Payroll Analyst

Who we are

At Car Gurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we’re the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we’ve been profitable for over 15 years.

What we do

The market is evolving, and we are too, moving the entire automotive journey online and guiding our customers through every step. That includes everything from the sale of an old car to the financing, purchase, and delivery of a new one. Today, tens of millions of consumers visit  each month, and ~30,000 dealerships use our products. But they're not the only ones who love Car Gurus—our employees do, too.

We have a people-first culture that fosters kindness, collaboration, and innovation, and empowers our Gurus with tools to fuel their career growth. Disrupting a trillion-dollar industry requires fresh and diverse perspectives. Come join us for the ride!

Role Overview

Car Gurus is seeking a detail-oriented and collaborative Payroll Analyst to join our People & Talent team. In this role, you'll support the launch and ongoing operations of both bi-weekly and semi-monthly payroll cycles. This position plays a key part in ensuring that employees across the U.S. and internationally (UK, Ireland, and Canada) are paid accurately and on time.

The Payroll Analyst will also be responsible for generating recurring reports, supporting annual payroll projects, and partnering with Accounting on journal entries. Our Payroll team also leads commission and bonus payrolls, manages benefit accruals, and ensures compliance across all payroll processes.

What you’ll do

• Support end-to-end payroll processing across multiple countries (U.S., UK, Ireland, and Canada).
• Collect and validate payroll data across departments and teams.
• Input and maintain payroll data within Workday HRIS.
• Ensure accurate recordkeeping of payroll transactions and documentation.
• Manage payroll workflows to ensure timely and precise processing.
• Maintain employee tax allocations in Workday.
• Reconcile payroll prior to transmission and validate results post-processing.
• Ensure employee hours are submitted and approved accurately in Workday.
• Assist with payroll amendments and year-end reporting (W-2s, W-2cs, 1095-Cs).
• Build and maintain ad hoc payroll and financial reports
• Process off-cycle and manual payments as needed.
• Manage the payroll inbox and respond promptly to inquiries.
• Complete employment verification requests.
• Support the Payroll Manager with daily operations and issue resolution.
• Assist with internal and external payroll audits.
• Collaborate with the People Operations team on special projects.
• Support payroll-related equity transactions.

What you’ll bring

• 3–4 years of hands-on experience processing multi-state and multi-cycle payrolls.
• Solid understanding of payroll best practices and compliance standards.
• Working knowledge of payroll tax regulations, fringe benefits, employee benefits, and equity compensation.
• Familiarity with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Proficiency with Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience using Workday HRIS for payroll processing.
• High level of integrity and ability to handle sensitive and confidential data.
• Strong communication skills—both written and verbal.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Understanding of FLSA regulations and record-keeping requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Working at Car Gurus

We reward our Gurus’ curiosity and passion with best-in-class benefits and compensation, including equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us. Our career development and corporate giving programs, as well as our employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities, help people build connections while making an impact in personally meaningful ways. A flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies encourage work-life balance and individual…