Payroll Officer (Temporary)

Salary: $38.23 - $42.16 hourly

This is a temporary position, limited to a maximum of 165 working days within a fiscal year. This position is not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits through the District. Holidays and vacations are unpaid. Sick leave is accrued in accordance with applicable state law. Employees who work over 1,000 hours in a fiscal year will be enrolled in CalPERS.

About the role

Under the direction of the administrator, perform a variety of financial services in support of compensation and related reporting requirements. Serve as a technical resource to personnel regarding payroll processes, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Process and submit payroll, tax and deduction forms, garnishment, paperwork, benefits, leaves, time sheets, stipends, STRS/PERS and cash balance retirement documents for assigned payroll groups.
• Correct contract audits and submit contractual stipends; respond to departmental inquiries regarding payable stipends and contracts.
• Receive, sort, and distribute paychecks according to established procedures and guidelines.
• Respond to IRS, Social Security Administration, CA State Franchise Tax Board, and other Federal and state agencies inquiries for levy, garnishments, and payroll information.
• Prepare, input, update, and submit a variety of reports, including employee retirement contributions into STRS and PERS and contributions for non-members.
• Investigate and resolve retroactive and other payroll and retirement discrepancy reporting issues.
• Serve as a technical resource to personnel regarding payroll processes, policies, and procedures; respond to inquiries and provide information concerning calculations, pay rates, benefits, taxes, and leaves.
• Assure compliance with relevant legal, procedural, and reporting requirements for taxes and retirement reporting.
• Maintain records of individual earnings, deductions, and related data including leave accruals; track and update worked hours and submit to appropriate personnel as assigned.
• Create, maintain, modify, and update benefit codes for medical, dental, vision, and volunteer insurance benefit cost and leave tracking; assure the accuracy of inputted data.
• Provide year-end accrual documentation and calculations for annual audit; prepare, provide documentation, and respond to any inquiries during the audit in a thorough and timely manner.
• Conduct year-end W2 filing including testing, processing, printing, and organizing for distribution.
• Communicate with all employees through emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings regarding payroll processes, payroll issues, and retirement reporting issues.
• Process and submit a variety of documents for employees and to appropriate agencies including State tax levy, garnishment, and benefit forms.
• Process special payroll transactions such as corrections, bonuses, replacements, final checks, and retroactive pay as appropriate.
• Keep abreast of the latest legislative changes regarding retirement reporting.
• Track and update deferred benefits, including TSA, 403b, and 457b benefits; communicate with third-party administrator and update the employee contribution in the system.
• Attend new employee orientation meetings and process new hires, retirements, and terminations as appropriate.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of the College's students, faculty, staff, and community.
• Effectively engage and support historically disproportionately impacted groups by addressing issues of equity and improving culturally responsive service-oriented practices.
• Attend and participate in various meetings, workshops, and conferences as assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Any combination equivalent to an associate's degree in accounting or related field AND two years increasingly responsible accounting experience.
• Evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded practices.

Skills

• Principles and techniques involved in payroll preparation and processing; tax withholding, voluntary deductions, and garnishments.
• Preparation, maintenance, verification, and processing of payroll records and reports.
• Organizational payroll policies and objectives; financial and statistical record-keeping techniques.
• Applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures, including the Education Code, labor laws, and Board policies and procedures.
• STRS and PERS laws and practices; principles and practices of data processing.
• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
• Preparation of financial statements and comprehensive accounting reports.
• Operation of a computer and assigned software.
• Effective oral and written communication skills; interpersonal skills including tact, patience, and courtesy.
• Ability to compare numbers and detect errors efficiently; interpret, apply, and explain laws, rules, and regulations related to payroll activities.
• Assemble, organize, and prepare data for records and reports; establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
• Meet schedules and timelines; perform a variety of technical duties in the preparation of payroll for certificated and/or classified personnel.
• Assure employees are paid in an accurate and timely manner; prepare and maintain a variety of automated and manual records and reports.
• Process payroll and related records for payrolls; monitor, audit, adjust, and reconcile payroll data.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve financial errors and discrepancies; work confidentially with discretion.

Physical Demands

This position requires physical abilities needed to work in a standard office setting, including but not limited to:

• Standing and/or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Occasional stooping, bending, kneeling, and twisting.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling light to moderate amounts of weight.
• Operating office equipment which may require repeated fine motor skills (e.g., keyboard use).
• Ability to communicate in written and verbal forms.
• Vision and hearing in normal ranges (with or without correction) sufficient to operate any assigned equipment and clearly communicate with others.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.