We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.
Please Note: This position is hybrid (2 days in-office - Woodland Hills)
How We LEAD:
The Senior Payroll Operations & Tax Analyst helps deliver accurate, timely payroll and compliant payroll tax administration across a large, multi-state U.S. workforce. This role combines hands-on payroll processing support with ownership of payroll tax and garnishment activities, and contributes to strong controls, responsive employee service, and practical process improvements.
The analyst works with Payroll, People, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, and external service providers to resolve issues, maintain compliance, and support reliable payroll operations. The role also evaluates technology and automation opportunities that can improve accuracy, reporting, and efficiency while protecting employee data.
How You’ll CREATE:
Coordinate payroll operations across weekly, bi-weekly, and semi-monthly cycles, providing coverage during peak periods and planned or unexpected team absences.
Prepare, validate, and enter payroll data, including hours, earnings, deductions, taxes, leave, direct deposits, and payroll adjustments.
Review employee changes and payroll records, including hires, terminations, transfers, retroactive transactions, tax elections, and direct deposit updates.
Own payroll tax administration, including tax account registration and maintenance, jurisdiction setup, withholding, quarterly and annual filings, reconciliations, amendments, W-2 and W-2C processing, and year-end activities.
Administer ADP SmartCompliance and resolve filing issues, agency notices, tax account questions, and other payroll tax exceptions.
Review payroll registers and reconcile payroll and tax reports; investigate out-of-balance items and correct discrepancies before or after payroll completion as appropriate.
Process manual checks, off-cycle payrolls, payroll corrections, and other adjustments, confirming related tax and deduction impacts.
Administer employee garnishments from receipt through resolution, including legal-order review, withholding priorities, deduction setup, remittance, recordkeeping, and employee or agency responses.
Research and resolve payroll, tax, garnishment, and timekeeping questions from employees and business partners through the established case-management process.
Partner with People, Finance, Legal, Corporate Tax, vendors, and other stakeholders on employment tax matters and payroll questions that require coordinated resolution.
Monitor federal, state, and local employment tax requirements and assess changes that affect payroll practices, systems, or procedures.
Support payroll tax treatment for supplemental wages, relocation, severance, bonuses, equity and executive compensation, and other employee pay programs.
Prepare documentation and analyses for payroll tax audits, tax authority examinations, internal reviews, and SOX controls; respond to audit requests and track follow-up actions.
Analyze payroll and tax data to identify trends, strengthen controls, reduce compliance risk, and recommend improvements to reporting and reconciliation practices.
Maintain payroll procedures, process documentation, and control records; support system updates, implementations, acquisitions, and other payroll projects.
Evaluate and use automation, analytics, and AI-enabled tools where appropriate to streamline research, reconciliations, reporting, and compliance monitoring, following governance and data privacy…