Payroll Processing Specialist - Temp

Vanderbilt University; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University is seeking a Payroll Specialist to support the People, Culture, and Belonging Division in Nashville. The role focuses on processing payroll, resolving issues, and ensuring timely, accurate employee payments.

The position requires 1–3 years of payroll experience, strong attention to detail, and excellent communication skills. Office-based role with emphasis on compliance and data security within the Tuition and Payroll framework.

Qualifications

• One to three years of payroll experience preferred.
• Experience in payroll processing, payroll administration, customer service, or human resources support.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Process off-cycle payroll batches, special payments, adjustments, and corrections accurately.
• Respond to payroll help desk tickets regarding paychecks, timecards, taxes, direct deposit, and deductions.
• Research and resolve employee payroll issues.
• Monitor and manage payroll ticket queues to meet service level expectations.
• Assist employees with direct deposit setup and updates, ensuring documentation is complete.
• Review payroll transactions for completeness and accuracy and identify discrepancies.
• Research payroll earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, garnishments, and other payroll concerns.
• Assist with processing payroll adjustments, overpayments, retroactive payments, and manual check requests.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee payroll information.
• Assist with locating and resolving uncashed payroll checks and inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional payroll policies and procedures.
• Maintain current knowledge of payroll regulations and system processes.

Skills

Payroll processing

Customer service

HR support

Excel

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Associate degree in related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About The Work Unit

The People, Culture, and Belonging Division at Vanderbilt University is at the forefront of enriching employee experience, moments that matter, and pioneering learning and talent development practices. We aim to transform how our community learns, grows, thrives, and connects, nurturing a culture where innovation meets excellence and where every employee has a clear, data-informed pathway to grow and advance, supporting our university’s noble mission goal.

About The Work Unit

The People, Culture, and Belonging Division at Vanderbilt University is at the forefront of enriching employee experience, moments that matter, and pioneering learning and talent development practices. We aim to transform how our community learns, grows, thrives, and connects, nurturing a culture where innovation meets excellence and where every employee has a clear, data-informed pathway to grow and advance, supporting our university’s noble mission goal.

Key Functions And Expected Performance

• Process off-cycle payroll batches, special payments, adjustments, and corrections accurately and within established deadlines.
• Responds to payroll-related help desk tickets, including inquiries regarding paychecks, timecards, tax withholding, direct deposit, W-2s, deductions, and payroll processes.
• Research and resolve employee payroll issues.
• Monitor and manage payroll ticket queues to ensure timely responses and issue resolution in accordance with service level expectations.
• Assist employees with direct deposit setup and updates, ensuring documentation is received, reviewed, and processed accurately.
• Review payroll transactions for completeness and accuracy and identify discrepancies requiring correction.
• Research payroll earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, garnishments, and other employee payroll concerns.
• Assist with processing of payroll adjustments, overpayments, retroactive payments, and manual check requests.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee personal, employment, and payroll information.
• Assist with identifying and correcting out-of-balance conditions and payroll transaction errors.
• Support payroll record maintenance, document retention, and audit requests as needed.
• Assist with locating and resolving uncashed payroll checks and employee payment inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional payroll policies and procedures.
• Maintain current knowledge of payroll regulations, tax requirements, and payroll system processes.

Supervisory Relationships

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Director of Payroll.

Education And Certifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant payroll or human resources experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience And Skills

• One to three years of experience in payroll preferred.
• Experience in payroll processing, payroll administration, customer service, or human resources support.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information.
• Ability to research and resolve payroll-related issues independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.