Payroll Specialist

City of Goodyear; Goodyear (AZ); Vor Ort; USD 55.000 - 75.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Vacation Leave

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Retirement benefits

Zusammenfassung

The City of Goodyear is seeking a Payroll Specialist to manage the full-cycle municipal payroll, including complex deductions, retroactive pay, and termination payouts. You will handle confidential personnel data, ensure compliance with federal/state regulations, and support process improvements within the finance team.

The ideal candidate has at least three years of municipal payroll experience, strong Excel skills, and familiarity with Munis or similar payroll systems.

Qualifikationen

• Minimum three years of experience processing full-cycle payroll, preferably municipal.
• Strong reading, math, and writing skills with attention to detail.
• Experience with federal/state payroll tax rules and pension/benefits processing.

Aufgaben

• Review timesheets for accuracy and approvals.
• Calculate corrections, retroactive pay, and termination payouts.
• Prepare payroll deductions and liabilities and remit on time.
• Process direct deposits and paychecks for biweekly payrolls.
• Stay current on payroll laws and pension rules.

Kenntnisse

Payroll processing

Excel

Timekeeping

Tax compliance

Customer service

Ausbildung

Associate degree in accounting/finance or related field

Tools

Munis payroll

Jobbeschreibung

Job Description Summary

Under general supervision, performs a variety of technical and advanced accounting clerical duties involved in the processing of the City’s payroll, working with highly sensitive, confidential personnel information including calculating all wage assignments. Responsibilities include applying applicable employee policies, guidelines, and mandated legislative regulations, maintaining databases and logs, calculating and remitting all applicable withholding liabilities, termination pay, retroactive pay, and deductions, assisting in the development and training of work procedures, providing customer assistance, and ensuring internal/external deadlines are met. The duties require a strong logical understanding of process functionality and the use of financial software systems; preparation and review of related reports; improving internal controls and efficiency through continuous improvement; and maintaining effective working relationships that promote a positive, solutions-oriented working environment.

Job Description Summary

Under general supervision, performs a variety of technical and advanced accounting clerical duties involved in the processing of the City’s payroll, working with highly sensitive, confidential personnel information including calculating all wage assignments. Responsibilities include applying applicable employee policies, guidelines, and mandated legislative regulations, maintaining databases and logs, calculating and remitting all applicable withholding liabilities, termination pay, retroactive pay, and deductions, assisting in the development and training of work procedures, providing customer assistance, and ensuring internal/external deadlines are met. The duties require a strong logical understanding of process functionality and the use of financial software systems; preparation and review of related reports; improving internal controls and efficiency through continuous improvement; and maintaining effective working relationships that promote a positive, solutions-oriented working environment.

The ideal candidate will possess five years' experience involving full cycle in-house municipal payroll processing responsibilities in the areas of assignment to include, review of employee changes, termination payouts, retro calculations, timesheet review, FLSA Fire payroll knowledge, export/import time entry, accrual processing, processing payroll liabilities, transmitting files to third party agencies, quarterly and year end reporting. A deep understanding of taxable income and payroll best practice guidelines. The ideal candidate would also have knowledge of model city and federal tax code. Lastly, the ideal candidate will demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Excel at an intermediate level.

At The City Of Goodyear, You Will Be a Part Of An Organization That Values Its Employees As Its Greatest Asset. You Will Become Part Of a Dedicated Team Of Professionals Who Are Committed To Building And Maintaining a Highly Engaged Workforce. You Will Be Challenged To Learn And Grow In An Environment That Values Employee Development And Career-building. You Will Thrive In a Culture Of Innovation. We Believe That Successful Employees Are Those Who Possess These Six Core Values

Adaptability - Integrity - Initiative - Empathy - Optimism – Innovation

Only a limited number of the most qualified applicants meeting the City's requirements will be invited for an interview. The examination process for this position will consist of a panel interview. All communication regarding application status and interview notifications will be sent via email- please monitor your junk/spam email for communication as it will come from a system-generated source.

Essential Functions

This information is intended to be descriptive of the key responsibilities of the position. The following functions do not identify all duties performed by the incumbent. Other duties and responsibilities will be performed as assigned.

