Payroll Analyst

Payroll Analyst Do you love Payroll? Like REALLY love Payroll? I'm talking like people seek you out at parties just to hear you talk about Payroll. Do you enjoy finding insights in payroll data and making recommendations that make leaders say "Oh em gee!!! You're a-mazing!" Do you like having fun at work? Most importantly, are you awesome? If you answered yes to these questions, we need to talk. We are hiring a Payroll Analyst to partner directly with the business and continue advancing Payroll as a strategic function. The Payroll Analyst serves as a data-driven partner and project resource to improve payroll efficiency and labor cost management. This role proactively analyzes workforce data to provide leaders with actionable insights, recommends process standardizations to remove manual intervention, and ensures compliance with payroll regulations. Additionally, this role acts as a key technical resource for payroll-related projects, specifically focused on system testing and validation. This is a virtual/remote role; local candidates based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Metro area will be required to be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week Labor Data Analysis and Business Partnership: Analyze payroll and timekeeping data to identify trends in overtime, labor costs, and workforce behaviors Serve as a consultative partner to site leadership and HRBPs, translating complex data into clear recommendations for labor efficiency Process Optimization and Standardization: Identify opportunities to remove manual processes (e.g., reducing Punch Exception Form volume) and drive greater standardization across departments Recommend enhancements to Workday Payroll and Time Tracking to increase system automation and data integrity Project Support and Technical Testing: Serve as the primary payroll resource for enterprise projects requiring payroll/time tracking expertise Lead payroll testing cycles (UAT), including creating test scripts, executing calculations, and validating results to ensure project success Compliance, Auditing, and Risk Management: Maintain deep knowledge of U.S. payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, and multi-state taxation Audit manual timecard entries and meal/break compliance to mitigate risk and ensure alignment with company policy Identify potential compliance risks and partner with internal stakeholders to implement proactive controls Required Education / Experience / Knowledge: 4-year degree or equivalent experience and 5-10 years of progressive payroll experience in large, complex, multi-state payroll environments. Strong understanding of U.S. payroll compliance, wage and hour considerations, and multi-state taxation. Advanced analytical capability with the ability to interpret complex regulations into operational controls. Experience with User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and project lifecycles. Preferred: CPP certification. Workday Payroll and Workday Time Tracking experience $81,200-$121,800. In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges. About Land O'Lakes, Inc. Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list. Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k). Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy. Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested. Land O'Lakes does not use Automated Decision-Making Technology, as defined by California law, to substantially replace human decision-making or make significant decisions about applications for employment or contracting opportunities.