Lead Payroll Specialist (Buffalo Promise Neighborhood)

M&T Bank•Buffalo, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Payroll Specialist administers all payroll activities for Westminster Community Charter School and supports the HR, operations, and accounting functions of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood and Westminster Community Charter School. The role is part of a collaborative team focused on education and community impact. It is a hybrid position requiring four days in the office each week. Eligible candidates must live within commuting distance of M&T Bank’s office at 465 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203. The position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and at least 4 years of payroll experience; or, in lieu of a degree, at least 6 years of higher education and/or work experience, including at least 2 years of multi-state payroll experience at a large company.
At least 3 years of relevant customer experience.
Experience working under pressure.
Attention to detail.
Proficiency with pertinent word-processing and spreadsheet applications.
Prior experience working collaboratively in a team environment.
Strong time-management and organizational skills.
Proven training or mentorship experience.
Prior leadership and/or work-oversight experience.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
At least 4 years of payroll experience at a large company with more than 50 employees.
Experience with pertinent payroll software.
Previous time and leave experience.
Demonstrated understanding of the end-to-end payroll process.
Proven analytical and problem-solving skills.
Proven verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to interact with personnel at all levels.
Strong mathematical skills.
Experience working with Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Demonstrated interest in education, especially issues surrounding poverty and urban school districts.
High proficiency in Microsoft Office and PC.

Responsibilities

Administer Westminster Community Charter School payroll, including biweekly processing and maintaining personnel payroll records in payroll and other systems.
Ensure payroll system functionality supports compliance with Collective Bargaining Agreements, governance and retirement reporting, and mandated reporting.
Complete assigned payroll activities independently according to procedure and suggest or update procedures as needed.
Prepare, document, distribute, and reconcile biweekly payroll accurately.
Use, update, and sign off on daily payroll checklists to confirm completion of payroll tasks.
Develop and maintain organized records of payroll audits in compliance with applicable policies and regulations.
Conduct daily audits of payroll manual entries for compliance with audit policy and applicable regulations.
Partner with HR on complex employee cases and benefits administration.
Resolve day-to-day and complex issues, keep leadership informed of significant matters, and serve as an escalation point.
Sort and distribute payroll mail items.
Respond to and fulfill requests from internal and external auditors.
Maintain knowledge of regulations and policies affecting payroll and stay current on changes and trends.
Collaborate with payroll team members to drive operational excellence.
Assist with projects and system testing as assigned.
Support payroll reporting requests, data and issue analysis, and monthly, quarter-end, and year-end tasks as assigned.
Verify completion of work by the payroll team.
Support the HR, operations, and accounting functions of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood and Westminster Community Charter School.
Adhere to company risk and regulatory standards, policies, and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite, and identify risk-related issues for escalation to management.
Promote a culture of belonging that reflects the M&T Bank brand.
Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points and applicable issues raised by external regulators.
Complete other related duties as assigned.