POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Payroll Specialist
GRADE 42
CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Payroll Manager
MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Chief Financial Officer
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Payroll Specialist is responsible for the processing and timely delivery of assigned payrolls. The Payroll Specialist uses an understanding of the Universitys in-house payroll system to accurately pay employees in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, such as the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] and Fair Labor Standards Act [FLSA] rules and regulations. The Payroll Specialist helps to assure proper tax treatment, accounting, and disposition of withholdings such as taxes, deductions for benefits, charitable contributions, retirement contributions, other savings, etc. The Payroll Specialist exercises independent judgment and discretion in planning and carrying out the details of work procedures and methods.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience: A high school diploma or the equivalent is required; a Bachelors degree is preferred. With a high school diploma or the equivalent, three years of progressively responsible administrative experience in payroll processing is required; with a Bachelors degree, one year of progressively responsible administrative experience in payroll processing is required. Experience producing payrolls with in-house payroll systems is required. Experience producing payrolls for an employer with at least two-hundred and fifty employees is preferred.
Skills: Knowledge of payroll and accounting principles, payroll methods, Department of Labor regulations, and federal and state tax regulations is required. The ability to work independently and a working knowledge of Word and Excel is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Helps to ensure proper payment of wages and salaries by using the in-house payroll system to correctly process salaries and reported hours worked, correctly utilize paid leave and holiday pay, correctly accrue compensatory time, and correctly compute overtime while meeting deadlines.
2. Generates records of payrolls showing each payee, hours worked for nonexempt employees, wages paid, associated withholdings for retirement, benefits, and other contributions, and taxes withheld, maintains payroll records and accounts, and prepares journal entries related to payroll in a timely manner.
3. Facilitates employee participation in various voluntary payroll deduction options by processing voluntary deduction forms, which includes verifying employee eligibility and checking the accuracy of completed forms, and by ensuring the authorized deductions are made from employee paychecks and disbursed to the proper agencies and/or companies designated by the employee.
4. Reviews Personnel Action Forms to verify correct data entry.
5. Prepares required and assigned reports by compiling, researching, and analyzing data and performing monthly and annual reconciliations.
6. Helps to assure the correct tax processing of employee fringe benefits and application of appropriate withholding and reporting procedures.
7. Coordinates with Human Resources for proper benefit and deduction set-up, verifies and processes unused vacation and sick leave payouts, and terminates all payroll deductions for retiring and terminating employees.
8. Calculates adjustments for back pay, adjusts deferred pay for faculty beginning or leaving during the academic year and calculates pro-rated pay for Per Course or Graduate Assistants that terminate or begin work mid-semester, and processes all labor redistributions for assigned payrolls.
9. Trains new approvers on timesheet and leave report approval, assists employees having trouble accessing their timesheets, and contacts employees who havent submitted their timesheets for processing.
10. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
11. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development seminars, and attending training and/or courses as directed.
12. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
13. Contributes to the overall success of the Office of Financial Services by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned, acting as a back-up for other positions as needed, maintaining high levels of accuracy, maintaining a professional demeanor and appropriate levels of confidentiality, and providing excellent customer service.
SUPERVISION
The Payroll Specialist is supervised by the Payroll Manager.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
NOVEMBER 2014
JOB FAMILY 4
Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery
Level 2 - 900 Points: Entry-level professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, and methods of non-technical administrative and managerial functions. Knowledge permits the employee to carry out basic recurring tasks and routine portions of assignments or to carry out less demanding professional elements of assignments in areas including communications, social sciences, art and design, education, and related functions while gaining in familiarity with the University's policies and goals, business practices and/or accounting systems. This level of knowledge permits the employee to schedule and carry out the steps of a limited operation or project to complete stages of a multi-phase project. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in an unspecified field or a specific background in a non-technical area. Knowledge requirements may also include a limited amount of related work experience.
Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility
Level 1 - 50 Points: Typically, little, if any, supervision of others is required. The job may require irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers and/or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. The amount of time spent on directing the work of others is normally a small portion of total work time.
Factor 3: Interactions with Others
Level 3 - 250 Points: The purpose of interactions is to advise or counsel others to solve recurring and structured problems, and/or to plan or coordinate work efforts with other employees who are working toward common goals in situations where relationships are generally cooperative. Interactions are moderately structured and routine and may involve employees in different functions, students, and/or the general public. These types of interactions require normal interpersonal skills.
Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines
Level 2 - 250 Points: The employee carries out a group of procedures using the general methods and desired results indicated by the supervisor. Typically, standard operating procedures, handbooks, and/or reference manuals exist for most procedures, but the employee must select from the most appropriate of several guidelines and make minor adjustments to methods. Unforeseen situations are normally referred to others for resolution. Assignments are related in function and objective, but processes, procedures, or software varies from one assignment to another. Based on the assignment, the employee uses diverse, but conventional, methods, techniques, or approaches. Employees in jobs at this level may perform work that is moderately complex, but normally performed within a fairly narrow and specific functional area.
Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility
Level 3 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.