Payroll Technician

Definition

Summary: Ensures the timely preparation and maintenance of payrolls for administration, faculty, and support staff. Maintains records and prepares reports related to payroll. Performs technical and clerical accounting and financial record keeping activities involving the preparation, processing, and maintenance of the payroll.

Distinguishing Career Features:
The Payroll Technician is considered to be an intermediate level in a technical Payroll career ladder. The emphasis on this position goes beyond payroll processing to include audit of records, computation of special arrangements, and reconciliation of retirement balances. Advancement to this level requires a complete understanding of academic and classified payroll systems and the laws, regulations, and reporting requirements. Advancement to Payroll Analyst requires the ability to audit and update payroll systems and coordinate all payrolls.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Specific duties may vary among departments, divisions and jobs. Incumbents typically perform a substantial portion or all of the following types of duties, as assigned:
1. Sets up and maintains employee payroll records. Ensures records are up-to-date and include the necessary job and biographical information for accurate group benefit and retirement plan coverage and deductions.
2. Prepares regular and variable payrolls for administrative, academic, classified and student personnel. Prepares retirement reports. Computes payroll deductions including those for retirement, union dues, tax sheltered annuities, credit union, withholding taxes and insurance.
3. Verifies accuracy of individual employee benefit rates, calculating unused portion of allowable benefit cap. Sets up and maintains payroll vendor files for various benefits and miscellaneous deductions.
4. When initiating payroll accounts for new employees, places employees on the retirement systems according to placements made through the hiring process.
5. Maintains records for unfunded payroll, benefits, retirement, and related liabilities. Records transactions, balances, issues refunds, and otherwise accounts for funds.
6. Reconciles monthly insurance statements with payroll rosters to balance with vendor checks. Makes necessary changes to correct employee status and plan selected.
7. Researches insurance billing records to resolve discrepancies. Corresponds with insurance carriers to assist employees and retirees with benefits issues.
8. Calculates pay data and benefits arrangements for employees leaving service, retirees, and special circumstances. Reconciles voluntary employee deductions and payments for payment to third party insurers.
9. Ensures payroll timelines are met, maintains payroll controls, and ensures proper procedures, policies, rules, and regulations are applied to payroll activities. Checks payrolls for compliance with rules, regulations and policies.
10. Maintains leave and absence tracking files, complying with established policies and procedures and bargaining agreements. Assigns employees to leave groups, verifies and prepares reports on leave balances. Calculates amounts payable from excess leave and compensatory time.
11. Interprets and explains payroll policies, procedures, and technical issues to employees, referring only the most difficult and sensitive matters to higher authority.
12. Audits and updates regular and supplemental payrolls adding payroll information for new employees and calculating proper deductions on an 'as-needed' basis.
13. Assists accounting staff with the reconciliation of payroll system details to general ledger. Prepares document trails to support audit requirements.
14. Prepares retirement and withdrawal forms and reports for both academic and classified pay systems.
15. Verifies and facilitates the process of transferring payroll account information and/or payments to education oversight agencies, insurance companies, and financial institutions.
16. Participates in activities connected with the maintenance of automated payroll systems using relational databases.
17. Prepare Verification of Employment (VOE) for employees showing salaries, benefits and deductions.
18. May train and audit the work progress and results of District payroll processes. Reviews work, answers questions, and assists with the more complex computations.
19. Performs other related duties as assigned that support the objective of the position.
20. Required to abide by all District policies and procedures including Board Policy 3050 – Code of Professional Ethics.

Qualifications and Physical Demands

Knowledge and Skills:
1. The position requires a thorough knowledge of the laws, regulations, and procedures that govern payroll and payroll processing.
2. Requires a working knowledge of accounting procedures used in education and general ledger record keeping.
3. Requires working knowledge of employer-sponsored and state mandated retirement and capital accumulation programs.
4. Requires an in-depth technical knowledge of the District’s automated administrative system, or of integrated/automated payroll/personnel systems in general.
5. Requires sufficient human relations and communication skills to convey personal and technical information to all levels of staff, to train payroll and non-payroll staff, and to facilitate problem resolution.
6. Requires working knowledge of computer-aided office productivity software and special accounting/payroll software using relational databases.
7. Requires advanced math skills sufficient to perform complex payroll calculations and conversions.
8. Requires reading skills sufficient to read codes, regulations, and tax laws. Payroll Technician 9. Requires well-developed writing skills for reports and procedures.

Abilities:
1. Requires the ability to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the position.
2. Requires the ability to maintain accurate payroll records and prepare accurate tax returns.
3. Requires the ability to learn and apply laws and codes governing payroll and retirement systems in California, as well as policies, procedures and contractual arrangements of the District and its colleges.
4. Must be able to prepare clear, complete and concise financial records and analyze payroll and accounting data and prepare financial statements pertaining to the area of specialization.
5. Requires the ability to learn the District’s chart of accounts and reconcile payroll to general ledger.
6. Requires the ability to conduct technical research, complete complex arithmetic computations and prepare reports.
7. Requires the ability to use a range of personal computer software such as spreadsheets, word processing, and databases.
8. Requires the ability to extract data from databases and import into formats that produce reports, checks, and are remitted to other organizations.
9. Requires the ability to ensure the confidentiality of private information.

