Payroll Analyst II

Job Identification: 42984

Job Category: Human Resources

Apply Before: 04/01/2026, 01:40 PM

Degree Level: Bachelor’s Degree

Locations: 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, US

Essential Personnel: No
Job Description

Organizational Summary: Central HR consists of multiple areas of expertise including Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Classification & Compensation; Employee and Labor Relations; Continuous Process Improvement, HRIS, HR Business Partners and Talent and Learning Management. USF Human Resources is embarking on a multi-year transformation focused on a Human Resources strategy that elevates our people so that the University and culture support a competitive workforce advantage in line with our strategic plan.

Position Summary: The Payroll Analyst II provides advanced analytical and operational support to Payroll Services, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing for a large, complex organization. This role supports payroll tax analysis, including specialized support for Nonresident Alien (NRA) taxation, and delivers data-driven insights to strengthen payroll accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

Payroll Tax & Compliance

• Perform payroll tax analysis to ensure compliance with federal, state, IRS, and university regulations, including FICA.
• Understanding of Nonresident Alien (NRA) and Resident Alien (RA) tax compliance.
• Support complex tax scenarios, including Nonresident Alien (NRA) processing.
• Assist with tax reconciliations, discrepancy resolution, and year-end activities, including W-2 and W-2C processing.

Payroll Processing & Analysis

• Support end-to-end payroll processing, including pre- and post-payroll validations, audit controls, and reconciliations.
• Analyze payroll results to identify and resolve discrepancies, including retro analysis, overpayments, garnishments, and tax variances.
• Assist with off-cycle processing and corrective transactions to ensure accurate and timely pay.
• Develop and maintain payroll reports, dashboards, and monitoring tools using existing system (Oracle Cloud HCM) capabilities and data to support intake management, track volume trends, measure SLA adherence, and inform workload, performance, and efficiency improvements.
• Analyze employee and payroll data to identify trends, variances, risks, and improvement opportunities. Ensure payroll processes align with federal, state, IRS, and university policies and regulations. Support audits, maintain documentation, and strengthen payroll controls and SOPs. Respond to payroll inquiries and tickets, providing clear and timely resolution.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
  – Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
  – SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
  – A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
  – (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
  – (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
  – (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
  – (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
  – (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
  – Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
  – Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.
• 3-5 years of experience in functional payroll processing, payroll analysis, or payroll tax.
• Experience supporting payroll in a large complex organization.
• Working knowledge of payroll tax regulations (federal and state), including FICA.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret, reconcile, and validate payroll data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., pivot tables, formulas, data analysis).
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Preferred:

• Experience with Oracle Cloud HCM Payroll and Time & Labor and ADP.
• Experience supporting Nonresident Alien (NRA) taxation and compliance.
• Experience with payroll tax compliance.
• Knowledge of IRS regulations and year-end payroll processes (W-2, W-2C).
• Familiarity with higher education, public sector, or large employer payroll environments

About Us

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF’s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.