Payroll Accountant

Colgate University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Gym discounts

Bookstore savings

Athletic tickets

Access to cultural facilities

On-campus perks

Job summary

Colgate University is seeking a Payroll Accountant to work on-site at the Hamilton, NY campus. The role requires handling timely, accurate payroll processing for employees and student workers with strict confidentiality and data integrity.

Responsibilities include ensuring compliance, remitting payroll taxes and fringe benefits, and interacting professionally with faculty, staff, and students. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, and Colgate offers a comprehensive benefits package and on-campus

Qualifications

• Experience with Excel to analyze data, maintain records, and build functional spreadsheets.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with precision and error-free recordkeeping.
• Ability to engage professionally with a diverse higher education community.
• Proven capability to handle sensitive payroll and personnel information with confidentiality.
• Direct experience calculating complex payroll components and explaining payroll breakdowns.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational support for delivering timely, reliable payroll to university employees and student workers.
• Ensure compliance and timely remittance of payroll, payroll tax and fringe benefits.
• Reconcile payroll related vendor accounts.
• Serve as back-up to the Payroll Manager and provide quality customer service.
• Validate reports and data integrity for error-free analysis and compliance.
• Review, process, approve, or reject financial transactions per university policies.
• Execute timely general ledger entries and perform routine reconciliations.
• Process payroll accurately with correct withholdings, deductions, and tax withholdings.
• Reconcile payroll files and generate deliverables for taxes, garnishments, and fringe benefits.
• Deliver measurable results, own outcomes, and incorporate feedback for improvement.
• Communicate clearly across diverse audiences and maintain confidentiality of private data.

Skills

Payroll accuracy

Data confidentiality

Excellent communication

Professional engagement

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Job description

Work Arrangement type On-Site (Hamilton, NY) – expected to work fully at the designated campus/office location.

Hiring Wage/Salary Range

Hiring Wage/Salary Range $60,000 to $68,000

Professional Experience/ Qualifications

Experience with Microsoft Office applications, specifically utilizing Excel to analyze data, maintain records, and build functional spreadsheets.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a focus on precision, clarity, and error-free recordkeeping.

Ability to engage professionally and respectfully with a broad, diverse higher education community, including faculty, staff, and students.

Proven capability to handle sensitive payroll and personnel information while maintaining strict confidentiality protocols.

Direct experience calculating complex payroll components, resolving missing documentation, and clearly explaining payroll breakdowns to employees.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

A bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Certifications

When extending an offer, Colgate University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations.

Physical Requirements

Other Information

Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Colgate University offers a competitive benefits package, with most benefits effective on the date of hire. Highlights include: medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, paid family leave, health & wellness, continuing education and professional development. We also offer unique perks, such as free parking, gym discounts, bookstore savings, athletic tickets, and access to cultural and recreational facilities. Explore the full benefits package on our Benefits page .

Department Statement

Accountabilities

The Payroll Accountant is responsible for:

• Providing operational support for all steps required for delivering of timely, reliable and accurate payroll to University employees and student workers.
• Ensuring compliance and timely remittance of payroll, payroll tax and fringe benefits.
• Ensuring reconciliation of payroll related vendor accounts.
• Serving as a point of contact, providing as back-up to the Payroll Manager.
• Providing quality customer service to employee and student worker inquiries in a timely, professional manner with follow-up communication as necessary.
• Validating financial reports and data integrity to ensure error-free analysis and compliance.
• Reviewing, processing, approving, or rejecting financial transactions in alignment with university policies and systems.
• Executing timely, complete general ledger entries and performing routine ledger reconciliations.
• Processing payroll accurately and consistently, ensuring correct withholdings, deductions, and tax withholdings.
• Reconciling payroll files and generating accurate deliverables for taxes, garnishments, and fringe benefits.
• Delivering measurable results, owning operational decisions and outcomes, and incorporating feedback for continuous performance improvement.
• Communicating clearly across diverse audiences, collaborating on key information, and maintaining strict confidentiality for private data.
• Resolving operational challenges through prioritized problem-solving, collaborative decision-making, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Maintaining baseline performance and continuity during transitions, organizational initiatives, and evolving university procedures.

Temporary

Temporary No

Work Schedule

Job Open Date

Job Open Date 09/21/2026

Job Close Date

Open Until Filled No

Special Instructions Summary

EEO Statement

The University recognizes that equal employment opportunity can only be achieved through demonstrated leadership. It is the Policy of the University to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and train employees on the basis of skills and experience, capacity to do the job, and valid job qualifications without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Clery Act

CAMPUS CRIME REPORTING AND STATISTICS
The Department of Campus Safety will provide upon request a copy of Colgate’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education for the previous three years concerning reported: 1. crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Colgate University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus and 2. fires that occurred in student housing facilities. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and fire safety, such as policies concerning sexual assault, life safety systems, and other related matters. You may access the report from the Clery Compliance web page at: https://www.colgate.edu/about/offices-centers-institutes/dean-college/campus-safety-staff/clery-compliance . Printed copies of this report may be obtained upon request from the Department of Campus Safety via e-mail at [e-mail] .

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Are you currently a Colgate employee?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Have you ever been a Colgate employee?
  • Yes
  • No
• Do you have a spouse/domestic partner who currently is, or will be, employed at Colgate University?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Are you at least 18 years of age?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Please let us know how you heard about this position.
  • Albany Times Union
  • Binghamton Press & Sun
  • BlackCoachesinSports
  • Careerbuilders.com
  • Cazenovia Republican
  • Centralnewyorkhelpwanted.com
  • Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Chronicle of Philanthropy
  • Colgate Employee
  • Colgate Website
  • CoSIDA
  • Diverse Issues of Higher Education
  • HERC (Upstate New York HERC)
  • HigherEdJobs.com
  • Indeed.com
  • InsideHigherEd.com
  • LinkedIn
  • Mid-York Weekly
  • NACWA
  • naviGATE
  • NCAA News
  • Norwich Evening Sun
  • Oneida Daily Dispatch
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  • Studentaffairs.com
  • Syracuse Post Standard
  • Utica Observer Dispatch
  • Waterville Times
  • WomenLeadersinCollegeSports.com
  • Other
• If you selected "Colgate Employee" or "Other" for how you heard about this position, please provide the employee's name or where you heard about/saw the position.

  (Open Ended Question)