Payroll Technician 2

Hamilton County Department Of Education - Chattanooga, TN

Full-time - Entry Level

Chattanooga, TN

About the position

Hamilton County Schools, located in Chattanooga, TN, is dedicated to ensuring that all students thrive and experience a future without limits. We are committed to excellence for every student and are seeking outstanding leaders, teachers, support staff, and district employees who desire to make a difference in the lives of students. With nearly 75 schools, we are confident that you can find your place in Hamilton County. The Payroll Technician 2 position is essential for performing the routine duties necessary for the calculation of accurate wages and salaries for both certified and non-certified employees of the Hamilton County Department of Education. This role requires a high level of independence, as the technician will perform work with minimum supervision while ensuring compliance with applicable district, state, and federal codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures. The Payroll Technician will act in a professional, respectful, and welcoming manner at all times, creating a customer-focused climate and providing quality services and support to schools and other stakeholders. The technician will handle various customer service functions, assisting employees, principals, managers, and other individuals with payroll information, procedures, forms, and timetables. This includes responding to routine questions and complaints, researching problems, and initiating resolutions. The role also involves performing general accounting and bookkeeping functions, such as calculating data, keying financial data, balancing and reconciling spreadsheets and reports, and maintaining financial records. In addition to these responsibilities, the Payroll Technician will be responsible for receiving and sorting timesheets, verifying their accuracy, and following up on any missing information. They will review various forms and documents to process pay changes, retroactive pay, and deductions, as well as set up new employee records and calculate salary adjustments. The technician will also process payroll deductions for various insurances, garnishments, and other deductions, ensuring accuracy and resolving any discrepancies. Data entry is a significant part of the role, requiring the technician to verify the accuracy of entered data and reconcile payroll data with edit reports. The technician will prepare necessary paperwork for voiding erroneous paychecks and communicate effectively with supervisors and other personnel to keep them informed of any issues or unusual events. Maintaining confidentiality and adhering to the Teacher Code of Ethics as defined by Tennessee Law is paramount in this position.

Responsibilities

• Acts in a professional, respectful, and welcoming manner at all times.
• Creates a customer-focused climate and provides quality services and support to school and other stakeholders.
• Complies with applicable district, state, and federal codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures.
• Performs customer service functions for employees, principals, managers, or other individuals; provides information and assistance regarding payroll information, procedures, forms, timetables, or other issues; responds to routine questions/complaints, researches problems, and initiates problem resolution.
• Performs a variety of general accounting/bookkeeping functions, such as calculating data, keying financial data, balancing/reconciling spreadsheets/reports, researching financial discrepancies, correcting data errors, maintaining financial records, generating reports, or submitting mandatory reports.
• Receives and sorts timesheets; completes checklist to verify receipt of all timesheets; follows up on missing timesheets as needed; reviews time sheets for accuracy, proper account, supervisor signature, hourly wages, total amount paid, correct time period, or other data; researches situations involving excessive hours, supplemental pay, sick leave, on-the-job injuries, or leave of absence; ensures availability of adequate sick time or leave time, and monitors low balances; researches discrepancies or missing information.
• Reviews status forms, extended contract sheets, personnel action forms, benefit forms, tax forms, earned income forms, garnishment orders, or other documents to process pay changes, retroactive pay, deduction changes, new employees, terminations, or other actions; sets up new employee records; calculates salary adjustments, retroactive pay, leave pay, final pay for terminations, taxes for manual checks, and other pay data.
• Processes payroll deductions for employee medical/life insurances, tax shelter annuities, court-ordered garnishments, student loan garnishments, wage earners, union dues, federal tax levies, credit unions, or other deductions; researches/corrects errors or problems involving deductions.
• Performs data entry; keys changes, exceptions, or other payroll data into computer system; verifies accuracy of entered data and makes corrections; reconciles entered payroll data with payroll edit reports; generates final edit reports.
• Prepares paperwork to void erroneous paychecks and stop payments on paychecks and forwards to appropriate payroll personnel; processes necessary documentation and computer data entry to record manual check data.
• Communicates through the proper channels to keep supervisor and other appropriate personnel informed of impending problems or events of unusual nature.
• Follows established procedures for ensuring assigned areas are safe.
• Works collaboratively with school staff, students, parents, and other stakeholders.
• Attends work and arrives to work on time.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Adheres to the Teacher Code of Ethics as defined by Tennessee Law.
• Processes department mail; sorts, opens, and distributes incoming mail; processes outgoing mail.
• Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, lists, fund analyses, payroll schedules, absence sheets, worksheet overrides, payroll checks, payroll reports, payment vouchers, budget reports, tax forms/reports, tables, spreadsheets, or other documents.
• Receives various forms, reports, correspondence, lists, schedules, time sheets, absence confirmations, edit reports, stipend forms, status forms, employee status reports, audit reports, attendance forms, personnel action forms, benefit forms, tax forms, direct deposit forms, earned income credit forms, garnishments, court orders, payroll reports, tax reports, invoices, billing statements, policies, procedures, accounting principles, manuals, directories, reference materials, or other documentation; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.
• Operates a computer to enter, retrieve, review or modify data; verifies accuracy of entered data and makes corrections; utilizes word processing, spreadsheet, database, payroll, financial, email, Internet, or other software programs; performs basic maintenance of computer system and office equipment, such as backing up data or replacing paper, ink, or toner; coordinates service/repair activities as needed.
• Assists in monitoring department's inventory of forms, supplies, or equipment; initiates requests for new/replacement items.
• Maintains file system of department files/records, including timesheets, payroll documents, reports, and related documentation; prepares and sets up files; reviews, sorts and organizes documents to be filed; files documents in designated order; retrieves/replaces files; stores/disposes of obsolete records per records retention guidelines.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Accounting, or related field preferred.
• Experience with IFAS or comparable automated payroll system preferred.
• Three (3) years previous experience and/or training that includes accounting, bookkeeping, payroll administration, office administration, and personal computer operations; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing.
• Ability to analyze and resolve routine payroll issues.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, high pressure environment.
• Ability to explain policies and procedures regarding payroll.
• Ability to identify errors and take the appropriate steps to correct.
• Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Ability to calculate decimals and percentages.