Payroll Specialist (Financial Operations Division)

$46,097 - $46,097/Yr

Pima County - Tucson, AZ

Full-time - Entry Level

Tucson, AZ

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities

About the position

The Pima County Department of Finance and Risk Management is seeking a motivated and skilled professional to join our Payroll team as a Payroll Specialist. This position plays a crucial role in processing a bi-weekly payroll for nearly 8,000 employees. The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for auditing timecards in accordance with federal and state payroll laws, as well as County Merit and Administrative procedures. This includes adjusting leave accruals as necessary, ensuring accurate employee payouts, and providing exceptional customer service to both employees and vendors. If you take pride in your work, enjoy challenges, and appreciate a collaborative environment, this may be a great opportunity for you to join our team. In this role, you will review, analyze, balance, and reconcile the countywide bi-weekly payroll or county records/documents for vendor payment and processing, ensuring compliance with Federal and State laws, wage and hour laws, withholding statutes, tax regulations, and County administrative policies and procedures. You will prepare general journal entries related to payroll or accounts payable activities and maintain data for monthly, quarterly, or annual reports. Additionally, you will provide technical assistance related to payroll or accounts payable regulations and the use of the County's financial management system to department coworkers and other users. The Payroll Specialist will also be responsible for reviewing manual warrant requests for compliance with applicable policies and regulations before processing for payment. You will receive, analyze, calculate, and post withholdings for wage assignments, Federal and State levies, or child support garnishments in compliance with IRS and other regulatory agencies. Balancing, monitoring, and maintaining child support, wage garnishments, and Federal and State tax levy files will also be part of your duties. You will prepare, update, and maintain fiscal and year-end schedules and documents, implementing changes to procedures based on legislation enacted by local, State, or Federal government. Furthermore, you will review, analyze, and generate reports from the County's financial management and payroll system, recommending improvements and modifications to reports and processes when appropriate. You will monitor, balance, and reconcile transactions related to the Treasurer's Office, clearing accounts, petty cash, and change funds to the general ledger, while liaising with county departments and vendors to research and respond to inquiries on invoices and other financial operations matters.

Responsibilities

• Review, analyze, balance and reconcile the countywide bi-weekly payroll or county records/documents for vendor payment and processing in compliance with Federal and State laws.
• Prepare general journal entries relative to payroll or accounts payable activities.
• Prepare and maintain data for monthly, quarterly or annual reports.
• Provide technical assistance related to regulations pertaining to payroll or accounts payable activities and the use of the County's financial management system.
• Review manual warrant requests for compliance with applicable policies and regulations before processing for payment.
• Receive, analyze, calculate and post withholdings for wage assignments, Federal and State levies, or child support garnishments in compliance with IRS and other regulatory agencies.
• Balance, monitor and maintain child support, wage garnishments, Federal and State tax levy files.
• Prepare, update and maintain fiscal and year-end schedules and documents.
• Implement changes to procedures based on legislation enacted by local, State or Federal government.
• Review, analyze and generate reports from the County's financial management and payroll system and recommend improvements and modifications to reports and processes when appropriate.
• Monitor, balance and reconcile transactions related to the Treasurer's Office, clearing accounts, petty cash, and change funds to the general ledger.
• Liaison with county departments and vendors by researching and providing responses to inquiries on invoices and other financial operations matters.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting or a closely related field and one year of professional accounting experience.
• Two years of experience with Pima County as a Financial Operations Technician or a Medical Claims Examiner II.
• Three years of experience with Pima County as a Medical Claims Examiner I.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in payroll including processing electronic time cards, applying human resource policies to time cards, reviewing and adjusting employee accrual banks, processing 941 returns, processing garnishments, retirements, and employee benefits.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience utilizing an electronic payroll platform (ADP, Kronos, PeopleSoft, etc.).
• Minimum one (1) year of experience utilizing Excel.
• Minimum one (1) year experience in customer service.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in analyzing, interpreting and reconciling accounting data.
• Experience in preparing accurate and complete financial reports.
• Strong communication skills, both orally and in writing.