Payroll Specialist

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies: operating programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges; conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

About the role

The Center is looking for a Payroll Specialist to support the operations, communication, implementation, and administrative functions of all payroll processes. Reporting to the Associate Director, Payroll, the Payroll Specialist will be responsible for execution of payroll for all Center staff. We are looking for a dynamic, self-starter who enjoys working both independently and within a team.

Responsibilities

• Support the administration of bi-weekly payroll processing for 900+ salaried and hourly employees, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and timely execution;
• Review, analyze, and audit employee timecards; advise managers on discrepancies, policy compliance, and required adjustments;
• Confirm and validate direct deposit and tax-related information for new hires, ensuring compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements;
• Enter and maintain employee data in Paycom, including garnishments, child support orders, and tax setup changes;
• Assess and resolve escalated payroll issues confidentially, providing guidance and interpretation of payroll policies and regulatory requirements;
• Generate, analyze, and interpret bi-weekly payroll reports for HR, Fiscal, audit review, and year-end reporting; identify trends and recommend process improvements;
• Support the department with the annual W-2 process;
• Calculate partial payments for new hires and separating employees; maintain and update the partial payment tracking spreadsheet;
• Collaborate with cross-functional departments to resolve payroll-related issues, such as missing hours or timecard assignments;
• Manage payroll department correspondence, including filing, archiving, faxing, photocopying, and shipping;
• Facilitate payroll onboarding during New Hire Orientation;
• Complete special projects as assigned by the Payroll Manager;
• Provide general administrative support to the Payroll department and assist with day-to-day office needs;
• Prepare payroll-related invoices and coordinate with HR and Fiscal teams to resolve billing or payment inquiries; and
• Perform additional relevant tasks as needed to support payroll operations.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree in a relevant field (such as Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or Human Resources) with at least 1-2 years of experience working in an office environment (HR, payroll, etc.). Non-profit experience a plus.
• Experience working with Paycom software preferred.
• Proficiency with MS Office programs and intermediate skill required in Excel.
• Candidate must be detail oriented and possess excellent communication and organizational skills.
• The ideal candidate will be professional and personable yet have the ability to exercise sound judgment when dealing with sensitive and confidential matters.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare with a national network
• Free basic dental coverage
• Vision insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA
• Mental health care services like Talkspace and Ginger through healthcare plans
• 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%

Pay

The compensation range for this position is $68,400 - $75,000 and is commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Full-time

Position location: Midtown Manhattan.