Business Analyst

We are looking for an experienced Business Analyst to support a long-term contract opportunity in Richmond, Virginia. This role is ideal for a payroll and tax specialist with strong analytical ability, deep knowledge of multi-state payroll compliance, and hands-on expertise with Workday in a large employee environment. The position focuses on strengthening payroll tax accuracy, resolving complex issues, and partnering with stakeholders to improve processes and support business needs.

Responsibilities:
• Manage recurring payroll tax activities for a large workforce, including semi-monthly payroll support, tax validation, and compliance monitoring across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Maintain and audit payroll tax information in Workday and related compliance platforms to ensure accurate employee tax data and dependable reporting results.
• Conduct detailed reviews of tax filings, deposits, reconciliations, and year-end documents such as W-2, corrected W-2, and quarterly tax forms, resolving discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Investigate payroll tax notices, research root causes, and implement corrective actions that reduce recurring errors and improve overall process reliability.
• Serve as a key contact for external providers involved in tax filing activity, invoice review, and issue resolution, ensuring service quality and accurate financial reconciliation.
• Analyze payroll, tax, and operational data to address complex business questions, develop practical recommendations, and support informed decision-making.
• Partner with district and departmental stakeholders to understand operational needs, provide guidance, and address payroll-related concerns before they escalate.
• Lead or contribute to process improvement efforts, business analysis initiatives, and project work, including documenting workflows and recommending more efficient operating methods.
• Monitor regulatory updates and emerging risk areas affecting payroll tax practices, then translate those changes into actionable guidance for payroll teams and business partners.
• Support knowledge sharing and operational continuity by assisting with cross-functional collaboration, standardization efforts, and training across payroll-related functions.• 7+ years of experience in payroll, payroll tax, or financial analysis roles within a large and complex organization.
• Strong hands-on experience with Workday and Workday Payroll, including payroll tax maintenance, auditing, and reporting.
• Proven knowledge of full-cycle payroll processing and payroll tax reporting, including multi-state compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting payroll operations for high-volume employee populations, ideally exceeding 500 employees.
• Ability to research complex tax or payroll issues, interpret regulations, and recommend effective long-term solutions.
• Background working with certified payroll practices; CPP certification is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, and problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
• Familiarity with database migration or related data validation activities is a plus.