• Actively engages in continuous improvement of individual, team, and organizational operations, procedures, policies, and guidelines to improve efficiency and internal controls.
• Reviews timesheets for accuracy, completeness and appropriate approvals
• Calculates all correction timesheets, retro calculations and final termination payments.
• Reviews and analyzes payroll reports for errors, adjusts as needed to resolve problems.
• Calculates and remits all applicable withholding liabilities for all City employees on a timely basis, including, but not limited to federal and state taxes, pensions, deferred comp, garnishments, and other related payroll liabilities.
• Processes termination checks in compliance with various government guidelines and pension plans.
• Calculates, processes, reviews, submits, and distributes accurate direct deposit files and paychecks for the City’s bi-weekly payrolls, within strict timelines.
• Runs the general payroll ledger payroll posting process.
• Assists employees with sensitive questions regarding direct deposit, leave accruals, and other payroll-related inquiries.
• Processes off-cycle checks as needed.
• Researches and remains current on federal and state payroll tax law changes, pension, benefits, and other applicable laws and regulations affecting payroll administration.

Requirements

• Formal Education/Knowledge: Work requires knowledge of a specific vocational, administrative, or technical nature which may be obtained with a two-year associate's degree, diploma or equivalent from a college, technical, business, vocational, or correspondence school. Appropriate certification may be awarded upon satisfactory completion of advanced study or training.
• Experience: Minimum three years of experience processing full-cycle payroll (municipal experience preferred).
• Certifications and Other Requirements: None
• Reading: Work requires the ability to read and comprehend complex written documents such as administrative guidelines, use and sales tax documentation, IRS Guidelines, accounting guidelines, technical manuals and various legal agreements.
• Math: Work requires the ability to perform general math calculations rapidly and accurately such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, to read and manipulate spreadsheet formulas, and to calculate percentages, interest charges, and payments.
• Writing: Work requires the ability to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper English sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Managerial: Complex - Job has no responsibility for the direction or supervision of others but role may include overseeing work quality, training, instructing and scheduling work.
• Policy/Decision Making: Moderate - The employee normally performs the job by following established standard operating procedures and/or policies. There is a choice of the appropriate procedure or policy to apply to duties. More complex work as well as decisions with more significant impacts may be reviewed prior to being finalized.
• Technical Skills: Broad Application - Work requires a comprehensive, practical knowledge of a technical field with use of analytical judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Interpersonal/Human Relations Skills: Moderate - In addition to the sharing of information, interactions at this level may also include providing advice to others outside direct reporting relationships on specific problems or general policies/procedures. In many of the interactions, contacts may require the consideration of different points of view to reach agreement. Elements of persuasion may be necessary to gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas.

12 Month Objectives

Payroll Specialist 12 Month Objectives

City of Goodyear

Develop proficiency in City payroll operations and provide dependable processing coverage under general supervision. Complete assigned duties using established procedures, deadlines, approvals, and review controls; refer complex calculations, policy questions, and significant discrepancies to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

First 90 Days

1 Learn City payroll procedures and requirements.

Review the payroll calendar, task checklists, City policies, administrative guidelines, and confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate the sequence of assigned payroll duties, identify required approvals, and explain when an issue requires further review.

2 Validate timekeeping entries and imports.

For each assigned payroll cycle, review timesheets and imported data for completeness, valid pay codes, hours, and approvals. Check Executime for missing approvals, follow up with employees and supervisors before cutoff, and document unresolved items for escalation. Verify source files before import and confirm results afterward.

3 Complete assigned payroll calculations.

Prepare corrected timesheets, retroactive pay, off-cycle checks, and termination payouts using approved procedures and supporting records. By day 90, complete assigned routine calculations with limited guidance and required review; document the basis for each calculation and resolve identified errors before processing.

4 Build proficiency in biweekly processing.

Complete assigned Munis payroll processing steps within internal deadlines, using the payroll checklist. By day 90, demonstrate accurate completion of assigned steps for two consecutive payroll cycles, with complete supporting records and all identified exceptions corrected or escalated before finalization.

Months 4 Through 6

5 Apply Police and Fire payroll rules.

Review the applicable bargaining agreements, schedules, pay codes, overtime, and leave provisions affecting assigned work. By month 6, complete a supervised review of representative Police and Fire payroll calculations and apply established rules to assigned transactions. Refer unusual scenarios or interpretation questions for review.

6 Prepare deductions and payroll liabilities.

By month 6, accurately prepare and reconcile assigned tax, retirement, deferred compensation, garnishment, and other liability payments or files for two consecutive payroll cycles. Submit for required review by the established deadlines and track rejected items and follow-up through resolution.

