Payroll Supervisor

Salary $110,087.54 - $139,542.21 Annually Location King County Courthouse - 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA Job Type Civil Service Job Number 2026SBR28206 Department KCSO - Sheriff's Office Division Support Services Opening Date 10/16/2026 Closing Date 11/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific FLSA Exempt Bargaining Unit Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines Full- or Part-Time Full Time DescriptionBenefitsQuestions Summary This is an exciting opportunity to join the King County Sheriff’s Office as a Payroll Supervisor. This position will provide strong leadership for five (5) payroll support staff and Payroll Specialists, and oversee the processing of bi-weekly payroll for over 1,100 employees by ensuring compliance with complex union contracts, federal, and state laws. The Payroll Supervisor will oversee the full payroll cycle, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and handle sensitive financial data with a focus on accuracy and timeliness. The position will work directly with all levels of management and provide high-level customer service to commissioned and non-commissioned roles. The supervisor performs a variety of non-routine and increasingly complex payroll tasks, exercises discretion and independent judgement in processing payroll data, and assists with special assignments and projects. WHO MAY APPLY: This position is only open to current King County employees. The Payroll Supervisor is a civil service classified position. The recruitment and hiring process will be administered in accordance with King County Civil Service Rules. You can access these rules at Civil Service Rules. For More Information About Application Requirements Go To Civil-service-application-requirements.pdf For more information about King County Service please visit our King County Civil Service website. Job Duties General job duties include, but are not limited to: Provide leadership, supervision, direction, and training in all aspects of payroll and related operations.Supervise payroll staff by overseeing, directing, monitoring workflow and work product. Manage employee performance to ensure payroll work items are completed accurately and by assigned deadlines.Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on all payroll related matters and payroll projects. Participate in strategic planning efforts and develop and/or revise payroll policies and procedures for assigned work unit as necessary.Provide research and analysis related to financial data including payroll issues regarding overtime, special duty, salary earnings history, labor contract settlements and retroactive payments.Develop, plan, and manage special projects within work unit.Direct and assist staff in handling difficult or unusual payroll issues through research and interpretation of policies, contracts and procedures.Manage daily payroll decisions tied to contractual labor obligations, navigating complex financial variables that directly impact the Sheriff’s Office budget and expenditures. Work with external auditors, labor negotiators on 11 KCSO union contracts, public disclosure requests, and central payroll staff on complex and time sensitive questions related to payroll.Testify at labor arbitration hearings (when needed) as payroll subject matter expert for department.Work closely with management to identify and interpret technical information on current payroll administrative policies and procedures and help resolve complex payroll problems related to labor contracts.Coordinate with Central Finance and labor relations on contract implementation, COLA, payroll calendar development, future policies and computer systems conversions. Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills This role requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent communication, and the ability to manage a demanding workload with minimal supervision and the following: Minimum of five (5) years of professional, comprehensive accounting and payroll operations experience. An equivalent combination of education and professional experience in financial operations within a large organization may be considered.Minimum of five (5) years experience in labor contract administration and interpretationExtensive experience with payroll production processingLabor contract implementation and administration experienceExperience in complex payroll research and information gatheringStrong interpersonal, communication, conflict resolution, and delegation skillsSupervisory or lead experience in payroll operations or related areaStrong organizational and collaboration skills Additional Requirements You must be a United States citizen, Lawful Permanent Resident, or deferred action childhood arrival (DACA) recipientYou must have the ability to read, speak, and write in the English language fluentlyVerify that you do not meet any of the KCSO Automatic Disqualifying Behavior requirementsYou must be able to meet all KCSO background standards as listed in section 10.14 of the Civil Service Rules. Background requirements will be evaluated throughout the hiring process Desired Qualifications In addition to the minimum qualifications, competitive candidates will also have one or more of the following: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA)Experience with public sector practices, including experience with labor relationsExperience with PeopleSoft or a similar payroll processing systemExperience with Oracle/EBS financial systemPrevious experience in law enforcement or public safety agencies Supplemental Information WORK SCHEDULE: Monday – Friday. This position is FLSA Exempt and is not eligible for overtime. LOCATION: This position is eligible to work in a hybrid model. This position requires a minimum of 3 days per week onsite and is subject to change based on business needs. The primary onsite location is at King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104. RECRUITMENT TIMELINE: Applications will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates will be invited to participate in an oral board interview. Below is the timeline for this recruitment: Oral Board Interview: Early December 2026 Please note, dates are subject to change based on resource availability. Here Are Resources To Help With Civil Service Examinations Helpful tips for