Payroll Manager

About the Role

The Payroll Manager ensures accurate, timely, and confidential administration of payroll for faculty, staff, administrators, adjuncts, and student employees. This position oversees payroll processing and related reporting, maintains payroll and timekeeping records, administers payroll deductions and retirement contributions, and serves as the primary institutional contact for isolved payroll-related matters. The Payroll Manager collaborates with Human Resources, the Controller, Information Technology, and other campus departments to ensure compliance with institutional policies and applicable payroll requirements. Additionally, the role includes designated accounting functions such as bank account reconciliations, document retention, and serving as the Perkins Loan Coordinator for student loan administration, collections, and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Payroll (75%)
  • Prepare and process monthly payroll for faculty, staff, administrators, adjuncts, and students via isolved.
  • Review new employee forms and employee data changes submitted by Human Resources.
  • Onboard new student employees.
  • Calculate partial paychecks for new hires and employees on leave, as well as final paychecks for terminating employees.
  • Enter and maintain payroll data in isolved.
  • Preview each payroll and verify payroll totals prior to Controller review.
  • Prepare and distribute post-payroll reports, including journal vouchers and budget updates.
  • Serve as the TIAA administrator by maintaining participant accounts and uploading monthly employee contributions and employer matching contributions.
  • Set up, monitor, and prepare monthly payments for payroll withholding items, including garnishments, child support orders, charitable contributions, and internal accounts receivable agreements.
  • Monitor employee accruals and timecards for accuracy and resolve discrepancies with appropriate departments.
  • Maintain accurate employee status information to assist Information Technology with employee tracking, system access, and permissions.
  • Monitor outstanding payroll checks and issue replacement checks for stale-dated checks in accordance with institutional procedures.
  • Prepare monthly payroll schedules and supporting documentation for the annual audit.
  • Communicate significant payroll updates, deadlines, and anticipated payroll distribution dates to the campus community.
  • Maintain an understanding of employee benefits and payroll-related provisions in the Administrative Handbook.
  • Collaborate with Human Resources to interpret policy changes and implement updates to payroll and timekeeping systems.
  • Serve as the primary contact for isolved regarding payroll-related inquiries, system changes, and issues.
  • Develop and maintain training materials for employees and supervisors on timecard procedures and mobile application usage.
• Accounting Office General (20%)
  • Perform monthly reconciliations of designated bank accounts, including:
    • Operating account, including daily review of checks clearing the account and updating the accounting system.
    • PAI insurance account, including biweekly deposit review.
    • TD Bank credit card receipts account and related fee allocation.
    • Flexible Spending Account bank and liability accounts for healthcare and dependent care.
    • Annual Fund, Endowment Transfer, and President's Unrestricted accounts.
  • Maintain document storage and retention records in accordance with institutional policies.
  • Perform other accounting or administrative duties as assigned to support the Accounting Office.
• Perkins Loan Coordinator (5%)
  • Serve as the primary contact for students and collection agencies regarding Perkins Loan information, payments, deferments, and consolidations.
  • Assist students in understanding Loan Disclosure and Terms of Repayment requirements, available deferments, and cancellation privileges.
  • Maintain student status reports and notify the loan servicer, ECSI, of applicable changes.
  • Monitor student accounts for exit counseling, grace periods, and repayment status; notify the Registrar of missing documentation or default status and initiate account holds as appropriate.
  • Review accounts assigned to collection agencies and complete Loan Verification Certificates for loan consolidation.
  • Obtain approval for loans to be litigated when other collection efforts are unsuccessful.
  • Issue payments to collection agencies for monthly collection activity.
  • Apply loan payments and payoffs received and monitor loans with small or credit balances.

Qualifications

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities while meeting critical deadlines in a confidential accounting environment.
• Strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy in processing financial and payroll information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees, students, supervisors, and the public.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality when handling payroll, personnel, student, and financial information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace products.
• Knowledge of isolved payroll software preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, finance, human resources, or a related field preferred.
• Previous experience in higher education or a related accounting/payroll environment preferred.
• Ability to interpret institutional policies and apply them accurately to payroll and related processes.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with Human Resources, the Controller, Information Technology, the Registrar, employees, students, and external service providers.

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday. Hours may vary to include working on holidays, contingent on payroll schedules.