7 Use reports to identify payroll exceptions.

Each payroll cycle, use established reports and Excel tools, including pivot tables, to review assigned employee changes, earnings, deductions, and leave balances. Compare exceptions with source records, correct routine discrepancies within assigned authority, and retain evidence of review.

8 Complete payment and posting duties.

By month 6, demonstrate assigned direct deposit file, paycheck, off-cycle payment, and payroll general ledger posting procedures for two consecutive cycles. Confirm totals against approved payroll reports, retain processing confirmations, and promptly report discrepancies to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

Months 7 Through 12

9 Maintain dependable processing coverage.

Consistently complete assigned payroll duties independently within established procedures and review controls. For every assigned cycle, meet internal deadlines or notify the Payroll Manager of obstacles before the deadline. Maintain complete calculation support and review records and use feedback to prevent recurring errors.

10 Support quarterly and annual reporting.

By month 12, complete assigned quarterly reconciliation and year-end preparation tasks, including supporting schedules, employee information checks, and W-2 validation and distribution. Provide accurate, organized records to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager by assigned dates. If an annual cycle has not occurred, complete a walkthrough using prior-year records.

11 Document procedures and establish backup coverage.

By month 12, create or update at least two procedures for assigned recurring duties, including source records, validation steps, approvals, and exception handling. Demonstrate readiness to cover at least one additional payroll function through supervised completion and share the updated procedures with designated backup staff.

12 Support approved improvements and system changes.

By month 12, identify at least one practical improvement to an assigned payroll task and submit it to the Payroll Manager. Complete assigned HRIS training, data checks, or test cases within agreed dates; document expected and actual results, report discrepancies, and retest approved corrections as directed.

Expectations Throughout the Year

Protect confidential employee information and provide clear, respectful service to employees, departments, and outside agencies. Acknowledge inquiries within two business days and communicate the next step or expected follow-up date. Keep current on requirements affecting assigned duties through approved training and guidance, and raise compliance questions before processing. Review progress with the Payroll Manager at 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months using completed checklists, reconciliations, procedures, and training records.

The City of Goodyear offers a highly competitive benefits package including:

• Vacation Leave: 14 days per year, increasing with longevity. Goodyear offers an enhanced vacation benefit of recognizing total years of service under all Arizona public retirement systems for accruing vacation.
• Sick Leave: 12 days per year
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year, including one floating holiday the first full pay period of January
• Flexible Holiday: 24 hours per calendar year (prorated based on hire date)
• Health Insurance: Three health plans available to select from at a group rate
• Dental Insurance: Two dental plans available to select from at a group rate
• Vision Insurance: Available at a group rate
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Health Care and Dependent Care accounts available
• Short Term Disability Insurance: City-paid coverage
• Cancer Benefit: City-paid coverage
• Life Insurance: City-paid insurance valued at twice the annual salary ($400,000 maximum); additional life insurance for self and/or dependent is available at employee's cost
• Longevity pay beginning at year six
• Tuition Assistance: $5,250 per calendar year
• Employee Assistance Program
• Onsite wellness center/clinic
• Access to the Goodyear Recreation Center
• Robust employee well-being program
• Free identify theft monitoring and protection with Aura
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan: 2% city match (employee contributes 1%)
• Retirement Health Savings: $22.50 city contribution (employee contributes $12.50 per pay period)
• Retirement: Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) Defined Benefit plan with mandatory city and employee contributions currently at 12.00%. Plan includes Long Term Disability Benefit.

01

Please Indicate Your Highest Level Of Education

• High School Diploma or GED
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor Degree of higher
• None

02

Please Indicate Your Years Of Relatable Experience

• Less than 3 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 - 6 years
• 7 years or more

03

How many years of experience do you have in processing full cycle payroll?

• 10 years or more
• 7 - 9 years
• 5 - 6 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 1 - 2 years
• None

04

How many years of experience do you have ensuring that payroll activities comply with organizational rules, federal, state and local regulations?

• 3 years or more
• 2 years
• 1 year or less
• None

05

How many years of Payroll experience utilizing Tyler Munis in a municipal or government setting do you have?

• 3 years or more
• Less than 3 years
• None

06

Do you have an Associates degree (or higher) in accounting/finance or related field?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question