Analyst, Payroll

We at Athena empower exceptional talent with boundless opportunities to achieve more. We achieve this by pairing exceptional Executive Partners (XPs) from the Philippines and Kenya with our driven clients and ensuring both receive ongoing support throughout the journey. The result is 10x more leverage, more time, and a greater impact on our clients' work and lives.

With a waitlist growing by the day, Athena has already showcased compelling demand. As part of the Athena team, you will have an exponential opportunity, empowering the fiercely ambitious to reach the most audacious goals.

Role Overview

A Payroll Analyst is a critical role that requires a mix of technical proficiency in payroll systems and strong interpersonal skills for effective communication and collaboration. This role is integral to maintaining employee satisfaction, ensuring compliance, and contributing to the overall financial health of the organization.

Duties & Responsibilities

A Payroll Analyst is responsible for processing payroll and timekeeping of employee salaries and pay. Other duties include responding to payroll inquiries, as well as collaborating with various departments to enhance payroll service efficiency. Other responsibilities include preparation of reports, compiling and reporting on earnings and deductions summaries, leaves and other statutory requirements.

Payroll Processing & Timekeeping

• Process Employee Payroll: Ensuring accurate and timely payment of salaries, bonuses, commissions, and other forms of compensation. Managing payroll cycles (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
• Track Employee Hours: Managing and verifying employee time records, including overtime, sick leave, vacation days, and paid time off (PTO). This includes calculating hours worked based on timekeeping systems (e.g., clock-in/clock-out times, timesheets).
• Ensure Correct Deductions: Accurately apply tax withholdings, benefit deductions, and other deductions as per company policies, union agreements, or statutory requirements.
• Address Payroll Errors: Troubleshooting discrepancies in employee pay, overtime, or deductions, and working to resolve them in a timely manner.

Payroll Inquiries & Customer Service

• Respond to Employee Queries: Addressing questions and concerns from employees regarding pay stubs, deductions, overtime, and tax withholding.
• Explain Payroll Information: Educating employees on their payslips, explaining complex payroll matters like deductions, adjustments, and benefits contributions.
• Assist with Payroll Discrepancies: Investigating issues such as underpayments or overpayments, correcting errors, and ensuring appropriate adjustments are made.

Collaboration With Internal Departments

• Work with Compensation and Benefits:: Collaborating with the C&B department to ensure employee records are accurate and up-to-date, including changes in salary, benefits, and employment status (e.g., new hires, terminations).
• Coordinate with Finance: Collaborating with the finance team to ensure payroll costs are accounted for correctly in the budget and financial reports. This includes reporting payroll expenses for the company’s financial planning.

Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare Payroll Reports: Preparing accurate and timely reports on payroll data, including earnings, deductions, bonuses, and taxes.
• Leave and Absence Reporting: Tracking and reporting on employee leave balances (vacation, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave) and ensuring compliance with company policies and legal requirements.

Statutory Compliance

• Ensure Compliance with Labor Laws: Keeping up to date with changes in labor laws, tax regulations, and payroll-related legislation to ensure compliance. This includes regulations related to overtime and benefits.
• Government Compliance: Ensuring accurate reporting for statutory benefits (e.g., Social Security System, Philhealth, HDMF) and making necessary filings with tax authorities or government agencies.

Payroll System & Process Improvement

• Improve Payroll Efficiency: Identifying inefficiencies in the payroll process and suggesting improvements, including automation opportunities or system upgrades.
• Testing & Implementation of New Systems: Helping implement new payroll and timekeeping systems (e.g., Workday, Sprout, Sunlax) and ensuring the smooth transition of payroll data during system upgrades or changes.

End-of-Year & Audit Support

• Year-End Processing: Ensuring year-end payroll activities are completed on time, including generating BIR 2316 forms alphalist and reconciliations for the year.
• Audit Support: Assisting internal or external auditors by providing necessary payroll documentation, reports, and data for payroll audits.
• Compliance Audits: Supporting audits to ensure that payroll complies with local, state, and federal regulations, and helping to resolve any discrepancies found during audits.

Confidentiality And Data Protection

• Maintain Confidentiality: Ensuring employee payroll data (e.g., salaries, tax information) is handled with the utmost confidentiality.
• Adhere to Data Protection Policies: Complying with data protection laws and company policies (e.g., GDPR) to safeguard employee privacy and ensure the security of payroll data.

Key Stakeholders

All employees, ICs and trainees from both the Support and Operations department.

Skills and Competencies

• Payroll Processing In-depth understanding of payroll processes, including calculation of wages, deductions, bonuses, and overtime. Knowledgeable of overtime rules, paid time off (PTO), and other leave policies. Ensuring payroll is processed accurately and timely, and that all employee compensation is correct according to established policies and legal requirements.
• Tax Calculation & Compliance Preparing and filing of statutory remittance Understanding of other global and local tax laws impacting payroll is an advantage. Helps ensure that payroll is compliant with all tax regulations, avoiding penalties or legal issues.
• Tools and Payroll Software Proficiency Familiarity with payroll processing tools, time tracking software, employee self-service portals and data management tools. Payroll analysts must be able to efficiently navigate payroll platforms, troubleshoot issues, and produce accurate reports.
• Data Integrity & Accuracy Data Analysis & Reporting Ability to analyze payroll data, create custom reports, and identify trends or discrepancies. Ensuring all payroll entries are properly recorded and accounted for.

Relevant Experience Required

• At least 2 years of hands-on experience processing Philippine payroll, ensuring compliance with local tax laws, benefits administration, and wage regulations.
• The ability to multitask, manage a fast-paced workload, and work independently.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel (essential for payroll calculations and reporting) and PowerPoint (useful for presentations and summaries).
• Intermediate communication skills (both written and oral) to effectively handle employee inquiries, and to collaborate with internal teams (e.g., Compensation and Benefits and Finance).
• In-depth understanding of local tax and wage laws (e.g., BIR tax filings, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, 13th-month pay, overtime, etc.).

Educational and Certification Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in a related field (Accounting, Finance, or Management).
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) is an advantage

Direct Reports and Span of Control

This is an Individual Contributor role.

Equal Opportunity Employer: At Athena, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace environment. We believe that diversity enriches our organization, enhances creativity, and drives innovation. We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. We actively promote diversity and inclusion through our hiring practices, employee development initiatives, and company culture, recognizing that it is essential for our success as a company and as a community