Payroll Analyst

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company's innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit 

About Role
An Information Technology & Business Shared Services presence is established in Hyderabad, India with the objective of providing information technology application development and support services.

The Payroll Executive is responsible for the end-to-end processing and administration of payroll for all India-based employees. The role requires deep understanding of payroll systems, statutory compliance, labor laws, and coordination with internal stakeholders and external payroll vendors to ensure timely and accurate payroll delivery. The incumbent will also play a critical role in ensuring compliance with government regulations, handling employee queries, and driving process improvements in payroll operations. This is a full time role based out of Hyderabad – in office.

*Key Responsibilities*

• Payroll Processing and Administration
• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for monthly, quarterly, and annual cycles for India employees.
• Ensure timely collection and validation of inputs such as new joiners, exits, attendance, leave data, overtime, variable pay, reimbursements, bonuses, and salary revisions.
• Perform accurate computation of gross pay, deductions, arrears, taxes, and net pay in line with company policies and statutory requirements.
• Coordinate with the payroll vendor (e.g., ADP) for processing, verification, and resolving discrepancies.
• Validate payroll registers, variance reports, and reconcile payroll with finance data before finalization.
• Statutory Compliance and Government Regulations
• Ensure compliance with all statutory laws and government notifications related to payroll, including:
• Provident Fund (PF) – contributions, UAN activation, filing ECR.
• Professional Tax (PT) – registration, payments, and returns.
• Labour Welfare Fund (LWF) – deductions and remittances.
• Income Tax (TDS) – deductions, computation of tax liability, and filing of quarterly returns.
• Gratuity, Bonus Act, Payment of Wages Act, and Minimum Wages Act.
• Keep track of updates and amendments from government authorities (CBDT, EPFO, ESIC, State Tax, etc.) and ensure timely implementation.
• Ensure Form 16 issuance and year-end payroll closure.
• Handle statutory audits, labor inspections, and provide all payroll-related documentation to authorities.
• Collaboration and Coordination
• Work closely with Finance for accounting entries, and reconciliation of payroll-related general ledger accounts.
• Collaborate with HR Business Partners/HR Operations for inputs related to new hires, separations, promotions, and employee data updates.
• Partner with external payroll vendor for managing payroll runs, issue resolution, and maintaining service quality.
• Liaise with Compliance and Audit teams for timely submission of reports and addressing audit observations.
• Support tax consultants and statutory auditors during internal and external audits.
• Employee Support
• Act as the first point of contact for all employee queries related to salary, tax, and statutory deductions.
• Support employees with Form 16, income tax queries, PF details, and coordinate with vendor for resolution.
• Ensure confidential and secure handling of payroll data in accordance with data protection norms.
• Reporting and Process Improvement
• Prepare and maintain monthly payroll reports – CC reports, headcount cost analysis, and variance reports.
• Contribute to automation initiatives and process improvement projects for payroll efficiency.
• Assist in developing SOPs, checklists, and control matrices for payroll operations.
• Maintain documentation for audit and compliance readiness.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Accounting, or Human Resources or MBA
• Min 4 years of proven experience as a payroll specialist
• Solid understanding of accounting fundamentals and payroll best practices.
• Very good knowledge of legislation and regulations in the field.
• Proficient in MS Office and Excel, with good knowledge of relevant software and databases.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in handling large data volumes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Problem-solving mindset and ability to handle employee escalations calmly.
• Integrity and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Collaborative team player with an ability to work across HR, Finance, and external partners.

Eastman Chemical Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected classes as designated by law.

Eastman is committed to creating a highly engaged workforce, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential each day.