Physical Abilities:
1. The general physical demands, working conditions, and essential job functions associated with this classification will be kept on file with the Office of Human Resources.
2. Essential functions will vary by position.
3. As defined by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), the District shall engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with employees or employment applicants who are requesting or are in need of reasonable accommodations and, provide reasonable accommodations for employees or employment applicants who, because of their disability, are limited in or unable to perform one or more of the essential functions of their job in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

Education and Experience:
The position requires a High School diploma or GED, one year of post-secondary curriculum in a business or related course of study, and four years of experience in payroll processing. An Associate’s degree in business/accounting is preferred and may substituted for some experience. Or, any combination of education and experience which would provide the required equivalent qualifications for the position.

Licenses and Certificates:
May require a valid driver license. Payroll Technician

Working Conditions:
Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Conditions of Employment

This is a regular, full-time, 12-month per year, classified position . The normal hours of work will be 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The effective date of employment will be arranged with the supervisor.

• Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment.
• 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 Coast Community College District policies, procedures, and Title IX. (Reference: BP/AP 5910)
• The Coast Community College District celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Individuals interested in advancing the District's strategic diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

PAY PHILOSOPHY: Starting salaries for support staff positions begin at Step-1 of the salary range. All movement on the salary schedule will occur July 1 of each year for all classified employees.

Additional Information

ATTENTION : Before applying, please be sure to review the Coast Colleges District Board Policy regarding Nepotism (BP 7310 ) to check if your application may be impacted. If you have any questions, please contact HR Recruitment at 714-438-4714 or 714-438-4716.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: To be considered for this opportunity, you must submit a COMPLETE application packet. A complete application packet includes:

1. A complete Coast Community College District Online Employment Application.
2. A current resume (uploaded as a separate attachment - PDF recommended).
3. A cover letter (uploaded as a separate attachment - PDF recommended) which highlights your qualifications as related to this position.
4. Answers to all supplemental questions (please provide clear and thorough responses as they will be carefully evaluated to determine the most qualified candidate(s) to be invited for an interview; please do not paste your resume, or put 'see resume' or 'N/A').

Submission of all required application information and materials is the responsibility of the applicant.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Applications must be received no later than the posted closing date. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. Electronic applications may be completed by visiting www.cccd.edu/employment . Once you have completed an electronic application, you may apply to open positions within the Coast Community College District by submitting the application and all other required materials. Required materials differ for each open position and must be complete when submitted for a specific posting. Instructions for completing applications and applying to posted positions are available online or by calling Applicant Processing at (714) 438-4714 or (714) 438-4716.

Information for TDD users is available by calling (714) 438-4755.

All applications will be screened under a process of utmost confidentiality by a committee of representatives from the college community. All application materials become the property of the Coast Community College District and will NOT be copied or returned. Any documents that you are unable to attach can be faxed to (714) 782-6065. Faxes must clearly indicate your name and the job to which you are applying.

To ensure consistency and fairness to all applicants, please do not submit materials in addition to those requested. Additional materials will not be considered or returned. Be sure to complete all questions and sections of the application. For questions which may not apply, indicate 'n/a' (not applicable). If you do not know an answer, please indicate so, but do not leave any space blank.

Disability Accommodations:
If you require accommodations in the Application or Examination Process, please notify Human Resources by calling (714) 438-4714 or (714) 438-4716.

SELECTION PROCEDURES:

1. All online applications and required materials received by the deadline date will be screened to determine which applicant(s) meet(s) the minimum qualifications as stated in the job announcement. Please note: Possession of the minimum qualifications does not ensure an interview .
2. Applicants who meet the required qualifications and who are also deemed to possess the highest degree of desirable qualifications will be invited to discuss their qualifications in an interview with the College/District. Therefore, it is required that applicants submit clear, detailed responses to all supplemental questions in order to demonstrate his/her qualifications as related to the position.
3. If any travel is required for an applicant to participate in-person during the interview process, this will be done so at the candidate's own expense .

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. Incumbent must be able to meet and perform the physical requirements of the position which may include sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time.
2. The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
3. The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
4. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Coast Community College District is a multi-college district that includes Coastline Community College , Golden West College , and Orange Coast College . The three colleges offer programs in transfer, general education, occupational/technical education, community services and student support services. Coastline, Golden West and Orange Coast Colleges enroll more than 60,000 students each year in more than 300 degree and certificate programs.
Since its founding in 1947, the Coast Community College District has enjoyed a reputation as one of the leading community college districts in the United States. Governed by a locally elected Board of Trustees, the Coast Community College District plays an important role in the community by responding to needs of a changing and increasingly diverse population.

Coast Community College District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The Coast Community College District is committed to employing qualified administrators/managers, faculty, and staff members who are dedicated to student learning and success. The Board recognizes that diversity in the academic environment fosters awareness, promotes mutual understanding and respect, and provides suitable role models for all students. The Board is committed to hiring and staff development processes that support the goals of equal opportunity and diversity, and provide equal consideration for all qualified candidates. The District does not discriminate unlawfully in providing educational or employment opportunities to any person on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or genetic information.