Specialist, Payroll

Lake Sumter State College; Leesburg (FL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Lake Sumter State College in Leesburg, FL is seeking a Payroll Specialist to manage monthly payrolls for faculty, staff, and student workers, ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal and state regulations.

The role supports Human Resources and Finance, maintains confidential records, handles tax filings, and assists with audits and annual closeouts while delivering exceptional service to college employees.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of three years of experience in payroll or a related field.
• Proficiency in payroll systems.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and data reconciliation knowledge.
• Knowledge of payroll tax regulations and wage-and-hour laws.
• Bachelor's degree (preferred).
• Experience with Banner or similar ERP (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Process monthly payrolls for full-time staff, adjunct, and part-time employees with accuracy and timeliness.
• Verify timekeeping data, leave reports, leave requests, and earnings information for compliance with policies and FLSA.
• Maintain and update payroll records including new hires, changes, deductions, and withholdings.
• Coordinate with HR on employee data related to benefits and leave accruals.
• Reconcile payroll reports and prepare general ledger entries with Finance.
• Assist with taxes, 941, W-2, workers' comp, and unemployment filings.
• Process retirement plan contributions and other benefit deductions.
• Respond to employee inquiries about pay, deductions, and tax forms.
• Assist with audits, budget reporting, and year-end closeout activities.
• Maintain confidentiality of payroll information.
• Support payroll system enhancements and process improvements.

Skills

Payroll systems

Microsoft Excel

Data reconciliation

Regulatory compliance

Attention to detail

Education

Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Tools

Banner ERP

Job description

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for performing all aspects of payroll processing for faculty, staff, and student employees, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws, institutional policies, and collective bargaining agreements (if applicable). This position plays a key role in maintaining accurate payroll records, coordinating with Human Resources and Finance, and providing exceptional service to college employees.

Responsible for demonstrating LSSC’s core values of Caring, Communicating, Collaborating, and Celebrating when interacting with students, employees, visitors, and community members.

include, but are not limited to the following:

• Process monthly payrolls for full-time staff, adjunct, and part-time employees with accuracy and timeliness.
• Responsible for ensuring the employee action request forms for new hires, temporary workers, transfers, promotions, and terminations are accurate and updated promptly in the payroll system.
• Verify timekeeping data, leave reports, leave requests, and earnings information to ensure compliance with institutional policies and FLSA requirements.
• Maintain and update payroll records, including new hires, terminations, pay changes, deductions, and tax withholdings.
• Coordinate with Human Resources to ensure accurate employee data related to benefits, position changes, and leave accruals.
• Reconcile payroll reports and prepare general ledger entries in coordination with the Finance Office.
• Assist with the preparation and submission of federal, state, and local tax payments and required reports such as 941, W-2, workers' compensation, and unemployment.
• Process retirement plan contributions and other benefit-related deductions in accordance with state and institutional programs.
• Respond to employee inquiries regarding pay, deductions, and tax forms, providing clear and professional communication.
• Assist with annual audits, budget reporting, and year-end payroll closeout activities.
• Maintain employee payroll records
• Maintain strict confidentiality of employee and payroll information.
• Support implementation of payroll system enhancements and continuous process improvement initiatives.

.

• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and time-management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication abilities.
• Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and institutional payroll regulations.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.

ABILITIES/GENERAL:

• Promote a common purpose consistent with the College's stated goals and demonstrate a commitment to students and the learning environment.
• Possess knowledge of general written standards and procedures utilized, and have the ability to read, interpret, and follow procedural and policy manuals related to the job tasks.
• Demonstrate the ability to respond to supervision, guidance, and direction in a positive, receptive manner and follow stated policies.
• Deliver exceptional customer service by fostering a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Present a professional image in words, actions, and attire.
• Conduct oneself in a manner consistent with the College’s standards of ethical conduct.
• Apply effective techniques to establish and maintain working relationships, fostering collaboration to achieve common goals; effectively communicate and collaborate with others to achieve shared objectives.
• Demonstrate the skills necessary to examine situations and processes, making recommendations for improvement critically.
• Strong service orientation and ability to effectively work as a member or leader of a team by cooperating with others, offering to help others when needed, and considering larger organizational goals rather than individual concerns. Includes the ability to build &/or support a constructive team spirit where members are committed to the goals and objectives of the organization.
• Plan, organize, and successfully multitask to meet multiple deadlines and frequently new work tasks within required timeframes. Proven flexibility to successfully work on a variety of projects quickly and accurately.
• Effectively manage change and adaptability.
• Adheres to all workplace safety rules, safety laws, regulations, standards, and practices
• Ability to work various hours, including nights, early mornings, and weekends
• Ability to travel amongst various campuses and attend College events, on or off campus, as required.

• Required:
  1. Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
  2. Minimum of three (3) years of experience in payroll or a related field.
  3. Demonstrated proficiency in payroll systems.
  4. Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and data reconciliation methods.
  5. Knowledge of payroll tax regulations, wage and hour laws, and employment compliance standards
• Preferred:
  1. Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
  2. Experience with Banner or similar ERP