PAYROLL ANALYST
(An Unclassified, At-Will Position)

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under direction, coordinates, leads, oversees, and participates in processing the City’s payroll; performs the more complex and difficult work involved in the preparation, review, and maintenance of payroll for the City; ensures all applicable deadlines are met; ensures the validation and accuracy of payroll operations; interprets a variety of rules and regulations for payroll compliance; prepares W-2’s and quarterly tax reports; researches, analyzes, and resolves pay related issues and/or discrepancies; provides detailed information and reports for labor negotiations; interacts with management, supervisors, and employees; sets up and maintains earning and deduction codes; and administers the City’s 401K and 457 deferred compensation retirement plan contributions, loans, and withdrawals.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties form those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Leads, plans, trains, and reviews the work of staff responsible for the preparation, review and maintenance of payroll for the City; ensures the validation and accuracy of payroll operations.
• Trains assigned employees in their areas of work including payroll methods, procedures, and techniques; evaluates, prepares and gives annual performance reviews.
• Participates in the development of policies and procedures; assigns work activities and projects; monitors work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; makes recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards and procedures.
• Enters a variety of payroll information into the City’s computer system including timecards, specialty pay, terminations and pay, deduction and tax changes.
• Audits, reviews and verifies submitted payroll information, makes corrections and enters data into the computer system.
• Processes pay changes and payroll deduction changes such as deferred compensation, flex benefits, withholding, employee and charitable organizations, and insurances.
• Coordinates, computes and processes pay adjustments due to Workers’ Compensation, SDI, LTD, leave of absence, and donated leave; calculates retroactive pay adjustments.
• Participates in a team with human resources staff on a variety of issues including testing new processes and upgrades to the computer system, developing and determining the best methods of implementation for bargaining group changes, benefit deduction table setups, leave tables, PERS tables, and timing for implementation.
• Monitors current City MOUs and IRS regulations for payroll compliance; responds to questions and inquiries regarding payroll procedures, MOU interpretations and tax related filing and deductions.
• Establishes and maintains earnings and deduction codes in the payroll system; researches and resolves problems related to earnings and deductions; assures that appropriate adjustments are completed; monitors and establishes 401K, 457, and 415 limits in the computer system.
• Establishes and maintains annual payroll and holiday calendars in the computer system for pay processing and open enrollment; coordinates payoff and conversion programs including vacation, comp time, holiday payoffs, vacation buy back and sick to vacation/reserve transfers.
• Balances, reviews, and prepares W-2’s, periodic tax reports, and a variety of payroll related reports; identifies and resolves discrepancies; prepares fiscal year end accrued liability report and journal for leave reserves; processes and enters journal vouchers to the financial system for general ledger posting.
• Administers the City’s 401K and 457 deferred compensation retirement plans including contribution limits, loans, withdrawals, and catch up provisions; provides employees with information for investment options and contribution limits; meets with employees to process 401K loan applications and loan documents; processes 401K and 457 hardship withdrawal requests; processes and monitors 401K and 457 catch up provisions; audits quarterly contribution statements and loan reports and resolve any discrepancies.
• Answers a variety of payroll related questions from City employees; researches and resolves difficult and complex payroll issues; explains City payroll policies and procedures.
• Verifies and corrects balances of vacation, sick, compensatory and other leave credits; reconciles and adjusts employee year-to-date leave balances.
• Prepares and maintains a variety of confidential and sensitive statistical data and records; compiles financial information for budgetary and labor relations purposes as necessary.
• Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Operations, services and activities of a payroll processing system including retirement plans, deferred compensation, disability and benefits.
• Principles of supervision and training.
• Advanced principles and practices of payroll preparation, reporting and maintenance.
• Methods and techniques of calculating various payroll deductions.
• Principles and practices of payroll accounting.
• Mathematical principles and practices.
• Office procedures, methods and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Principles and practices of data entry and retrieval.
• Principles of customer service.
• Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations as they relate to payroll preparation and processing and deferred compensation.

Ability to:

• Lead, organize, and review the work of staff.
• Independently perform the most difficult payroll functions. Interpret, explain, and enforce department policies and procedures. Interpret, understand and process personnel and payroll transactions. Post and adjust payroll records.
• Prepare and reconcile a variety of payroll reports.
• Research and analyze payroll records and reconcile payroll problems.
• Exercise good judgment and absolute confidentiality in maintaining critical and sensitive information.
• Calculate payroll and paid time off deductions.
• Prepare and maintain employee payroll and accounting records.
• Perform a high volume of work effectively without immediate supervision and meet strict, recurring deadlines.
• Make mathematical computations rapidly and accurately.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet and database applications.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
• Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by at least two years of college level course work in payroll, accounting, or a related field.

Experience: Four years of increasingly responsible payroll accounting experience in a public agency.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Standard office setting. CONTINUOUS working indoors, dust from paperwork. Work schedule is 9/80 with alternating Fridays off in a biweekly period. Work environment is both formal and informal, team oriented, having variable tasks, pace and pressure. Work is performed indoors in office and in meeting rooms.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability to work in an office setting and operate office equipment. CONTINUOUS sitting, upward and downward flexion of neck; fine finger dexterity and light to moderate finger pressure to manipulate keyboard, equipment controls and other office equipment; pinch grasp to manipulate writing utensils. FREQUENT side-to-side turning of neck, walking, standing, bending and stooping, pushing/pulling, twisting at waist, moderate wrist torque to twist equipment knobs and dials; lifting objects weighing up to 20 lbs. from below waist to above shoulders and transporting distances up to 50 yards. OCCASIONAL squatting, kneeling, reach above and at shoulder height, moderate grasp to manipulate reference books and manuals; lifting objects weighing 20-35 lbs. from below waist to above shoulders and transporting distances up to 50 feet.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents and to operate equipment.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Date: November 2001
Johnson & Associates

Revised: October 2006
Johnson & Associates