Sr Payroll Analyst

Department: Finance

Our Company Promise

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Job Description:
The People of Southwest Airlines come together to deliver on our Purpose, which is to connect People to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel. This Sr Payroll Analyst invests in the future of Southwest’s People in their work analyzing the end-to end change and improvement process as it relates to the optimization of the payroll system. This role works collaboratively with Teams throughout the Company in order review the pay process, address discrepancies, ensure timekeeping entries from four timekeeping systems, receive union interfaces and business process integrations, and produce and analyze audit reports that ensure all aspects of the pay process are accurate. They'll also be responsible for mentoring Cohearts in this space. This Sr Payroll Analyst is detail oriented and a champion of continuous improvement for the important and impactful Finance Team. They’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow in their expertise each day and drive where their career with Heart takes them.

Additional details:
The culture of Southwest Airlines means we embrace a flexible workplace and value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. This role is a hybrid position based out of our Corporate Campus in Dallas, TX, which requires Employees to work onsite on our Corporate Campus at least three days a week. The Department designates the specific three days of the week Employees must work on-site.

U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. is required, and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.

For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the Company.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We continue to look for opportunities to reflect the communities we serve, and welcome applicants with diverse thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences.

Responsibilities
Primary contact for escalated payroll issues and concerns; manages through complete resolution
Review analysis of reporting from Payroll System to manage the oversight of closing the pay period
Ensure Payroll System applications are functioning properly on a routine basis, troubleshoot less complex system errors, put approved changes into production
Review analysis to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to procedural standards
Review analysis and reporting from multiple sources for ad hoc reporting requests
Resolve escalated discrepancies identified in payroll processes; uncover the root cause(s) and take action to mitigate future discrepancies; and communicate findings and actions to Payroll Leadership
Develop knowledge and expertise to serve as department SME, includes learning new tasks in order to gain deeper knowledge and insight
Create test plans, training materials, and system documentation
May perform other job duties as directed by Employee’s Leaders
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of payroll, payroll tax and wage attachment compliance regulations, internal controls and SOX compliance, industry trends, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data
Knowledge of Company and payroll, payroll tax and wage attachment processes considered when performing analyses, responding to inquiries and when participating on projects
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services, including customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
Knowledge of software systems and tools, including database tools, used in performance of day-to-day functional duties
Skilled in asking insightful questions and listening to understand all perspectives with a solid understanding of Business impacts
Skilled in collecting, organizing, visualizing and assimilating data from multiple sources, including turning raw data into meaningful information using ad hoc reporting tools, data-oriented programming languages and visualization software
Skilled in identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
Skilled in asking insightful questions, using logic and reasoning to understand all perspectives with a solid understanding of Business impacts
Ability to effectively communicate information and ideas in a concise and compelling story-line using all forms of communication, tailoring tone, style and content to the intended audience Education
Required: High School Diploma or GED
Experience
Advanced-level experience, seasoned and specialized knowledge in:
Accounting or Finance
Payroll and payroll systems
Payroll system configuration
Data Collection and Analysis
Financial and business risks and impacts

Preferred: Experience/knowledge of Workday Enterprise Management Cloud is preferred but not required

Preferred: Skilled in providing outstanding customer service and communication to Teams and Leaders at various levels
Licensing/Certification
N/A
Physical Abilities
Ability to perform work duties from limited space work station/desk/office area for extended periods of time
Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job
Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed and accuracy to meet the demands of the job
Other Qualifications
Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
Must be at least 18 years of age
Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary, and sensitive Company information
Must have the flexibility to work extended hours, including occasional weekends, and Company holidays
Some Travel required; overnight stay(s) may be required
Pay & Benefits: Competitive market salary from $88,550.00 per year to $98,400.00 per year* depending on qualifications and experience**. For eligible Leadership and individual contributor roles, additional bonus opportunities are available and awarded at the discretion of the Company. Benefits you’ll love:
Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
Up to a 9.3% 401(k) Company match, dollar for dollar, of your eligible pay, per paycheck***
Potential for annual ProfitSharing contribution toward retirement - when Southwest profits, you profit****
Explore more Benefits you’ll love: https://careers.southwestair.com/benefits *Pay amount doesn’t guarantee employment for any particular period of time *Competitive market salary from $88,550 per year to $98,400 per year is the starting salary range. Salaries may increase over time based on performance and market movement. *401(k) match contributions are subject to the plan’s vesting schedule and applicable IRS limits *ProfitSharing contributions are subject to plan’s vesting schedule and are made at the discretion of the Company. This role is offered as a regional workplace position and Employees must work in the region they support. This could require working from a mix of on-site Company facilities and remote based offices to perform the job function in a regional location determined by business need. Each Department will provide Employees with guidance on when and where presence is required with as much notice as reasonably possible. Please note, while this is a regional position, there is limited group of states or localities ineligible for Employees to regularly perform their work off-site. Those ineligible locations are: Alaska, Delaware, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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