HR/Payroll Specialist

Aston Carter•Malvern, AR

1d•$46 - $46•Hybrid

About The Position

The HR/Payroll Specialist manages complex, high-volume federal payroll operations and provides expert support for employees and agency stakeholders. This role oversees bi-weekly payroll processing, retirement-related actions, and resolution of payroll discrepancies while ensuring strict compliance with federal regulations, policies, and internal controls. The specialist works independently in a time-sensitive environment, leveraging federal payroll systems to maintain accurate records and deliver professional customer service.

Requirements

At least 10 years of direct experience supporting federal payroll operations at a U.S. Government department or agency.
Extensive experience providing direct federal payroll and HR support.
Strong working knowledge of federal payroll policies and procedures.
Knowledge of NFC management directives, OMB guidance, and the Code of Federal Regulations.
Understanding of the CFO Act and the Debt Collection Improvement Act as they relate to payroll operations.
Proficiency with federal payroll systems and NFC tools, including PowerTerm, EPIC, and GovTA or equivalent time and attendance systems.
Ability to research, analyze, and resolve complex payroll discrepancies and system-generated errors.
Ability to manage bi-weekly payroll cycles in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment.
Strong data entry skills and attention to detail to ensure accuracy in payroll processing and recordkeeping.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance with the U.S. Department of State.
Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of payroll and personnel data.
Strong customer service skills to respond effectively to employee and agency payroll inquiries.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience applying NFC directives, OMB guidance, CFR, the CFO Act, and the Debt Collection Improvement Act in payroll actions.
Experience with federal HR processes related to payroll, benefits, retirement, and leave.
Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for identifying payroll inconsistencies and root causes.
Experience using ServiceNow or similar ticketing systems for handling payroll inquiries.
Ability to follow established procedures and internal controls consistently.
Contract preference for candidates without prior USAID experience.

Responsibilities

Manage the bi-weekly payroll process, including time and attendance, leave audits, payroll adjustments, allotments, pay differentials, lump-sum payments, state tax resolution, and coordination with the National Finance Center (NFC).
Review and execute retirement-related payroll actions, including retirement deductions, allotments, and coordination of retirement and survivor benefit applications.
Perform complex payroll disbursement activities, including prior service costing actions, recalculation of payroll deductions associated with retirement code changes, and processing payroll components of retirement and survivor benefit forms (such as DS-765, DS-2896, and DS-3100).
Research, analyze, and resolve payroll discrepancies, including suspense items, manual salary payments, adjustment reports, and system-generated errors.
Resolve payroll issues related to incentive programs, separation benefits, tax withholding, direct deposit, benefit premium contributions, bills of collection and refunds, and paid leave accruals.
Maintain and reconcile payroll records and reports, including retirement-related data, to ensure accurate posting of payroll and retirement transactions.
Apply working knowledge of federal payroll policies and procedures, NFC directives, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act, and the Debt Collection Improvement Act when executing payroll actions.
Utilize federal payroll systems and NFC tools such as PowerTerm, EPIC, and GovTA (or equivalent U.S. Government time and attendance system) to process, research, and correct payroll transactions.
Analyze payroll data to identify inconsistencies, research root causes, and apply established procedures to support accurate resolution of payroll issues.
Respond to employee and agency payroll inquiries and provide professional customer service through the agency’s payroll ServiceNow ticketing system.
Perform payroll reporting, documentation, and record retention in compliance with federal requirements and internal controls.
Work independently in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment while managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
Follow established procedures and internal controls while maintaining strict confidentiality of payroll and personnel data.