Lead Payroll Administrative Processing

University of South Florida; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A public university in Florida seeks a Lead Payroll Administrator to manage payroll operations, ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, and lead the payroll team. The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience in payroll processing, particularly in higher education settings, with knowledge of Oracle HCM Cloud. This role is crucial for maintaining payroll accuracy and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2 or more years of related experience.
• Experience with payroll processing in a higher education environment.
• Knowledge of IRS, DOL, and state tax regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Payroll Administrator staff for timely payroll delivery.
• Resolve payroll discrepancies and analyze payroll trends.
• Ensure compliance with payroll, wage, and hour regulations.

Skills

Payroll processing

Attention to detail

Team leadership

Data analysis

Compliance knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Oracle HCM Cloud

Job description

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Direct message the job poster from University of South Florida

Central HR consists of multiple areas of expertise including Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Classification & Compensation; Employee and Labor Relations; Continuous Process Improvement, HRIS, HR Business Partners and Talent and Learning Management. USF Human Resources is embarking on a multi-year transformation focused on a Human Resources strategy that elevates our people so that the University and culture support a competitive workforce advantage in line with our strategic plan.

Position Summary

The Lead Payroll Administrator reports to the Assistant Director of Payroll Services and serves as the primary point of contact for day-to-day payroll operations and payroll cycle processing activities. This position is responsible for coordinating and streamlining payroll processes, building redundancy across payroll functions, and ensuring accuracy and timeliness in payroll delivery. The incumbent directly oversees Payroll Administrators and provides guidance, training, and quality review of payroll transactions. The role also supports system maintenance activities, including testing of system patches and updates, and validation of payroll results. In rotation with other team members, this position executes payroll processing jobs to complete gross-to-net calculations for the university’s employee population, including related off-cycle payments and outbound vendor files.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Payroll Administrator I and II staff to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery.
• Support end-to-end payroll processing efficiencies and accuracy by reviewing data integrity reports, validating inputs, and taking action in Oracle HCM.
• Resolve escalated payroll discrepancies, retroactive adjustments, and pay issues to maintain employee trust and operational accuracy. Serves as the lead to bring items that need further escalation to the Payroll Assistant Director.
• Analyze payroll trends, variances, and adjustment rates to identify root causes and recommend and implement process improvements that enhance accuracy and reduce manual interventions.
• Oversee overpayment recovery, off-cycle processing, and garnishment administration to ensure timely resolution and proper financial reconciliation.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with HR, Accounting, and Legal to streamline workflows and improve payroll data quality.
• Lead system testing for quarterly patches, tax updates, and configuration changes, ensuring payroll system reliability and compliance.
• Maintain and enhance standard operating procedures (SOPs), training guides, and audit documentation to support operational excellence and knowledge continuity.
• Ensure compliance with all university, state, and federal wage and tax regulations, minimizing audit findings and financial risk.
• Monitor compliance with IRS, DOL, and state tax regulations.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and university payroll, wage, and hour regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2 or more years of related experience

Preferred Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience with Oracle HCM Cloud or similar enterprise HR/payroll systems.

Experience in higher education or large, multi-entity organizations.

CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification.

Degree Equivalency Clause

Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.

Senate Bill 1310

Simplified: The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S. The public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:

• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree

Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.

Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Additional Disclaimers

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.