Senior Analyst Payroll

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

The Senior Payroll Analyst independently manages end-to-end payroll operations for India or the Philippines, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll execution. Working with a high degree of autonomy, this role applies deep country-specific payroll expertise, partners with third-party vendors and internal stakeholders, and serves as an escalation point for complex payroll matters. The Senior Payroll Analyst supports audits, regulatory reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining strong internal controls.

Essential Functions

• Independently manage end-to-end payroll processing for India or the Philippines, ensuring timely and accurate salary disbursements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable local labor laws, tax regulations, and statutory contribution requirements.
• Maintain ongoing knowledge of country-specific payroll legislation, regulatory updates, and industry best practices.
• Perform payroll reconciliations, variance analysis, statutory filings, and regulatory reporting.
• Partner with third-party payroll vendors to ensure service accuracy, issue resolution, and adherence to service-level agreements.
• Research, analyze, and resolve complex payroll issues, including off-cycle payments, corrections, final settlements, and retroactive adjustments.
• Serve as an escalation point for payroll inquiries and employee concerns, exercising sound judgment and policy interpretation.
• Analyze payroll data and independently research issues to identify policy or compliance exceptions.
• Partner with Finance on journal entries, account reconciliations, and general ledger support.
• Support internal and external audits, including documentation, controls testing, and issue resolution.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements, automation, and system enhancements to improve payroll efficiency and accuracy.
• Handle sensitive payroll information with discretion, maintaining confidentiality and compliance with internal controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 6-8 years of payroll experience, including deep country-specific expertise for India or the Philippines.
• Strong working knowledge of local payroll compliance, statutory reporting, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with payroll systems such as Workday and ServiceNow; advanced Excel skills.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications of the job. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. You will be evaluated in part based on your performance of the responsibilities and/or tasks listed in this job description. You may be required perform other duties that are not included on this job description. The job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.