HR and Payroll Specialist

University of Washington Medical Center • Seattle, WA

2d • $66,000 - $78,000

About The Position

The School of Pharmacy has an outstanding opportunity for an HR and Payroll Specialist to join their team. The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoy outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. The University of Washington School of Pharmacy is ranked nationally in the top schools of Pharmacy. At the School of Pharmacy, we are committed to educating the next generation of leaders in pharmacy, pharmaceutical research and health care – while seeking to ensure the safe, rational and cost-effective use of medicines. Reporting to the Director of Human Resources, the HR and Payroll Specialist serves as the lead for temporary staff HR and payroll within the School of Pharmacy. This role partners with managers on student and temporary staff recruitment and appointment processes. The specialist also oversees payroll operations for the School, coordinates visa-related needs, and provides backup support to both the HR Director and the Academic HR (AHR) Specialist.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Equivalent experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Minimum of three years of progressive experience in human resources and/or payroll functions.
• Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
• Demonstrated experience processing complex HR/payroll transactions, requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to resolve inquiries and manage competing priorities in high-volume, deadline-driven environments.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively—both verbally and in writing—with a diverse audience across all levels of an organization.
• Experience collaborating across multiple teams or departments, demonstrating sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex HR/payroll issues, particularly in support of audit or compliance-related activities.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace aligned with the School of Pharmacy’s mission and values.

Nice To Haves

• At least five years of experience supporting human resources and payroll functions, ideally within a unionized or complex organizational structure.
• Prior HR or payroll experience in a higher education or academic research setting.
• Familiarity with University of Washington’s HR and payroll systems, policies, and procedures.
• Experience working in Workday with multiple security roles, including HCM Initiate 2.
• Demonstrated success supporting faculty and student appointments, including knowledge of visa processing, compensation structures, and academic HR policy.

Responsibilities

• Manage and process the lifecycle for all Student hiring in the School of Pharmacy from hire to separation for hourly Student Assistants, annual and quarterly Academic Student Employees (RAs, TAs, GSAs, GRSAs), Fellowship Recipients and various other student hiring.
• Provide guidance on student employment, compensation, tuition waivers, etc.
• Support student hiring managers (School Faculty and Staff) navigate the recruitment process, hiring process, providing guidance on process steps and different employment types eligibility requirements, onboarding of student employees and management of student employees required training.
• Issue employment offer letters to students and temporary staff, in accordance with UW policies for the different employment types and in compliance with UAW ASE union agreements, and deadlines.
• Manage temporary/hourly staff hires and U-temp hires: review job descriptions and hiring requests to ensure classification and compensation alignment; create positions and requisitions in Workday; collaborate with hiring managers and UW employment specialists for completion in UWHires.
• Coordinate and monitor background checks for student employees and volunteers; track background check charges.
• Contribute to an outstanding customer-service environment through strong collaboration with key stakeholders; apply tact and diplomacy.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of school, university, state, and federal policies; implement UW HR policies and procedures for departmental compliance.
• Independently manage and proficiently utilize Workday for new, existing and changing appointments, time reporting management, HR approvals, and corrections.
• Manage and monitor transactions as needed, these include: TPI, TPS, incentive payments, FTE changes, reduced responsibility entries, etc.
• Maintain current supervisory organizations for staff and students.
• Analyze audit reports and take proactive measures as required to ensure appropriate business processes are followed, and to minimize lapses in data integrity.
• Produce and utilize Workday reports to establish effective auditing and tracking procedures to ensure correct functioning of payroll, compensation and personnel actions.
• Collaborate with the HR Director and other team members to brainstorm, work to improve and create effective systems and tools for improved functioning of HR/P and administrative processes.
• Review payroll transactional processes and ensure completion in accordance with established standards. Processes include payroll inputs, time entry/corrections, absence entry/corrections, overpayments, retroactive payments, and payment adjustments.
• Enter costing allocations for employees in conjunction with finance and grants teams; ensure completion before payroll deadlines.
• Ensure timely completion of Workday payroll transactions; perform regular audits; communicate routine reminders to employees and supervisors.
• Advise faculty and managers on visa rules and regulations; liaise with the International Scholars Office (ISO) for visa matters.
• Assist with visa applications and related issues for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, foreign students, and visitors through International Scholars Operations.
• Field questions from applicants and faculty regarding visas; consult with the GME Office on visa matters.
• Serve as backup to HR Director and other HR Specialist, ensuring ample cross training.
• Serve as back up to AHR personnel to schedule Interview itinerary for faculty search committees and scheduling travel for candidates.
• Assist with helping managers and volunteers with paperwork and time tracking ensuring risk compliance with volunteers.
• Participate in campus-wide HR meetings.
• Primary I-9 coordinator for the School of Pharmacy
• Manage special projects and other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• outstanding benefits
• opportunities for professional growth
• environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees