Payroll Specialist

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

CalPERS retirement

Job summary

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT seeks an experienced payroll clerk to perform complex payroll accounting duties for certificated, classified and hourly staff. You will process time reports, audit inputs, and maintain automated and manual records with accuracy and timeliness.

Responsibilities include handling deductions, tax forms, wage adjustments, and responding to inquiries, while ensuring compliance with district policies and applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Requires graduation from high school supplemented by college-level accounting coursework
• Three years clerical accounting experience including two years payroll processing
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, taxes, and deductions

Responsibilities

• Prepare payroll for employees and audit time reports
• Process time sheets, deductions, overtime, and pay information
• Maintain automated and manual payroll records and reports
• Respond to payroll inquiries and provide policy guidance
• Process and distribute paychecks and tax forms as needed
• Prepare and reconcile payroll data and reports

Skills

Payroll processing

Timekeeping

Auditing time reports

Education

High school + accounting coursework

Tools

Payroll software

Job description

Basic Function and Representative Duties

Under the direction of an assigned supervisor, perform a variety of specialized and complex payroll accounting duties to pay employees accurately and timely; prepare and maintain a variety of automated and manual records and reports related to the payroll function; provide consultation concerning payroll processes, policies and procedures.

Representative Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Perform a variety of specialized and complex duties in the preparation of payroll for employees; receive and audit time reports; process and evaluate the accuracy of a variety of payroll-related forms and applications
• Process and verify input into an assigned computer system, daily, hourly, per diem, extra duty, substitute, overtime, stipends, and higher duty employee time sheet and pay information including deductions; generate computerized lists and reports accurately; process data accurately; calculate and input salary adjustments, coding, time vouchers and overtime pay as needed; verify proper authorizing signatures, coding, calculations and accuracy of payroll adjustments
• Establish and maintain detailed automated permanent records regarding personnel; process new hire, rehire, retirement and termination paperwork; input and update a variety of data including pay rates/salary schedule information, tax status, deductions, salaried FTE changes, changes in classification and other employee information
• Provide consultation concerning payroll processes, policies and procedures; respond to inquiries, resolve issues and conflicts and provide technical information concerning calculations, pay rates, taxes, wage garnishments, and leaves; provide documentation, forms or applications to employees as needed
• Receive, sort and distribute paychecks and warrants according to established procedures and guidelines; process special payroll transactions such as corrections, awards, professional growth, longevity, shift differentials, bonuses, replacements, final checks and retro-pay as appropriate
• Compile information and prepare and maintain a variety of records and reports related to employee information, time sheets, pay rates, salary adjustments, voluntary pay deductions/changes, disability, workers compensation, payroll data, and submit payroll reports to appropriate personnel for processing
• Process and apply payroll changes relative to bargaining unit contracts, PERS, STRS, County, State, IRS, and Social Security rules and regulations
• Prepare and process a variety of required tax forms accurately and as assigned; perform periodic tax procedures and related payroll reconciliation functions; prepare and distribute mandated tax reports; compile and verify related employee information
• Research and provide current and past payroll information in response to employee inquiries, subpoenas, workers compensation claims, and inquiries from State and County agencies according to established guidelines; provide employment and wage verification for court orders from County and State agencies
• Operate a variety of office equipment including a calculator, copier, fax machine, printer, sealing machine, computer and assigned software

Other Duties

Perform related duties as assigned

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge Of

• Advanced principles and techniques involved in payroll preparation and processing
• Tax withholding, voluntary deductions, garnishments and supplemental insurance
• Preparation, maintenance, verification and processing of payroll records and reports
• Generally accepted accounting principles, practices and procedures
• Preparation, review and control of assigned accounts
• Organizational payroll policies and objectives
• Financial and statistical record-keeping techniques
• Preparation of financial statements and comprehensive payroll accounting reports
• Applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures
• Principles and practices of data processing
• Modern office practices, procedures and equipment
• Technical aspects of field of specialty
• Operation of a computer and assigned software
• Oral and written communication skills
• Interpersonal skills including tact, patience and courtesy
• Arithmetic computations

