Payroll Analyst – Data Validation & Controls
Locations: Poughkeepsie, NY
Schedule: Hybrid
Salary: Up to $120,000
Employment Type: Full-Time
About the Opportunity
A growing, multi-location transportation organization is seeking an experienced Payroll Analyst to join its Payroll team. This position will focus on the analytical and data integrity side of payroll, including data validation, auditing, reconciliations, reporting, controls, and identifying discrepancies across multiple systems.
This is not a traditional payroll processing role. The Payroll Analyst will serve as an additional layer of review and control, helping ensure payroll data is complete and accurate while identifying potential issues before they impact employees or financial reporting.
The position works closely with Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Benefits, HRIS, and Operations and is ideal for someone who understands payroll but excels at working with data, identifying discrepancies, and solving problems.
Key Responsibilities
Review and validate payroll data for accuracy, completeness, and consistency
Conduct pre-payroll and post-payroll audits and reconciliations
Analyze employee, compensation, tax, deduction, benefit, and timekeeping data
Identify discrepancies, exceptions, unusual activity, and potential payroll errors
Perform variance analysis and investigate significant changes between payroll periods
Reconcile payroll information across payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, benefits, and financial systems
Research discrepancies to determine root causes and coordinate appropriate resolutions
Validate employee changes including new hires, terminations, compensation adjustments, bonuses, deductions, and other payroll-impacting transactions
Review payroll reports for inconsistencies, trends, and potential data issues
Partner with Payroll, HR, Benefits, Finance, HRIS, and Operations to resolve data discrepancies
Support internal controls, compliance reviews, and payroll-related audits
Maintain documentation related to payroll validation procedures and controls
Develop and maintain payroll reports, dashboards, and ad hoc analyses
Work with large data sets to identify trends and ensure data integrity
Participate in system implementations, upgrades, integrations, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Identify opportunities to strengthen payroll controls, improve reporting, and streamline validation processes
Qualifications
3+ years of experience in payroll, payroll analytics, HRIS, payroll accounting, or a related function
Strong understanding of payroll concepts, processes, and data
Experience with payroll auditing, reconciliation, data validation, or variance analysis
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas, and large data sets
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
Ability to identify inconsistencies and independently investigate the underlying cause
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to collaborate effectively across Payroll, HR, Finance, Benefits, HRIS, and Operations
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with Workday, ADP, UKG, Dayforce, Oracle, SAP, or comparable payroll/HRIS platforms
Experience with payroll reporting, analytics, or business intelligence tools
Knowledge of payroll controls, compliance requirements, and audit procedures
Experience supporting payroll/HRIS implementations, integrations, system testing, or process improvements
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related field preferred
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of payroll but approaches the function with an analytical mindset. They enjoy working with numbers and large data sets, identifying why information doesn't match, tracing discrepancies across systems, and finding solutions.
This individual should be naturally detail-oriented, curious, and comfortable questioning data when something doesn't look right.
The primary focus of this position is payroll data validation, analytics, reconciliation, auditing, controls, and reporting—not processing payroll.

Payroll Analyst – Data Validation & Controls

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