Payroll Specialist

City of Great Falls, MT - Great Falls, MT

Full-time

Great Falls, MT

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The position involves advanced technical responsibility for performing cyclical payroll functions and maintaining the employee database regarding salary and pay. The role includes performing other payroll-related financial transactions, such as quarterly federal and state payroll, unemployment, and union-related reporting. The individual will apply technical payroll expertise in day-to-day payroll operations for City employees, working under the general direction of the Human Resources Director.

Responsibilities

• Prepares, maintains and processes biweekly payroll for City employees, including hourly rates, salaries, bonuses, time worked, paid leave, holidays, deductions, and withholdings.
• Ensures accurate and timely processing of payroll and all financial reporting requirements.
• Serves as a primary resource regarding payroll policies and procedures, answering questions and providing payroll information.
• Possesses the highest degree of integrity and confidentiality.
• Performs closing tasks for various payroll periods, including filing quarterly tax reports and year-end processing of employee W-2's.
• Calculates, maintains, balances and reconciles deductions and benefits for group health insurance, life, deferred compensation, union pension benefits, and retirement programs.
• Reconciles earnings and deductions totals, calculates and prepares general ledger entries, and inspects automated system output.
• Performs a variety of record keeping and payroll processing activities, including computing wage and overtime payments, calculating payroll deductions, and maintaining leave accruals.
• Processes and enters payroll changes to the employee master files.
• Processes, calculates, and remits garnishments and levies to appropriate federal and state agencies.
• Compiles payroll-related information for inclusion in financial statements.
• Assists in the annual audit and provides information to auditors as needed.
• Participates with union pension audits and completes internal self-audits of payroll data.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Education and experience equivalent to an associate's degree in Accounting, Business Administration or a related field.
• Five years of experience in para-professional accounting/payroll.
• Ability to be bondable and insurable.
• Possession or ability to obtain a valid Montana driver's license.
• Extensive knowledge of payroll processing, reporting, accounting and bookkeeping principles and practices.
• Substantial knowledge of government accounting principles and practices.
• Substantial knowledge of the City's payroll and accounting software (Tyler Technologies New Work).
• Substantial knowledge of benefits, collective bargaining agreements, federal and state regulations.
• Proficiency in all aspects of payroll, taxation and tax reporting.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers, supervisors, elected officials and external representatives.

Nice-to-haves

• APA Fundamental Payroll Certification is preferred.
• Possess or ability to obtain APA Fundamentals of Payroll Certification within 12 months of hire.

Benefits

• Non-exempt and eligible for overtime.
• Work schedule is a 40-hour workweek, typically Monday through Friday.