City of Santa Rosa Jobs – Payroll Specialist

Job Description:

Payroll Specialists perform a variety of highly specialized and complex technical and clerical accounting work related to the preparation and maintenance of an automated payroll system, including preparation and processing of the biweekly payroll and related disbursements and similar activities in the Payroll and Benefits Division of the Finance Department.
This is a full journey-level position with direct responsibility for the full-cycle payroll process, generation of paychecks and all related tasks, including special check runs, error monitoring and resolution, reporting, and reconciliation of related accounts. Individuals in this position are required to have a working knowledge of payroll practices and municipal accounting practices and procedures involving multiple variables, complex accounting activities related to benefits, retirements programs, multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), special pays, complex CalPERS (California Public Retirement System) formulas and calculations, state and federal tax laws and regulations, and a wide variety of routine and non-routine personnel transactions.

Job Responsibilities:

• Prepares and processes the full cycle bi-weekly payroll
• Tracks accrued payroll tax liability, monitors deadlines and prepares tax deposits
• Reviews time and attendance records for accuracy and compliance with various MOUs and City policies
• Runs trial payroll and reviews for accuracy; makes corrections as needed
• Creates accounts payable claims for payment of payroll liabilities and reconciles payroll clearing accounts
• Interprets and applies MOU provisions and City policies and procedures
• Calculates separation payouts, including lump sum leave payouts and contributions to deferred compensation plans
• Establishes and maintains effective communication and working relationships with managers, supervisors, employees, retirees and all external customers
• Prepares spreadsheets to record and track disbursements
• Receives and researches requirements for wage assignment orders and tax levies and implements related deductions
• Receives and completes various forms, surveys and verifications of employment
• Assists in the preparation and reconciliation of annual W-2 forms
• Maintains a variety of payroll records and assists with gathering information requested by auditors or in response to Public Records Act requests
• Analyzes various payroll reports for error and out-of-balance messages and reconciles any discrepancies
• Sets up and maintains employee master file records in the payroll system
• Generates pay checks and direct deposits
• Assists employees with various questions and requests for information
• Performs complex retroactive pay calculations and applies adjustments
• Reviews personnel action forms (PAFs) and other employee deduction and contribution forms for completeness and accuracy and makes necessary entries into the payroll system
• Reviews system-generated FLSA overtime payments, various payroll deductions and fringe benefit calculations and makes necessary adjustments

Job Requirements:

• Knowledge of: The principles, procedures and practices related to financial recordkeeping and reporting; basic bookkeeping methods and practices; business math, including fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios; principles, best practices and methods for the preparation and maintenance of a complex automated payroll system, including preparation and processing of a biweekly payroll and related disbursements; accounting, reporting, recordkeeping, reconciliation and regulatory compliance; federal and State laws related to payroll and tax accounting; Fair Labor Standards Act and CalPERS regulations and requirements; techniques for providing effective customer service in dealing with City staff and others contacted in the course of the work; and proper business English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Ability to: Rapidly learn and conduct full-cycle payroll processing, calculate retroactive pay adjustments and other calculations required for complex payroll processing; understand, interpret, and apply the provisions of MOUs, legal documents and tax requirements; advise others on how to apply policies, procedures and standards to specific situations related to payroll policies; exercise judgment to analyze and categorize data and information in order to determine the relationship of the data with reference to established criteria/standards; compare, count, differentiate, measure and/or sort, as well as assemble, copy, record and transcribe data and information; classify, compute and tabulate data; research and solve complex payroll issues; accurately perform basic to complex arithmetic computations manually; calculate percentages, fractions, decimals and rations; interpret basic descriptive statistical reports and/or formulation data; work independently with minimal supervision; organize and prioritize work activities independently; communicate effectively, orally and in writing with employees and representatives of other entities such as CalPERS and State and federal tax agencies; establish effective working relationships with others; and use a computer and related software to input, query and maintain data.
• Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience – Sufficient experience including bookkeeping, payroll or financial record keeping or other clerical accounting experience which demonstrates the possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above. Typically, this would include the equivalent of three (3) years of full time experience working in a full cycle payroll environment at an organization of similar size and complexity to the City of Santa Rosa. Education -Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade, supplemented with courses in accounting, business, or a related field. One year of college level course work in accounting or financial record keeping and American Payroll Certification is highly desirable.

Job Details:

Company:  City of Santa Rosa

Vacancy Type:  Full Time

Job Location: Santa Rosa, CA, US

Application Deadline: N/A

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