Payroll Accountant

Sdccdjobs

San Diego, Northern (CA, KY)

On-site

USD 54,000 - 65,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

100% employer paid medical, dental, &

Dental & Vision

Educational incentive

Tuition assistance

CalPERS pension + 403B and 457B

16 paid holidays + winter recess

Job summary

San Diego Community College District seeks a Payroll Accountant (District Office Accounting Specialist) for the People, Culture, and Technology Services Division in Mission Valley. The role offers hybrid scheduling with flexible hours, requiring occasional adjustment to department needs.

The position focuses on payroll processing, taxes, and benefits, with responsibilities to ensure accurate payroll and compliance with applicable regulations.

Qualifications

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)
Previous experience in payroll or accounting
Thorough understanding of payroll taxes (federal, state, and local), benefits, and deductions
Knowledge of various state and local payroll regulations, including tax rates
Attention to detail – payroll requires accuracy, so a high level of attention to detail is essential
Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, formulas, VLOOKUP) is important for analyzing payroll data and reports

Skills

CPP/FPC certification

Payroll processing experience

Payroll taxes knowledge

State/local payroll regulations

Attention to detail

Excel

Tools

Excel

Job description

Applications are currently being accepted for District Office Accounting Specialist (Payroll Accountant) in the People, Culture, and Technology Services Division, located at the District Office in Mission Valley. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm with hybrid and flexible scheduling available. Selected candidate must be willing to adjust work days/hours based on the department’s needs.

Working Title and Classification Title

Working Title: Payroll Accountant. Classification Title: District Office Accounting Specialist.

Location and Transfer

Please note that an employee may be transferred to any site at the option of the Chancellor.

Salary and Benefits

New employees will begin on Step C ($5,353.79)
Salary negotiation is not allowed.
Promoted or transferred employees will be placed as specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
This position is FLSA Non-exempt (may accrue overtime).
Excellent benefits are provided to all Contract employees with assignments greater than, or equal to, 50% (0.50 FTE ) and all eligible dependents. See Additional Information for more details.
100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision
$50,000 employer paid group term life insurance
16 paid holidays + winter recess off
Educational incentive
Tuition assistance
CalPERS pension plus 403B and 457B options available.

Desired Qualifications

Experience & Knowledge:

Certified Payroll Professional ( CPP ) or Fundamental Payroll Certification ( FPC )
Previous experience in payroll or accounting
Thorough understanding of payroll taxes (federal, state, and local), benefits, and deductions
Knowledge of various state and local payroll regulations, including tax rates

Technical Skills:

Attention to detail – payroll requires accuracy, so a high level of attention to detail is essential
Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, formulas, VLOOKUP ) is important for analyzing payroll data and reports
A solid understanding of accounting principles and standards (e.g., GAAP ) for reconciling accounts and ensuring financial accuracy

Soft Skills:

Payroll processing involves handling large amounts of data, so being well-organized helps ensure everything runs smoothly
Must communicate effectively with both employees and management, especially regarding payroll-related queries
Ability to quickly identify and resolve discrepancies in payroll is vital
Handle sensitive employee information; discretion and ethical conduct are key

Foreign Degree Evaluation

Applicants with foreign degrees from colleges or universities outside of the United States must have their coursework evaluated by a professional association that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, INC . ( ACEI ). A copy of the evaluation must be submitted with your online application.

NACES Link: https://naces.org/ ACEI Link: https://acei-global.org/evaluation-services/

Culture and Diversity

All applicants must have demonstrated cultural competency and sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and classified professionals.

We are dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality of all inquiries, nominations, and applications in the strictest confidence, and we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Posting Number

CL01946

Supplemental Questions

* I understand that a COMPLETE application packet is required for consideration, which includes the following: 1) All required documents as listed in the special instructions 2) Responses to supplemental questions (clear and detailed responses are required as they will be carefully evaluated to determine the most qualified candidate(s) to be invited for an interview; please do not paste your resume, or put "see resume", or "N/A" or leave blank)
- Yes
- No
* I understand that my responses to the application supplemental questions are heavily weighted during the application screening and evaluation process, and responses such as "N/A", "see resume", or no responses will result in deduction of points to my application.
- Yes
- No
* We believe that the application and interview process should be a reflection of your skills, insights, and experiences, and we are looking to understand your unique qualifications for the role. I understand that responses ENTIRELY generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can result in disqualification from the application process.
- Yes
- No
* Have you personally processed payroll?
- Yes
- No
* Have you performed quarterly or year-end tax reconciliations/reporting?
- Yes
- No
* Have you independently performed payroll audits or reconciliations?
- Yes
- No
* Have you applied Collective Bargaining Agreement provisions to payroll calculations or transactions?
- Yes
- No
* Describe your experience processing payroll and identify which parts of the process you personally own.
(Open Ended Question)
* What experience do you have with quarterly and year-end payroll tax reconciliation and filings, including Forms 941 and W-2s?
(Open Ended Question)
* How many years of professional payroll experience do you have? Include frequency, employee population size, and other relevant information.
(Open Ended Question)
* How do you audit payroll for accuracy before payroll is finalized?
(Open Ended Question)
* You are preparing payroll funding and discover that the amount required for the direct deposit file does not agree with the payroll register. What would you do?
(Open Ended Question)
* The San Diego Community College District has a very diverse student, faculty and classified professional population with respect to academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds. Describe your professional development, community involvement, and professional experience working with these diverse groups.
(Open Ended Question)