Payroll Administrator

FHLB Des Moines; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Retirement benefits

Parental leave

Paid leave

Job summary

City of Virginia Beach is seeking a Payroll Administrator to lead the payroll function for over 7,000 employees, including retirement and health benefits programs.

The role focuses on implementing controls, audit procedures, and compliance with IRS and state laws, while coordinating with HR, IT, and benefits to ensure accurate and timely pay.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field.
• Seven years of experience in accounting management or controller roles or eleven years equivalent experience.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administer and oversee the City’s automated payroll operations, establishing and maintaining procedures, controls, and quality-assurance processes.
• Develop and implement payroll audit procedures to validate transactions, taxes, benefits, and deductions.
• Monitor compliance with federal, state, and local regulations affecting payroll.
• Provide guidance on payroll-related programs and deductions to employees.
• Coordinate with HR, Finance, IT, and benefits to ensure integration of payroll with other systems.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Payroll Administration

Proactive Problem Solving

Professional Judgement

Team Leadership

UKG Payroll

Work Collaboratively

Workday Payroll

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related

Tools

UKG Payroll

Workday Payroll

Job description

Job Posting End Date:October 6, 2026Department:FINANCECompensation Grade:A19Compensation Range & Starting Salary:Pay Range- $96,116.80 - $148,990.40Salary may be negotiable based on qualificationsJob Exempt (If No, Position is eligible for overtime):YesScheduled Weekly Hours:40About Us:Recognized as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers for 2024, the City of Virginia Beach is proud to offer a diverse and dynamic work environment. Our workforce plays a crucial role in delivering exceptional government services to both our citizens and fellow City employees. Apply now to join an organization where you truly make a difference.Job Duties and Preferred Qualifications:The Payroll Administrator is the division head that manages the payroll process for over 7,000 City of Virginia Beach employees along with associated retirement and health benefit programs.As a City Manager appointee, this position serves at the pleasure of the City Manager and is not considered part of the merit service as defined in City Code, section 2-75.Core Responsibilities Include:Administer and oversee the City’s automated payroll operations, establishing and maintaining procedures, controls, and quality-assurance processes to ensure the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of employee compensation each pay period.Develop and maintain payroll procedures and internal controls to identify and prevent mathematical, system, data, and processing errors and to ensure compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, applicable federal and state laws and regulations, City ordinances, court orders, and generally accepted accounting principles.Develop and implement comprehensive payroll audit procedures to validate payroll transactions, earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, leave payments, and other compensation elements and to ensure employees receive accurate pay each payday.Monitor payroll compliance and regulatory requirements, including federal, state, and local requirements affecting employee compensation, taxation, wage and hour provisions, garnishments, deductions, and other payroll-related matters.Provide guidance and assistance to employees regarding payroll-related programs, including deferred compensation, retirement programs, and other employee deductions and contributions.Serve as a member of the City’s Deferred Compensation Board Committee, providing payroll and financial expertise in the administration, oversight, and continuous improvement of employee benefit programs.Coordinate with Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, benefits administrators, and other departments to resolve payroll issues, strengthen internal controls, improve business processes, and ensure accurate integration between payroll, human resources, timekeeping, benefits, and financial systems.Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations relative to the issuance of welfare checks to reduce the incidence of welfare fraud.Analyze payroll data and reports to identify discrepancies, trends, and control weaknesses, initiate corrective actions, and recommend process improvements to enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and customer service.Maintain appropriate payroll documentation and audit trails and coordinate responses to internal and external audits, regulatory inquiries, and management requests related to payroll operations.Develop and maintain payroll-related policies, procedures, and training materials and provide technical guidance and training to payroll staff and other departments on payroll processes, controls, and compliance requirements.The ideal candidate will have experience managing payroll for a large organization of over 5,000 employees. Preferred candidates will have experience processing payroll for a municipal government and a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) Certification..The City offers a generous benefits package, which includes health, dental and life insurance, retirement and savings plans, maternity/paternity and parental leave, holidays and annual and sick leave.Additional requirements:• DMV Transcript: No• CDL: No• Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: No• CPS Check: No• Physical: No• Respirator: No• Psychological Screening: No• Polygraph: No• At Will: YesMinimum Requirements:Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree finance, accounting, or related and seven (7) years of experience utilizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with such positions as accounting manager or controller OR combination of education (above high school level) and/or experience equivalent to eleven (11) years in fields utilizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with this position. Special Requirements: All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies.Skills:Critical Thinking, Payroll Administration, Proactive Problem Solving, Professional Judgement, Team Leadership, UKG Payroll, Work Collaboratively, Workday PayrollWorking Conditions:Per HR Policy 6.19, Americans with Disabilities, the City follows the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in all hiring and employment decisions. The City shall not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring and employment practices. The City shall make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant or employee with a disability upon request unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship on the operation of the City’s business.The Working Conditions Summary is intended to provide a general overview of the environmental conditions inherent in the job setting, as well as the physical, mental, and sensory requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of the position in the noted job profile. Please copy and paste the URL below into your web browser to view the Working Conditions Summary for this position.https://workingcondition-summary-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/P1071.pdfOfficial Job Descriptions:To browse official job descriptions, please access this link - https://virginiabeach.gov/careers/job-descriptions-pay-plans?search=&group=EVRS Contribution: All full-time employees are required to contribute 5% of annual salary toward their retirement account; in accordance with VRS retirement provisions. This will be handled through a pre-tax payroll deduction.Drug Free Workplace: The City of Virginia Beach maintains a drug free workplace.Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement: The City of Virginia Beach is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status as defined by applicable law.