Payroll Technician II

California State University, Chico; California; On-site; USD 45,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University, Channel Islands is seeking a Payroll Technician II to independently process confidential payroll transactions for campus units, ensuring timely and accurate pay for staff, management, faculty, and student assistants.

The role requires interpreting laws and bargaining agreements, applying policies, and training new payroll technicians. A background check is required and USC work eligibility is necessary.

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of payroll experience.
• Thorough knowledge of general office methods and procedures.
• Ability to enter, audit, and reconcile data and perform mathematical calculations.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Background check required.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Process a full range of confidential payroll transactions for campus units.
• Interpret and apply applicable laws, rules, and bargaining agreements.
• Calculate and process various pay plans and deductions.
• Generate and reconcile reports and audit payroll modules.
• Provide guidance and training to payroll users.

Skills

Payroll processing

Data entry

Policy interpretation

Communication skills

Time management

Education

Higher education experience preferred

Tools

PeopleSoft CHRS Absence Management

PeopleSoft Time & Labor

Personnel Information Management System

Job description

Payroll Technician II

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Independently processes a full range of confidential, moderately complex payroll and personnel transactions for assigned campus units, ensuring timely and accurate pay for staff, management, faculty, and student assistants. Selects, interprets, and applies applicable laws, rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and policies, including situations not specifically covered by existing precedents or CSU, state, and governmental guidelines. Uses initiative and judgment to analyze information, resolve payroll issues, answer questions across bargaining units, and determine an appropriate course of action within established practices and guidelines. Interprets and implements directives from technical letters.

Calculates and processes transactions for various pay plans including, leaves, and changes in employment and pay status including intermittent, regular full-time and part-time, overtime, special consultant, shift differential, call back, individual lesson, annual year, 10-month, 10/12, semester, summer session, and merit salary adjustments; vacation, holiday, sick, workers compensation, bereavement, disability, and compensatory time; appointments promotions, demotions, reclassification, retirements and separations.

Processes levies, garnishments, and court-ordered wage withholding and wage assignment orders. Organizes work to meet strict payroll deadlines. Prepares and reviews payroll documents, identifies and corrects errors and overpayments, and coordinates collection activities.

Generates and reconciles reports, including Campus Information Retrieval System (CIRS) reports. Audits and clears errors in PeopleSoft Common Human Resources System (CHRS) Absence Management and Time & Labor modules and reconciles employee work schedules. Updates and maintains residency status and Affordable Care Act (ACA) data in applicable systems.

Provides guidance, assistance, and training to campus payroll users and assists in training new payroll technicians, and answering their questions. Performs other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: A minimum of two years of payroll experience preparing and processing payroll and personnel documents.

Thorough knowledge of general office methods, practices and procedures. Ability to select, interpret, and apply moderately complex policies, procedures, programs, state and federal laws, educational codes, and collective bargaining agreements, including situations not clearly addressed in available guidelines.

Ability to accurately enter, audit, and reconcile data and perform mathematical calculations. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently and make sound decisions and recommendations regarding payroll activities.

Ability to follow oral and written instructions, read and write at a level appropriate to the position, and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Higher education experience preferred.

Thorough knowledge of state or municipal payroll systems and general office methods, practices, and procedures; familiarity with the Personnel Information Management System preferred.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships, provide responsive customer service, and exercise tact, courtesy, and good judgment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.

Please note:California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) is not currently sponsoring staff or management positions for H-1B employment visas. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants may be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Hiring Salary:$4,037 - $5,120 per month

Advertised: Nov 03 2026 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close: