ELDE - Payroll Supervisor

City of Oakland; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37.5-hour work weeks

Paid holidays

Excellent retirement benefits

Full health coverage

Wellness programs

Job summary

The City of Oakland is seeking an experienced Payroll Supervisor to lead the Payroll Operations team within the Finance Department. You will oversee day-to-day payroll processes, develop procedures, and implement payroll solutions for the City’s diverse workforce.

Key responsibilities include staff supervision, complex problem resolution, and ensuring compliance with payroll regulations. The role requires collaboration across departments and strong communication skills in a fast-paced public

Qualifications

• Experience leading payroll operations and teams.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to manage complex payroll processes and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proactive problem-solving and training capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Assign, direct, train, and evaluate 6 staff in the payroll operations unit.
• Resolve complex payroll issues and ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Develop training programs for payroll staff and operations.
• Interpret and implement payroll regulations, policies, and guidelines.
• Serve as a system security administrator and stay current on payroll laws.
• Act as a technical resource for payroll staff and other departments.

Job description

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland Finance Department/Payroll Unit?

As a Payroll Supervisor (Human Resource Operations Supervisor), you will be an integral member of the Department of Finance’s Payroll Team. You will be key in managing day-to-day payroll processes, developing innovative processes and procedures, creating user documentation, and implementing payroll solutions. The Finance Department provides quality government financial services to the City of Oakland. We manage the City’s financial affairs with the highest degree of customer service, honesty, and integrity. We value teamwork, trust, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.

We are looking for someone who is:

• An experienced leader. You will support and guide the payroll operations unit to ensure superior performance.
• A strong relationship builder with excellent communication skills. You will be conveying payroll information to employees, and you will be the first point of contact for employees with escalated issues.
• Dependable and results-driven. You will be overseeing payroll operations for the entire City, so you will need to work well under pressure and balance multiple tasks.
• Self-motivated. You will be expected to take initiative and use your resources to solve problems.
• Organized and detail-oriented. Due to a large volume of work with overlapping deadlines, we are looking for someone with strong organizational skills.
• Able to work as part of a team or independently. You will be expected to work on projects that require collaboration with many different team members in your unit and other departments that will require you to use sound judgment and work independently at times.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Assigning, directing, training, and evaluating the performance of 6 staff members in the operations unit.
• Researching and resolving complex and unusual payroll problems and issues.
• Developing training programs for operations and departmental payroll staff.
• Interpreting and implementing complex procedures, regulations, guidelines, and policies.
• Completing complex sets of activities within critical schedules, often under stressful working conditions.
• Serving as a system security administrator.
• Staying up to date on payroll regulations.
• Serving as a technical resource to both departmental payroll staff and operations unit personnel.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• Your work will directly impact City of Oakland employees, and the City’s ability to provide important public services.
• You will be part of a great team who has fun and works hard.
• There are many opportunities for future growth and upward mobility.
• You will be working in Downtown Oakland with easy access to BART and other transportation.
• You will have excellent opportunities to grow and develop your skills and abilities.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will work in a fast-paced environment, so you will need to multi-task and work on many projects simultaneously that have time-sensitive deadlines.
• You will need to assist staff and employees who need more in-depth education regarding pay, policies, and regulations.
• There are system limitations and a lack of training documentation.
• You will need to learn the City ordinances, policies, MOUs, and materials quickly in a short time span.
• You are overseeing payroll processes for the whole City, so this is a high-visibility position.

Competencies Required:

• Managing Performance: Ensuring superior individual and group performance
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Handling Stress: Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenges, or adversity
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing
• Coaching & Developing Others: Supporting others in stretching and expanding their capabilities

The following qualifications are guidelines, as the appointing authority has broad discretion in filling positions in this classification.

Education

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade, and college level coursework in data processing and accounting.

Experience

Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the operation of an automated payroll/personnel system including at least three years as a lead worker or supervisor.

Desirable Qualifications

• Municipal government and organization experience.
• Experience with Oracle E-business version R12 payroll system.
• Experience with retroactive calculations.
• Experience with payroll laws/regulations.
• Experience with creating user documentation and training.

This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules, per Charter Section 902. All applications received will be forwarded to the Finance Department for further consideration.

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration, only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Exempt Limited Duration Employee (ELDE): This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules (per Charter Section 902f). Exempt Limited Duration positions may not exceed a period of one year.

What’s in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5-hour work weeks.
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans.
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year.
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.