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Payroll Technician

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Reports to: Payroll Supervisor
Division: Administrative Services

Our ideal candidate
Ideally, you will work efficiently, with strong attention to detail. You are a problem-solver with a “can-do” attitude, and enjoy working with a team to get the job done. You understand the sensitive nature of your work and it shows in your care when providing great services to the employees you serve. You have the ability to conduct technical research, learn and apply laws governing payroll, and the skill to complete complex arithmetic computations.

General description
This position insures the timely preparation and maintenance of payrolls for administration, teaching, and support staff. Performs technical and clerical accounting and financial recordkeeping activities involving all aspects of payroll. Audits records, computes special arrangements, and reconciles retirement balances. Has a complete understanding of academic and classified payroll systems and the laws, regulations, and reporting requirements. Demonstrates competency in audit of payroll transactions and systems. Prepares a variety of payrolls and performs specialized services such as those for mandated internal and external reporting.

Specific duties and responsibilities

  • Sets up and maintains employee payroll records. Ensures records are up-to-date and includes the necessary job and biographical information for accurate group benefit and retirement plan coverage and deductions.
  • Prepares regular and variable payrolls for administrative, academic, classified and student personnel. Computes payroll deductions including those for retirement, union dues, tax sheltered annuities, credit union, withholding taxes and insurance.
  • Verifies accuracy of individual employee benefit rates, calculating unused portion of allowable benefit cap.
  • Sets up and maintains payroll vendor files for various benefits and miscellaneous deductions.
  • Maintains records for unfunded payroll, benefits, retirement, and related liabilities; records transactions, balances, issues refunds, and otherwise accounts for funds.
  • Calculates pay data and benefits arrangements for employees leaving service, retirees, and special circumstances such as legal orders affecting individuals’ pay. Processes appropriate coverage and payments under COBRA or other agreements. Reconciles voluntary employee deductions and payments for payment to third party insurers.
  • Assures payroll timelines are met, maintains payroll controls, and assures proper procedures, policies, rules and regulations are applied to payroll activities. Checks payrolls for compliance with rules, regulations and policies.
  • Interprets and explains payroll policies, procedures, and technical issues to employees, referring the most difficult and sensitive matters to higher authority
  • Audits and updates regular and supplemental payrolls adding payroll information for new employees and calculating proper deductions as needed
  • Assists accounting staff with the reconciliation of payroll system details to general ledger. Prepares document trails to support audit requirements
  • Prepares retirement and withdrawal forms and reports for both academic and classified pay systems
  • Verifies and facilitates the process of transferring payroll account information or payments to the County Education Office, insurance companies, and financial institutions
  • Prepares periodic reports of disbursements
  • Participates in activities connected with the development and maintenance of automated payroll systems using relational databases
  • May prepare annual total compensation statements for each employee showing salaries, benefits, and deductions
  • May train and critique the work progress and results of other payroll staff
  • Reviews work, answers questions, and assists with the more complex computations
  • Provides group presentations/workshops for SBCEO Departments and other district staff as needed
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements
Education: An associate’s degree in general business or accounting, or progressively responsible experience in appropriate fields.

Experience: Four years of experience in payroll processing and audits.

Knowledge and skills:

  • The laws, regulations, and procedures that govern payroll and payroll processing
  • Accounting procedures used in education and general ledger record keeping
  • The organization’s automated administrative system, or of integrated/automated payroll/personnel systems in general
  • Sufficient human relations and communication skills to convey personal and technical information to all levels of staff, to train payroll and non-payroll staff, and to facilitate problem resolution
  • Computer-aided office productivity software and special accounting/payroll software using relational databases
  • Advanced math skills sufficient to perform complex payroll calculations and conversions
  • Reading skill sufficient to read codes, regulations, and tax laws, and well-developed writing skills for reports and procedures.

Abilities

  • Maintain accurate payroll records and prepare accurate tax returns.
  • Learn and apply laws, codes governing payroll and retirement in California, as well as policies, procedures and contractual arrangements of the County Education Office
  • Prepare clear, complete, and concise financial records and analyze payroll and accounting data and prepare financial statements pertaining to the area of specialization
  • Learn the chart of accounts and reconcile payroll to general ledger
  • Conduct technical research, complete complex arithmetic computations and prepare reports
  • Use a range of personal computer software such as spreadsheets, word processing, and databases
  • Extract data from databases and import into formats that produce reports, checks, and are remitted to other organizations
  • Ensure the confidentiality of private information
  • Work in an office setting engaged in work of a primarily sedentary nature
  • Retrieve files and stand at a counter for customer service transactions
  • Have sufficient hand-eye-arm coordination to use a keyboard and 10-key, retrieve work materials from storage files, and operate a variety of general office equipment
  • Visual acuity to read computer screens, printed material, and detailed accounting information
  • Auditory ability to carry on conversations over the phone and in person.

Licenses and certificates
Valid California driver’s license

Working conditions
Work is performed indoors with minimal exposure to health and safety considerations

Salary range 75

Series
Fiscal/Business

Approved by the Personnel Commission: July 20, 2005
Revised: Aug. 18, 2006
Revised: June 28, 2012
Revised: May 25, 2017