Lead Payroll Specialist (Buffalo Promise Neighborhood)

M&T Bank•Buffalo, NY

1d•$26 - $43•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Payroll Specialist administers all payroll activities for Westminster Community Charter School and supports the human resources, operations, and accounting functions of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood and Westminster Community Charter School. The role includes biweekly payroll processing, maintaining payroll records and system functionality, and ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreements, governance and retirement reporting, mandated reporting, and applicable policies and regulations. The position also supports audit readiness, benefits administration, payroll reporting, issue analysis, and payroll system testing. This 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, New York 14203. The stated pay range is $26.00–$43.34 per hour.

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, large-company payroll experience.
At least 3 years of proven relevant customer experience.
Experience working under pressure.
Detail-oriented approach.
Proficiency with pertinent word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Experience working in a collaborative team environment.
Strong time-management and organizational skills.
Proven training or mentorship experience.
Prior leadership and/or work-oversight experience.
Must live within commuting distance of the M&T Bank office at 465 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
At least 4 years of large-company payroll experience, defined as 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 and 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 competencies.

Responsibilities

Administer Westminster Community Charter School payroll, including biweekly processing and maintenance of personnel payroll records in payroll and other systems.
Ensure payroll system functionality and compliance with collective bargaining agreements, governance and retirement reporting, and mandated reporting requirements.
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 the HR team on complex employee cases and benefits administration.
Resolve routine and complex issues, keep leadership informed of significant matters, and serve as an escalation point.
Sort and distribute payroll mail.
Respond to and complete requests from internal and external auditors.
Maintain knowledge of regulations and policies affecting payroll and stay informed about changes and trends.
Collaborate with payroll team members to drive operational excellence and verify completion of team work.
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.
Support Buffalo Promise Neighborhood’s and Westminster Community Charter School’s HR, operations, and accounting functions.
Adhere to company risk and regulatory standards, policies, controls, and risk appetite; identify risk-related issues requiring 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.