HR/Payroll Analyst - Augusta - Prayon

Description

HR/Payroll Analyst

The HR/Payroll Analyst supports Human Resources and Accounting through accurate payroll processing, payroll related financial analysis, and strong data integrity controls. This role is responsible for analyzing payroll, benefits, and HR data; reconciling payroll and benefits activity; and producing reliable reports to support financial close, audits, recruiting activities, and compliance requirements.

The position also supports the recruiting function by assisting with job postings, applicant tracking, screening activities, hiring documentation, and accurate new hire setup in HRIS and payroll systems. In addition, this role provides general employee support by addressing payroll, benefits, and HR inquiries and ensuring a positive employee experience.

Above average Microsoft Excel skills are a core requirement for this role and essential for performing payroll accounting analysis, benefits administration support, reconciliations, recruiting reporting, and HR data management duties.

Essential Responsibilities & Functions include the following; others may be assigned.

• Payroll Accounting & Financial Analysis Prepare, review, and validate payroll data to ensure accuracy prior to payroll finalization. Perform in depth payroll variance analysis, identifying trends, anomalies, and root causes. Reconcile payroll registers, tax reports, and benefit deductions to general ledger accounts. Support month end and year end close activities, including payroll accruals, reversals, and supporting schedules. Analyze compensation elements, including overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, and PTO for financial accuracy and compliance. Partner with Accounting to resolve discrepancies and ensure proper financial reporting.
• Excel Based Reporting & Data Management Develop and maintain Excel based payroll and benefits reconciliation workbooks. Utilize advanced Excel functions (e.g., formulas, lookups, pivot tables, conditional logic, data validation, PowerBI) to analyze large data sets. Produce recurring and ad hoc payroll and benefits reports to support Finance, HR, and audit requests. Ensure data accuracy and consistency across Excel reports, HRIS, payroll, and accounting systems.
• Benefits Administration & Reconciliation Analyze benefit costs, deductions, enrollments, and employer liabilities for accuracy and completeness. Support open enrollment, new plan setup, life event changes, and benefit plan updates. Coordinate with employees to resolve benefit questions, coverage issues, and enrollment needs. Maintain accurate benefit data in HRIS and support compliance with ACA and other regulatory requirements.
• Recruiting & Talent Support Support the recruiting process by posting jobs, managing applicant flow, and coordinating interviews. Assist with reviewing applications, conducting initial screenings, and communicating with candidates. Process new hire documentation, background checks, and onboarding tasks in HRIS and ATS. Ensure accurate setup of employee data, compensation, taxes, and benefits for new hires.
• HRIS, Controls & Compliance Maintain accurate employee compensation, tax, and deduction data in HRIS and payroll systems. Perform routine audits of payroll data to ensure compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements. Document payroll accounting procedures and support audit requests as needed. Ensure compliance with applicable employment and wage regulations, including FLSA, FMLA, ACA, and state requirements.
• Employee Support, Service, Payroll and HR Assistance Serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for employee payroll, tax, benefit, HR policy, and deduction inquiries. Provide general HR support, including assistance with onboarding, policy questions, employee changes, and HR documentation. Research and resolve issues while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and data integrity. Support employee engagement, communications, and HR initiatives as needed.
• General & Cross Functional Support Support HR, Benefits, Recruiting, Communication and Accounting initiatives related to accuracy, automation, and process improvement. Partner cross functionally on system enhancements, data cleanup, and workflow improvements. Assist with special projects, reporting requests, audits, and system implementations as assigned.
• Food Safety & Quality Standards/Requirements The employee will comply with all relevant food safety and quality standards/requirements.
• Supervisory Responsibilities & Functions This is a non-supervisory position.

Qualifications

Minimum Education: High School Diploma or equivalent Experience: 2+ years of experience in payroll, accounting support, or payroll focused HR roles. Demonstrated experience performing payroll reconciliations or financial analysis. Above average proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required, including the ability to manipulate, analyze, and reconcile large data sets. Strong analytical, problem solving, and attention to detail skills.

Preferred Education: Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field. Experience: Experience supporting payroll accounting in a manufacturing or hourly workforce environment. Exposure to month end close processes, audits, and general ledger activity. Experience working closely with Accounting or Finance teams.

Language Skills Reading/comprehension, speaking and writing at required education equivalency level. Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business correspondence, technical/product information, policies/procedures or government regulations. Ability to complete written forms and write routine to complex procedures, reports and correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions in a group or individual setting.

Mathematical Skills Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent.

Computer Skills Advanced Excel skills required (complex formulas, pivot tables, lookups, and data analysis) Experience with HRIS, payroll systems, and exposure to accounting systems preferred. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and other Office 365 applications. Proficiency in relevant SAP modules preferred

Complexity The work includes varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods be applied to a broad range of activities and/or substantial depth of analysis within a particular area. Decisions include areas of uncertainty in approach, methodology, interpretation or evaluation resulting from such elements as continuing changes, technical developments, unknown phenomena or conflicting requirements. The work requires originating new techniques, establishing criteria, or developing new information.

Physical Demands The work requires both sedentary and limited physical exertion to include sitting; walking; standing; bending; traversing of stairs, carrying of light items such as papers, books or small parts; driving an automobile, forklift, etc. Work routinely requires speaking and hearing (expression or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words and perceiving sounds by ear).

Work Environment The work environment requires normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, personal or commercial transportation methods. Requires use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals, etc. Generally, the work area is well lighted, heated and ventilated. Also includes work that requires special safety precautions such as working around moving parts, carts or machines or with irritant chemicals. Employee may be required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, coats, safety shoes, boots, goggles, gloves, safety glasses or shields.