Specialist, Payroll & Accounting

$55,000 - $65,000/Yr

University of Florida - Gainesville, FL

Full-time

Remote - Gainesville, FL

Educational Services

About the position

The University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning is seeking a Specialist in Payroll & Accounting to join our dynamic team. The Lastinger Center is dedicated to improving the quality of teaching, learning, and childcare through research and the development of equitable educational innovations. This role is crucial in managing payroll distribution and accounting functions for over two hundred faculty and staff members, ensuring that payroll allocations are accurately reflected in department budgets and aligned with various grants and projects. The Specialist will utilize critical thinking skills to identify and resolve complex payroll issues, maintain accurate financial records, and support effort certification reviews. In addition to payroll management, the Specialist will assist in preparing and managing personnel budgets, collaborating closely with the Finance Manager and Coordinators to monitor payroll expenses and reconcile them against budget allocations. The role also involves generating accounting reports, conducting financial analyses, and acting as a liaison to communicate financial information with stakeholders. The Specialist will be responsible for developing recommendations for policies and procedures to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of payroll and accounting functions, as well as providing general administrative support to the Business Services team. The Lastinger Center promotes a healthy work-life balance through a flexible, hybrid work schedule that allows employees to stagger their arrival and departure times and vary their workdays in the office. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to meaningful educational initiatives while working in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage the payroll distribution process and provide support to effort certification reviews for over two hundred Faculty, Teams, and other positions at the Lastinger Center.
• Assist with the creation and monitoring of payroll allocations on department budgets, ensuring proper allocation of salaries to appropriate grants and projects.
• Use critical thinking to identify, evaluate and solve complex issues related to payroll distributions and budget allocations.
• Investigate accounting errors and collaborate with relevant parties to rectify them.
• Serve as a link between project managers, faculty, and team leads to answer payroll distribution and budget questions, while interpreting and administering policies/procedures.
• Maintain accurate financial records.
• Provide support with effort commitments, salary caps, and processing deadlines.
• Assist in the preparation and management of Personnel budgets.
• Collaborate with Finance Manager and Coordinators in identifying, planning, and coordinating payroll distributions against all Lastinger Center accounts.
• Monitor and reconcile payroll expenses against budget allocations.
• Identify and address discrepancies in payroll budgeting.
• Generate accounting reports and compile data.
• Perform routine financial analyses and reconciliations.
• Assist with routine internal and external audits of payroll distributions as needed, providing necessary documentation and support.
• Act as a liaison, communicating financial information with stakeholders.
• Conduct financial analysis to identify trends, variances, and opportunities for cost savings.
• Develop recommendations for policies, procedures, and quality control systems to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of payroll and accounting functions.
• Assist with special projects and provide general administrative support to the Business Services team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area.
• Two years of relevant experience in accounting or finance.

Nice-to-haves

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related field.
• Four years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced working knowledge of MS Excel.