Payroll Specialist

Benton County (OR); Corvallis (OR); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous time off

Zero-cost health insurance premium for

Employer-paid AD&D, Life, and Long‑/​短

Wellness program

Retirement contributions

Job summary

Benton County's Financial Services Department seeks a Payroll Specialist to independently manage the countywide payroll function for 500+ employees. The role requires expertise in payroll compliance, reporting, and salary projections to aid budgeting and contract negotiations.

Candidates should have an Associate's degree and significant payroll experience, including unionized payroll rules. Limited hybrid work may be considered after six months.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in accounting or business and 5 years' payroll processing experience.
• Experience with payroll for a unionized workforce and multiple bargaining-unit rules.
• Cover letter must detail work, educational and payroll administration experiences, including organization size and employees supported.

Responsibilities

• Manage the countywide payroll function for 500+ employees.
• Review, verify, and process payroll data across departments.
• Generate personnel, payroll, tax, and benefits reports.
• Prepare salary projections to support budgeting and labor contract negotiations.

Skills

Analytical skills

Customer service

MUNIS

Pivot tables in Excel

Outlook

Education

Associate's degree in accounting or business

Tools

Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables)

Outlook

MUNIS payroll system

Job description

Are you interested in making Benton County a better place for all its citizens? Do you enjoy diverse and dynamic work? Are you a person who loves to work with a variety of people? If so, then please consider joining the Financial Services Department at Benton County. You’ll get the opportunity to work with a committed and driven team working together to provide the backbone to the County organization.

Job Summary

As one of two Payroll Specialists, this position independently manages the countywide payroll function for approximately 500+ employees. The role serves as a subject matter expert on all payroll-related matters and is responsible for maintaining accurate and secure payroll records to ensure system integrity and compliance with federal and state laws, collective bargaining agreements, personnel policies, and other applicable regulations.

This position reviews, verifies, and processes payroll data for employees across all departments. It also generates required personnel, payroll, tax, and benefits reports. In collaboration with the Financial and Budget Analysts, the Payroll Specialist prepares salary projections to support budgeting and labor contract negotiations.

First review of applications will be November 18th, 2026.

Applications submitted after this date may or may not be considered. Please note that this recruitment may close at any time after the first review date.

PLEASE NOTE

• This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
• This recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates for future vacancies.

BENEFITS

Generous time off to maintain a healthy work-life balance!

• 11 Paid Holidays + 2 Floating Holidays + 8 hours of vacation accrual every month + sick leave. Vacation accrual increases with years of service.

$0 Health Insurance Premium!

• Medical, Dental and Vision - cover your eligible family members without additional premium.
• In addition, the County contributes up to $1,400 per year to your Health Savings or Reimbursement account!
  • Apart from your deductible you can use this money for things that aren’t traditionally paid by insurance – i.e. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and other preventative type medications
  • You never lose your Health Savings Account funds as it rolls over from year to year
• Dependents up to age 26 are covered.

Get ready for retirement. Generous employer paid contributions!

• After 6 months of employment:
  • The County makes a retirement contribution of 6% of your salary towards Oregon PERS.
  • The County makes a deferred compensation 457b plan contribution of 3% of your salary. You can add more if you wish.

A free and award-winning wellness program

• Interactive and personalized approach focused on your whole health.
• Onsite and virtual seminars, wellness challenges and fun activities.
• Monetary incentives and cool prizes to engage everyone and meet your individual needs.

100% employer-paid coverage for AD&D ($100,000), Life ($10,000), and Long-Term Disability coverage

• Supplemental plans are available at reasonable rates.

Annual salary range of:

• $58,723.93 -$77,943.33
• This position guarantees two salary raises within your first year. Increases are given at the end of the 6-month probationary period and at the 1-year anniversary, as long as your performance is in good standing! Increases are given until the maximum of the salary range is reached.
• For most employees who take advantage of health benefits the salary only makes up 60% of their total compensation. The County invests in you and your family!
• Have benefits questions?
  • Reach out to us anytime: [e-mail]

Minimum Qualifications for Payroll Specialist (BS23)

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

• Associate's degree or two-year technical certificate in accounting or business AND5 years' of progressively responsible experience in payroll processing.
• A cover letter is required to be submitted with your application. The cover letter should detail your work, educational and payroll administration experiences that demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications; including the organizational size, number of employees supported, and specific collective bargaining unit payroll processing experience.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.

Please note candidates must have at least 6 months of actual work experience to be considered as equivalent.

Special Requirements

• Five (5) years of experience with primary responsibility for payroll administration for a unionized workforce in an organization of similar size and complexity, including administration of multiple bargaining-unit payroll rules, contract pay provisions, payroll compliance requirements, and payroll and human resource information management systems.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Associate's degree in accounting or business
• 5 years of experience in payroll administration in a unionized environment
• Intermediate experience with Microsoft Excel (including pivot tables) and Outlook
• Strong client service-oriented customer service skills

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience that is process driven with attention to detail
  • Customer service experience
  • Experience in payroll and human resource information management systems(MUNIS)
  • Experience with local government payroll including work with collective bargaining units
  • Strong Analytical Skills
  • Knowledge of State and Federal Wage and Hour Laws
  • Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) designated highly preferred

Limited hybrid or remote work may be considered after successful completion of the six-month probationary period, subject to department needs and supervisory approval.

Questions regarding this position can be directed to:

Stephanie Chamberlin, Deputy Director of Finance

Department Telephone: [phone]

[e-mail]

Working & Living in Benton County

Perfectly placed in the Willamette Valley, 90 miles south of Portland and 40 miles north of Eugene, Benton County has easy access to urban areas with ample opportunities for cultural activities. Combined with outdoor recreation galore in the Cascade Range 80 miles to the east and the Coastal Range and Pacific Ocean 50 miles west, the county’s 90,000 residents like to say they "have it all."

Benton County is an equal opportunity employer.

Helpful links and contact information

Learn more about Benton County

Understanding the County Application Process

JobInterest Cards webpage

For more information you may contact us by e-mail at [e-mail] or by phone at 541-766-6081.