PAYROLL SPECIALIST

J.F.K; Joliet (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

J.F.K. is seeking a Payroll Specialist to provide advanced technical and compliance support for timely payroll administration and employee benefits.

The role involves managing payroll calculations, deductions, and regulatory reporting with the Business and Financial Services team. The position entails handling complex payroll runs, submitting semi-monthly or bi-weekly payroll data, and ensuring accuracy while maintaining confidentiality of records.

Qualifications

• Advanced payroll processing and regulatory reporting experience.
• Maintain confidentiality and accuracy of payroll data.
• Ability to audit complex payroll runs and deductions.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, audit, and process complex payroll runs including retroactive pay and separations.
• Enter, maintain, and audit records in the financial system with high confidentiality.
• Manage employee benefits deductions and garnishments.
• Assist with direct deposit vouchers, reconciliations, and related reports.
• Assist with quarterly and year end processes including W-2s and ACA compliance.
• Respond to inquiries related to payroll, benefits, pension, and tax withholdings.
• Reconcile leave balances and track pay records for leave and docked contracts.
• Collaborate on benefit enrollment periods and reporting to pension systems.
• Process changes such as new hires, terminations, and rate changes as directed.
• Update payroll master data and maintain subsidiary controls and reports.
• Disburse payments for taxes, FICA, retirement, and optional deductions.
• Prepare payroll data reports for external requests and FOIA.
• Extract data from time sheets, stipend requests, and overtime slips.

Skills

Payroll processing

Compliance

Data entry accuracy

Regulatory reporting

Job description

Job Description

POSITION: PAYROLL SPECIALIST

REPORTS TO: Assistant Superintendent of Business and Financial Services

Director of Finance

POSITION SUMMARY: The Payroll Specialist provides advanced technical and compliance support to ensure timely administration of payroll and employee benefits. This role is responsible for managing payroll calculations, deductions, and regulatory reporting in coordination with the Business and Financial Services team.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepare, audit, and process complex payroll runs, including retroactive pay, stipends, and employee separations
• Enter, maintain, and audit records in the financial system with a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality
• Manage employee benefits deductions (ie: insurance and pension deductions) and garnishments.
• Assist with preparation of direct deposit vouchers, reconciliations, and related reports and documentation, and submit batches to financial institutions as directed
• Assist with quarterly and year end processes, including reconciliation, preparation, and distribution of W-2 tax forms, and ACA compliance
• Respond to high level inquiries related to payroll, benefits, pension, and tax withholdings
• Reconcile employee leave balances according to district records
• Track and maintain pay records for employees on leave, FMLA, workers' compensation, and dock or adjust contracts as necessary.
• Collaborate with Payroll Coordinator on benefit enrollment periods and reporting to Illinois pension systems
• Assist with processing changes such as new employees, terminations, and rate changes required per contract year or board directive.
• Update the information in the payroll master accurately.
• Assist with the maintenance of subsidiary controls, records, and reports on payroll deductions.
• Assist with disbursement of payments for federal and state taxes, FICA, retirement, and voluntary deductions such as Credit Union, ISA's, union dues, garnishments, etc.
• Assist with preparation of bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual state and federal reports for IMRF, IRS, federal and state taxes, Social Security, and Medicare.
• Maintain ID ME Federal credentials to process bi-weekly and quarterly tax payments.
• Calculate pro-rated salaries and benefit time.
• Keep abreast of changes in retirement systems and governmental withholding laws.
• Answer and service calls applicable to the areas of assigned responsibility.
• Produce requested payroll data reports for external, FOIA, or collective bargaining requests.
• Extract necessary data from time sheets, stipend requests, and overtime slips.
• Accurately input data into payroll software and verify output. Process pay for external subs and internal sub work.
• Prepare Payroll summary of account distributions for Board Report as needed.
• Prepare and distribute schools' timesheets as needed.
• Assess longevity step advances in PIO bank and adjust attendance classes accordingly
• Perform an annual roll of PIO banks.