Payroll Specialist

Yukon Public Schools; Yukon (OK); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Yukon Public Schools is seeking a Payroll Specialist to ensure accurate processing of district payroll, fringe benefits, and contracts in a public-school setting. The role supports HR and the business office, with emphasis on compliance with state and federal compensation and labor laws.

The ideal candidate maintains OCAS coding accuracy, manages time sheets, coordinates with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and prepares IRS/SSA/SDE reports while handling confidential information

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; Associate’s degree preferred.
• CPP certification, or willingness to obtain and maintain, required.
• 2+ years of payroll or business-office experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of basic office procedures, data entry, and common software (Word, Excel, payroll/human resources software).
• Strong math skills for payroll calculations (fractions, percentages, ratios, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Process all payrolls and distribute payments accurately and on time.
• Maintain OCAS coding accuracy per SDE guidelines for payroll expenditures.
• Enter and verify time sheets and wage data, and address discrepancies with HR leadership.
• Reconcile payroll withholdings and coordinate timely payments to insurers and government agencies.
• Prepare required reports for IRS, SSA, SDE and other agencies; maintain filing systems.
• Handle garnishments confidentially and ensure compliance with state/federal rules.
• Maintain payroll records and assist with audits and data verifications.
• Support onboarding, deductions setup, and miscellaneous payroll system configurations.

Skills

Data entry

Payroll software

Microsoft Excel

Accounting principles

Communication skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED equivalency

Associate’s Degree

CPP certification

2+ years payroll experience

Basic office procedures

Math calculations (finance/payroll)

Tools

IVisions

AESOP

Microsoft Office

Job description

TITLE: PAYROLL SPECIALIST

JOB SUMMARY:

The payroll specialist must maintain a working knowledge of processing payroll including fringe benefits, employment contracts, and state and federal compensation and labor laws, as they apply to public schools. The payroll specialist will ensure accurate processing and recording of District payroll, provide timely and accurate financial information, participate in data entry for payroll processing, and work with other personnel in human resources and the business office to support District personnel functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Process all payrolls and distribute payments (e.g. certified staff, substitutes, timesheets, etc.) in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of OCAS coding; verify and enter proper OCAS coding for all payroll expenditures as determined by SDE.
• Process all time sheets/work-time entries for each payroll period in a timely manner, to include calculating, verifying, and data entry; communicate with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources regarding discrepancies, procedural concerns, and wage and hour concerns; research discrepancies of payroll information and/or documentation (e.g. time sheets, leave time entries, salary, stipends, FMLA, etc.); communicate with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources to develop and monitor methods (time sheets, time clock, etc.) of collecting and recording time and attendance.
• Reconcile payroll withholding/deduction checks to billing and make timely monthly payments to insurance companies and government agencies.
• Complete and file timely payroll returns and reports as required by IRS, SSA, SDE, OTRS and all other agencies of local, state or federal government.
• Process all garnishments received in a confidential manner; ensure all deadlines are followed; proper withholdings are made, and amounts of deductions meet state and federal guidelines.
• Maintains records and files, which adequately document payroll activities (e.g. time sheets, extra duty sheets, payoff sheets, I-9, W-2, W-4).
• Accurately reflects all taxable income (salary, transportation, imputed income, perks, etc.) in employee compensation.
• Collect, record, and process all required Federal and State documents (e.g. W-2,W-4, etc.)
• Submit payments to the Assistant Treasurer in a timely manner for uploading data to the bank.
• Set up new employees in the payroll system and/or delete employees upon termination once they have been approved by the board and documentation has been approved; assist with employee onboarding processes.
• Upon proper authorization, set up and maintain deductions, fringes, annuities, etc. in the system as approved by the Board and the State Department of Education (SDE); coordinate with other office personnel for insurance and federal program entries.
• Respond to all employee inquiries related to payroll with a customer-focused demeanor.
• Compile statistical and payroll data from a variety of sources (e.g. timesheets/payroll, salary adjustments, deductions, benefits, leave balances, etc.) for the purpose of providing summaries to other personnel and/or ensuring compliance with established guidelines.
• Assist with audit preparation, as needed; assist with income verifications, as needed.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordinate with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and other personnel to support annual enrollment and processing of Section 125 elections.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of District software used to support payroll and human resources functions (e.g. IVisions, etc.); maintain working knowledge of Microsoft Office Documents (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.); maintain a working knowledge of substitute management system (AESOP).
• Maintain a working knowledge of State and Federal regulations and District policies concerning employee compensation (Unemployment, Garnishments, Wage and Hour Division guidelines, etc.); participate in ongoing training and research to maintain current and accurate knowledge.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and other personnel to complete required SDE reports (e.g. School Personnel reports) in a timely and accurate manner.
• Coordinate with the Chief Financial Officer and the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources to develop, distribute, and collect personnel contracts and compensation statements.

EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:

• High School Diploma or GED equivalency.
• Associate’s Degree preferred, but not required.
• CPP certification, or the willingness to obtain and maintain, is required.
• 2 or more years of experience working with payroll and/or business office procedures preferred.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of basic office procedures, basic accounting principles, data entry, and a variety of computer applications (e.g. Word, Excel, payroll software, human resources software, etc.).
• Command of math calculations, as they relate to finance and payroll (fractions, percents, ratios, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, whole numbers, decimals, rate).

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Generally, the job requires 80% sitting, 10% walking, and 10% standing.
• Requires fine finger dexterity to use office equipment, office technology, and maintain accurate filing systems.
• Must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds.
• May experience constant interruptions, inflexible deadlines, and changes to normal routines; ability to work a flexible schedule as needed to meet production deadlines; ability to use problem-solving and analytical skills to identify concerns and solutions with data, software, and procedures; must complete a high volume of computer use and input a high volume of data with speed and accuracy, including confidential data.
• Ability to communicate and coordinate with a diverse range of personnel (e.g. support staff, administrators, co-workers); must maintain strict confidentiality.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• 237 day contract; 8 hours per day.
• 1.95 ratio; Pay Information | YUKON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STATUS:

Non-exempt Support

EVALUATION:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain comprehensive listings of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee of this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with the provisions of the Board’s policy of evaluation for support personnel.