Payroll Specialist

$73,848 - $91,176/Yr

City Of Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA

Full-time - Entry Level

Santa Monica, CA

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Payroll Specialist position at the City of Santa Monica involves performing specialized payroll and accounting work essential for the preparation and maintenance of the City's payroll activities. This role requires providing complex technical assistance in response to inquiries from various City departments, employees, and regulatory agencies. The Payroll Specialist will be responsible for a variety of tasks that include reconciling the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) buyback program, preparing monthly and quarterly journal entries for the medical trust, and ensuring the accuracy of payroll-related data input and output. In this position, the specialist will coordinate time reporting from systems such as KRONOS and Trapeze, ensuring timely and accurate posting of payroll-related employee data, including account numbers, tax status, deductions, and payment methods. The role also involves interpreting information from various bargaining unit Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) and coordinating requests from regulatory agencies and employees regarding garnishments and employment status. The Payroll Specialist will apply and interpret rules and regulations concerning the computation of garnishments, tax levies, and other deductions, utilizing financial systems like J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft to execute payroll and payroll-related accounting entries. Additionally, the specialist will compute and prepare adjustments to pay, leave, severance pay, and on-line checks, verify system-generated retroactive pay reports, and respond to employee inquiries. The role requires collaboration with Human Resources and other City departments regarding changes in payroll status or deductions, as well as preparing unemployment insurance reports and employment verifications. The Payroll Specialist will also maintain files in accordance with the City's Records Retention Program and perform other related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Perform specialized payroll and accounting work in the preparation and maintenance of the City's payroll activities.
• Provide complex technical assistance in response to inquiries from City departments, employees, and regulatory agencies.
• Reconcile California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) buyback program.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly journal entries for medical trust.
• Reconcile hours worked and life insurance payments.
• Process exemption changes and run reports.
• Coordinate and verify payroll-related data input and output, including time reporting from KRONOS and Trapeze.
• Ensure timely and accurate posting of payroll-related employee data including account numbers, tax status, deductions, and payment methods.
• Interpret information contained in various bargaining unit Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) and coordinate requests from regulatory agencies and employees for garnishments and employment status.
• Apply and interpret rules and regulations regarding the computation of garnishments, tax levies, and other deductions.
• Utilize financial systems such as J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft to execute payroll and payroll-related accounting entries.
• Compute and prepare adjustments to pay, leave, severance pay, and on-line checks.
• Verify system-generated retroactive pay reports and process occasional retroactive pays manually.
• Respond to employee inquiries and process changes to status as required.
• Request wire and electronic funds transfers, make various deductions, create Automated Clearing House (ACH) files for child support and other garnishments, and process requests for warrants.
• Compile and input year-end adjustments for W-2s.
• Perform complex calculations for FLSA compliance.
• Coordinate with Human Resources and other City Departments regarding changes in payroll status or deduction changes.
• Prepare unemployment insurance reports and employment verifications.
• Prepare special reports and schedules required by auditors and other City Departments.
• Contact individuals or agencies to resolve discrepancies and obtain data and documents.
• Maintain files in accordance with the City's Records Retention Program.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate's degree in Accounting, Business or Public Administration or a closely related field.
• Three years of recent, paid work experience performing a variety of financial, fiscal and/or complex clerical and administrative duties.
• Experience working with automated payroll systems is desirable.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to payroll administration.
• Knowledge of methods and practices used in financial and statistical work.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of records management.
• Knowledge of report writing techniques.
• Knowledge of modern office procedures, practices and equipment.
• Knowledge of effective customer service techniques.
• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate financial and statistical records and reports.
• Ability to read, interpret and explain laws, rules, regulations, and memoranda of understanding.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and initiative.
• Ability to perform mathematical calculations and reconcile figures.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work effectively with people, resolve conflicts and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Skill in using a personal computer and applicable software applications.
• Skill in performing work requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with PeopleSoft
• Experience with automated payroll systems

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Flexible scheduling
• Professional development opportunities