Payroll Manager

About the role

Administers the City’s central payroll function and guides management in financial decision making. Administers Citywide payroll HRMS functions and works as a liaison with IT and application vendors to manage program applications. Troubleshoots reports and databases, reconciles reporting errors, and makes recommendations within the highest levels of government in guiding decision making.

Responsibilities

• Ensures that employee payroll deductions including taxes, court-ordered deductions, benefits, and deferred compensation are accurately processed and remitted to the correct destinations.
• Reports and files payroll information and taxes with other governmental agencies, and prepares and distributes W-2 forms to all employees.
• Designs and directs special HRMS projects that target payroll transactions, and researches and analyzes system issues.
• Tests and evaluates reporting for outcomes and efficiencies; streamlines processes, establishes processes and protocols, and performs complex financial calculations.
• Develops policies and procedures that affect payroll administration.
• Ensures operational units comply with reporting requirements and maintains fiscal accountability with regard to rules, regulations, contracts, policies, and procedures.
• Designs and directs systems configurations for payroll HRMS, including the customization of applications and modules, querying reports, ensuring data integrity, troubleshooting, researching, and implementing solutions, administering security authorizations, and communicating and training staff on systems changes and report processes.
• Audits and corrects departmental payroll entries and employee paychecks, and recommends corrective actions or processes.
• Works with external auditors to support the annual audit process.
• Supervises, trains, and evaluates subordinate professional and technical employees; establishes performance requirements, completes annual performance reviews, and recommends discipline as necessary; makes effective recommendations in hiring and promotional processes.
• Inspects subordinates’ work for compliance with standards; reviews work upon completion for adherence to guidelines and the standards, and provides necessary feedback.
• Trains staff on payroll HRMS functions and processes.
• Researches and reconciles complex discrepancies in journal and accounting transactions, creates reports and compiles supporting documents for corrections, and guides staff and management through corrective actions.
• Provides complex and specialized information and assistance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Reviews new federal, state, and local legislation for its impact on current business processes or operations, and recommends actions to management.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration.

Experience: Five years of professional experience in payroll administration.

Equivalency: We accept equivalent combinations of education and experience.

Benefits

• Insurance Benefits Eligibility: Coverage begins for new hires and their dependents on the first day of the month following 30 consecutive days of employment.
• Eligible Dependents: Spouse or Domestic Partner, birth, adopted children or children placed for adoption, Domestic Partner's children, step-children who live with employee, and any child for whom employee is legal guardian or for whom coverage is required by a Qualified Medical Support Order. Adult children under age 26 are eligible.
• Medical: Qualified employees may select from two health carrier options; a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) administered by Kaiser Permanente or a Preferred Provider Option (PPO) administered by Premera Blue Cross. The monthly premium varies dependent upon plan and coverage level selected.
• Vision: Vision coverage is included in the medical plan selected. Costs for eye exams and hardware; lenses, frames or contacts varies depending on the medical plan selected.
• Dental: Dental insurance is provided by Delta Dental of Washington. The monthly premium is minimal for employee and eligible dependents.
• Life Insurance - Employee Only: Basic Term Life Insurance is provided at one-and-a-half times the employee's annual base salary to a maximum of $150,000. The City pays the monthly premium in full.
• Life Insurance - Eligible Dependent(s): Basic Term Life Insurance is provided at $7,500 for spouse/domestic partner and $3,000 for each child. The City pays the monthly premium in full.
• Long-Term Disability Insurance: Provided by The Standard. The City pays the monthly premium in full.
• Flexible Spending Account: The City offers two optional Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA. The Health Care FSA allows an employee to use pre-tax dollars to receive reimbursement for eligible medical, dental, and vision expenses. The Dependent Care FSA allows an employee to receive reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for dependent children up to age 13 and other eligible dependents as defined by IRS Code.
• AFLAC Supplemental insurance: Optional and provided by AFLAC to help pay benefits that major medical insurance does not cover. The employee pays 100% of the monthly premium.
• AudioNet Hearing Aid Benefit: Optional. The City of Spokane has partnered with AudioNet America to offer a discounted Hearing Aid Program with fixed out-of-pocket costs.
• LegalShield/ID Shield: Optional prepaid legal services and/or prepaid identity theft programs. These programs pay for a limited number of documents to be reviewed, limited trial defense representation, the preparation of a standard will, identity theft consultation, restoration and monitoring according to terms of contract.
• Pet Insurance: Optional plan in which City of Spokane Employees can enroll. Get cash back on the everyday care your pet needs to stay healthy!
• Voluntary Term Life Insurance: Optional and provided through The Standard Insurance Company and is subject to application review and approval. Additional coverage up to $300,000 is available for employees and their spouse/domestic partner. Dependent children can be insured for up to $10,000 each. The employee pays 100% of the monthly premium.
• Continued Medical/Dental Insurance: Employees separating from City service have the option to continue medical and/or dental insurance benefits in accordance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). The employee pays 100% of the monthly premium in addition to a small monthly administrative fee.
• Retirement Benefits: Spokane Employees' Retirement System (SERS) is a defined benefit pension plan covering non-uniformed, permanent employees. As a participant, you contribute 11% of your salary toward your retirement. Contributions and earnings are tax-deferred. The City also contributes 11% of your salary toward your retirement. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2015 become vested (eligible for a monthly benefit at retirement age) at seven years of service.
• Deferred Compensation: Enrollment in the City-sponsored 457 Deferred Compensation Plan administered by MissionSquare Retirement allows participants, on a voluntary basis, to defer a portion of their salary on a before or after tax basis. Contributions and associated earnings contributed on a before tax basis are eligible to receive City matching contributions and are tax deferred. You can also choose to participate in the 457 Roth (after tax) contribution option. You may enroll in the 457 plan or change your contribution at any time. Minimum contribution is $15 per paycheck up to and is subject to the IRS annual limitations. The City will match employee contributions up to $150/month.

Paid Time Off

• Official Holidays: The City observes seven official holidays as paid. An official holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday. An official holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on the Monday immediately following. The City observes Martin Luther King Jr's birthday but has not declared that day as an official holiday. For this reason, employees hired before the third Monday of January receive an additional eight hours of floating holiday time to be used in accordance with Spokane Managerial and Professional Association Collective Bargaining Agreement provisions.
• Floating Holidays: 48 hours of Floating Holidays to be used as of January 1st. Floating holiday hours may not be carried over into the next year and any unused hours will not be paid at termination.
• Vacation Leave: Employees earn paid vacation hours each pay period. The number of hours earned depends upon the employee's length of employment and the number of hours in a pay status. Vacation accrual ranges from 12 days per year for a new employee to 20 days per year after 11 years of employment. Unused vacation hours carry over each year but are subject to maximum accrual amounts in accordance with Spokane Managerial and Professional Association Collective Bargaining Agreement provisions.
• Sick Leave: Sick leave accrues at a rate of six (6) hours per biweekly pay period. Employees must be in paid status for 80% of that pay period to accrue sick leave. Unused sick leave hours carry over each year.
• Other Leaves: The City also provides several other paid and unpaid leaves, such as bereavement leave, Family and Medical Leave, maternity leave, jury duty, and military duty leave.

Work/Life Programs

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): A referral and counseling service administered by EAP Helpline.