Payroll Assistant III

Aqua Water Company; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Payroll Assistant III, where you will play a vital role in managing payroll processes for a significant provider of water and wastewater services. This full-time position offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic environment, ensuring accurate payroll transactions, compliance with regulations, and supporting audits. You will collaborate with internal partners, handle payroll inquiries, and contribute to system upgrades. If you have a passion for payroll processing and a commitment to customer service, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of payroll experience in a fast-paced environment.
• Associate’s degree in finance or accounting; Bachelor's preferred.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and distribute payroll for assigned divisions, ensuring compliance.
• Maintain accurate payroll transaction records and respond to inquiries.

Skills

Payroll Processing

Excel

ADP

Lawson

PeopleSoft

SAP

Effective Communication

Customer Service Orientation

Education

Associate’s Degree in Finance or Accounting

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRIS

Job description

Join to apply for the Payroll Assistant III role at Aqua.

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status—including a competitive benefits package and career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater, and natural gas providers in the U.S.

Essential Duties

1. Prepare and distribute weekly and bi-weekly payrolls for assigned divisions, entering union, hourly, and salaried timesheets, work orders, payroll adjustments, and corrections into the payroll system.
2. Process final payments to terminated employees, ensuring timely payments compliant with legal requirements.
3. Maintain accurate payroll transaction records, verify pay rates and deductions for compliance with policies and regulations.
4. Analyze, audit, validate, and prepare timesheet data; run reports to identify exceptions; ensure all hours are correctly submitted and coded.
5. Respond to payroll inquiries, provide guidance, and resolve discrepancies.
6. Update and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and documentation.
7. Reconcile payroll data with general ledger, review ledger entries, and resolve discrepancies.
8. Assist with payroll tax returns, process voluntary deductions, and handle tax withholdings and payments.
9. Request payments for union dues, stock, and other deductions.
10. Generate payroll reports for finance and operational departments.
11. Support system upgrades and automation, troubleshoot system issues.
12. Develop relationships with internal partners to resolve issues and handle requests.
13. Stay current on wage and hour laws and regulations.
14. Maintain payroll files, ensure audit compliance, and support audits.
15. Assist with special projects like W-2 reconciliations and audits.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field; Bachelor’s preferred.
• Minimum 5 years payroll experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with payroll systems such as Lawson, ADP, PeopleSoft, SAP.
• Expertise in payroll processing, deductions, and taxes.
• Proficient in Excel, Microsoft Office, HRIS, and vendor interfaces.
• Effective communication skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple projects, and work independently or in a team.

Working Conditions

• Desk work involving sitting/standing, manual dexterity, and operating office equipment.
• Physical ability to exert up to 20 pounds occasionally.

Additional Information

This is a full-time, mid-senior level position within the Utilities industry. Essential Utilities is an Equal Opportunity employer and provides accommodations for individuals with disabilities.