Ability To

• Perform a variety of specialized and complex payroll and accounting duties in the preparation of payroll for certificated, classified and/or hourly personnel
• Pay employees accurately and timely according to established processes and timelines
• Prepare and maintain a variety of automated and manual records and reports
• Interpret, apply and explain laws, rules and regulations related to payroll activities
• Provide consultation concerning payroll processes, policies and procedures
• Process payroll and related records for payrolls
• Monitor, audit, adjust and reconcile payroll data
• Identify, investigate and resolve financial errors and discrepancies
• Reconcile and balance assigned payroll accounts
• Operate a variety of office equipment including a computer and assigned software
• Compare numbers and detect errors efficiently
• Operate standard office equipment including a computer and assigned software
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Assemble, organize and prepare data for records and reports
• Work confidentially with discretion
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others
• Meet schedules and time lines
• Make arithmetic computations with speed and accuracy

Education, Experience And Other Requirements

Any combination equivalent to: graduation from high school supplemented by college-level course in accounting or related field and three years clerical accounting experience including two years involving payroll processing

Working Conditions and Additional Information

Environment

• WORKING CONDITIONS:
• Office environment
• Constant interruptions
• Contact with dissatisfied or abusive individuals

Physical Demands

• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard
• Seeing to read a variety of materials
• Hearing and speaking to exchange information
• Sitting for extended periods of time

SALARIES

All salaries as stated are based on present information and are subject to change. Appointments are made at the minimum salary shown and increases are granted at intervals based on satisfactory service.

BENEFITS (FOR PERMANENT EMPLOYEES)

Health plans provide for full coverage for employees and family in the area of medical and dental insurance to a negotiated maximum. All employees who work an average regular assignment of less than 5-1/2 hours a day (.72 FTE or less) shall be entitled to health insurance coverage and dental insurance coverage on a pro-rated basis. This position is covered by Social Security and may be eligible for California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), with joint employee and employer paid contributions. Current members of CalPERS working in other California state, county, city, and school districts can transfer retirement service credit to the District. All employees are enrolled in an Employee Assistant Program (EAP). The District also offers various optional benefits including life insurance, short term disability, Vision Service Plan (VSP), and a medical and dependent care flexible spending option.

VACATION

• 1-3 Years: Ten (10) working days per year until he/she has completed four (4) years of service.
• 4-9 Years: Fifteen (15) working days per year until he/she has completed ten (10) years of service.
• 10-14 Years: Twenty (20) working days per year until he/she has completed fifteen (15) years of service.
• 15+ Years: Twenty-five (25) working days per year.
• Regular twelve (12) month employees shall accrue two (2) additional days of vacation per year at each step indicated above.

HOLIDAYS

• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veterans' Day
• Thanksgiving Holiday (3 Days)
• Winter Board Holiday (3 Days)
• New Year's Holiday (2 Days)
• Martin Luther King's Birthday
• Lincoln's Birthday
• Washington's Birthday
• Spring Board Holiday
• Malcolm X's Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth

School Year employees may receive sixteen (17) paid holidays, including all of the above except Independence Day (4th of July).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Classified employees may also participate in professional development activities to enhance their careers.

Health And Character Investigations

Candidates selected for appointment may be required to pass a medical examination given by a Commission-designated physician to determine physical fitness for District employment. The Commission may disqualify any eligible candidates on the basis of the examining physician's report. The District also conducts a fingerprinting background check for all potential candidates for hire. All convictions must be declared and explained on the application; failure to do so will automatically disqualify the application. Tuberculosis tests must be completed and a negative result must be supplied prior to beginning work.

01

Please list any college-level course in accounting or related field you have successfully completed.

02

Please describe your payroll processing experience.

• Required Question