the Civil Service oral board interview: Video - Oral Board Examination InformationAdditional information on King County’s commitment to equity and social justice: Website - Understanding King County ERSJ Values and Commitments NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The candidate selected for this position will be required to pass a comprehensive background investigation to include fingerprinting and a polygraph examination. REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS: Please carefully review the list of required materials before submitting your application. Additional information on application requirements can be found on the Civil Service website. Candidates must complete an online employment application at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs with employment history going back at least ten years, if applicable, and all relevant experience that exceeds ten years. Applications that say “see resume” or do not have any work history listed in the application itself will not be considered. Resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed job application. Answer all the supplemental questions.Review the list of KCSO Automatic Disqualifiers and verify your qualification for employment with King County Sheriff's Office. CONTACT: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Sara Rogers, Senior Human Resource Analyst Civil Service Administration | sarrogers@kingcounty.gov If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or if you have questions, please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement. CLASSIFICATION: The classification for this position is Administrator III. King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us. King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here. King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation. Benefits King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs: Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependentsLife and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependentsRetirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation planTransportation program and ORCA transit pass12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidaysGenerous vacation and paid sick leavePaid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leavesFlexible Spending AccountWellness programsOnsite activity centersEmployee Giving ProgramEmployee assistance programsFlexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on positionTraining and career development programs For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page. This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass. For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting. 01 You must be a current US Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident or DACA recipient to qualify for civil service positions with the King County Sheriff's Office. Are you now a United States citizen, Legal Permanent Resident or DACA recipient? YesNo 02 Can you read, write and speak the English language? YesNo 03 The King County Sheriff's Office maintains a list of automatic disqualifiers for employment. This list can be accessed by clicking on this link Automatic Disqualifiers. Please review the disqualifiers and respond to the following question before proceeding. Do you certify that based on your review of the automatic disqualifiers that you are qualified for employment with the King County Sheriff's Office? Note - This information will be verified prior to scheduling an oral board interview. YesNo 04 The background of all King County Sheriff's Office employees and applicants are thoroughly checked. The required background investigation will review and evaluate driving records, criminal records, criminal behavior, employment histories, military records, personal and employment references, and related information. Candidates who pass the initial background investigation will be required to complete a polygraph. Are you willing to undergo a background investigation and polygraph examination as part of the employment process? YesNo 05 You are required to be at least 18 years of age when submitting your application for this position. At the time of this application, are you at least 18 years of age? YesNo 06 Are you requesting King County Sheriff's Office Explorer Points? You must have served as an active KCSO Explorer for two (2) years and have completed a minimum of 850 hours of KCSO Explorer training and/or service hours. YesNo 07 Are you requesting Veteran's Preference Points? If you are requesting Veteran's Preference Points. A copy of your DD 214 or other proof of military service is required. Please confirm that you have either attached the required document to your application or will provide it upon request. YesNo 08 Are you requesting King County Sheriff's Office Explorer Points? You must have served as an active KCSO Explorer for two (2) years and have completed a minimum of 850 hours of KCSO Explorer training and/or service hours. YesNo 09 Candidates who have been previously disqualified by KCSO within the 12-months of application will be automatically disqualified from the recruitment process. Note: This information will be verified prior to moving forward in the oral board process. Yes, I have been disqualified by KCSO within the past 12 months.No, I have not been disqualified by KCSO within the past 12 months. 10 How many years of experience do you have in professional, comprehensive accounting and payroll operations? Your application must support this response. Less than 2 years2-3 years3-4 years5 years or more 11 How many years of experience do you have in labor contract administration and interpretation as it relates to payroll? Your application must support this response. Less than 2 years2-3 years3-4 years5 years or more 12 Do you have supervisory or lead experience in payroll operations or related area? Your application must support this response. YesNo 13 Do you have a bachelor's degree in accounting or related field? Your application must support this response. YesNo 14 Are you a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA)? Your application must support this response. YesNo Required Question Employer King County Address King Street Center 201 South Jackson Street Seattle, Washington, 98104 Phone 206-477-3404 Website http://www.kingcounty.gov/