Quality Analyst - Payroll and Timekeeping

Job Description

The Payroll Quality Analyst is a lead individual contributor responsible for driving end-to-end quality across global payroll and timekeeping processes, with a primary focus on UKG Pro, ADP, and Workday HCM. This role combines data-driven analysis, process governance, and cross-functional stakeholder management to prevent defects, improve controls, and enhance the overall employee payroll experience.

The analyst will serve as a subject matter expert and informal mentor within the payroll and timekeeping team, partnering closely with the Payroll Back Office (PBO), HRIS/IT, People Services, Labor Relations and Human Resources to identify issues, address root causes, and support strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and monitor payroll and timekeeping quality metrics (e.g., defects, rework, adjustments, escalations, employee complaints) and translate findings into clear insights and actions.

• Perform deep-dive analyses on recurring issues (e.g., time entry errors, balance discrepancies, integration failures, configuration defects) to identify root causes across processes and systems including MyTime, UKG Pro, ADP, and Workday.

• Develop and maintain defect taxonomies, tracking mechanisms, and playbooks to ensure consistent classification, prioritization, resolution and reporting of payroll issues.

• Partner with Payroll Operations to design and execute corrective actions, including data fixes, process changes, and control enhancements.

• Support readiness assessments and cutover quality for key payroll and timekeeping initiatives.

• Assess quality and control impacts of new regulatory and contractual changes (e.g., sick/vacation legislation, overtime reporting requirements) and help ensure consistent implementation across systems.

• Identify control gaps and propose pragmatic solutions that strengthen compliance while supporting operational efficiency.

• Build and maintain recurring quality reports and dashboards (e.g., in Excel, Power BI, or other approved tools) that surface trends, hotspots, and impacts for leaders.

• Quantify the impact of defects and process issues (e.g., rework hours, late payments, employee impact, compliance exposure) to support prioritization and business cases.

• Translate complex data into clear, concise narratives and visuals for leadership reviews, steering committees, and cross-functional forums.

• Facilitate working sessions to align on issues, root causes, action plans, and timelines, ensuring owners are clearly identified and held accountable.

• Communicate status, risks, and decisions effectively to leaders and stakeholders, tailoring messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Provide informal mentoring and guidance to analysts and coordinators on quality concepts, data validation, and problem-solving approaches.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, HR, Information Systems, or related field.

• 2 + years of experience in payroll, timekeeping, HRIS, or related operations with a strong focus on quality, analysis, or continuous improvement.

• Hands-on experience with UKG Pro, ADP, Workday HCM; strong understanding of how these systems interact in an end-to-end payroll flow.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex datasets, identify patterns and root causes, and translate findings into practical actions.

• Strong process mindset with experience documenting workflows, controls, and procedures.

• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence without direct authority across Operations, IT, and HR partners.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing clear, concise updates for leadership.

Preferred

• Experience in U.S. Payroll Operations within a large, complex organization (union/non-union, multiple states, and complex scheduling/time rules).

• 5 + years of experience in payroll, timekeeping, HRIS, or related operations with a strong focus on quality, analysis, or continuous improvement.

• Familiarity with quality and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving frameworks).

• Experience supporting or validating system configuration for payroll/timekeeping (e.g., pay rules, accruals, balances, overtime rules).

• Prior exposure to legislative compliance (e.g., sick/vacation laws) and collective bargaining agreement implementation from a payroll/timekeeping perspective.

• Experience building or maintaining reports/dashboards in tools such as