continuous improvement.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Auditing & Compliance

• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external payroll audits, coordinating documentation requests and walkthroughs.
• Perform regular self-audits of payroll data, including new hire/termination accuracy, rate changes, garnishment calculations, and tax withholding configurations.

#LI-Hybrid Job Requirements Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor''s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field is preferred.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation is highly preferred; FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) considered for candidates with strong accounting backgrounds.
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, with demonstrated growth in analytical and accounting responsibilities over time.
• 2+ years of direct experience preparing and reviewing payroll journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting monthly close activities.
• Hands-on experience with at least one enterprise payroll or HCM platform such as Workday, ADP Workforce Now, Ceridian Dayforce, UKG Pro, or similar.
• Experience working within a general ledger or ERP environment (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage) to post and reconcile payroll transactions.
• Prior experience conducting or supporting payroll audits " whether internal, external, workers'' compensation, or 401(k) plan audits.
• Demonstrated experience processing multi-state payroll, including knowledge of state income tax, SUI, and local tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Background in a mid-to-large organization (500+ employees) preferred; multi-entity or multi-currency experience is a plus.
• Experience using or willingness to learn approved AI/LLM and automation tools is a plus.
• Must be flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing market and Lazer Logistics objectives and goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong ethical and integrity code.
• Ability to collaborate and work well in a fast-paced/dynamic team environment.
• Commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion with team and vendors.
• Ability to seek and navigate through challenges by maintaining optimism, respect, and dedication to Lazer Logistics'' overall purpose and core values.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment withoutattention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.