Payroll Assistant

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Everett, MA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Office of Education is seeking a Payroll Assistant to support payroll for employees of the Executive Office of Education, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Early Education and Care, and the Department of Higher Education. The position verifies payroll reports and transactions, monitors step increases, processes travel reimbursements and overtime or compensatory time, handles labor exceptions, and provides employment verifications. It also responds to employee and administrator questions about leave balances, accruals, salary, and employment history. The role follows a hybrid model with required in-office days and remote work availability; its primary work location is Everett. Applicants must submit a cover letter with their resume. First consideration will be given to applicants who apply within the first 14 days.

Requirements

Knowledge of HR/CMS and SSTA.
Knowledge of Mosaic/LCD.
Knowledge of CIW.
Knowledge of employee benefits.
Ability to research payroll inquiries.
Ability to write clearly and concisely.
Ability to assemble payroll information according to established procedures.
Ability to prepare reports and express thoughts clearly.
At least four years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional experience in work simplification, management analysis, program analysis, methods analysis, economic analysis, fiscal analysis, financial analysis, budget analysis, program administration, or program management, or an equivalent combination of experience and permitted substitutions.
A bachelor's degree in a specified field may substitute for up to two years of required experience; a graduate degree in a specified field may substitute for up to three years; a bachelor's or higher degree in another major may substitute for up to one year. Education toward a degree is prorated, and educational substitutions are limited to three years total.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations governing the State personnel/payroll system.
Knowledge of laws and rules governing assigned unit activities.

Responsibilities

Verify and research records and reports to identify possible errors.
Review and process overtime and compensatory-time requests, ensure accuracy and appropriate approvals, and answer policy and procedure questions.
Review and process travel reimbursements, ensure accuracy and appropriate approvals, and enter labor exceptions in Mosaic/LCD when needed.
Enter and approve restricted Time Reporting Codes and approved payable time in employee timesheets as needed.
Approve time on behalf of approvers as needed.
Help employees navigate and report time in SSTA.
Review SSTA, HR/CMS, and MobiusView reports to ensure employees receive appropriate pay before each bi-weekly payroll run.
Review payroll register reports and prepare Payroll Expenditures for each pay period.
Run and review CIW queries after each payroll run to verify special earning codes, sick usage, and earned overtime are reported correctly.
Facilitate exception management and inquiries with the Employee Service Center.
Cross-reference HR/CMS transactions for consistent data and necessary changes before each payroll run, and inform the Payroll Director promptly of potential discrepancies.
Research and process employment verification requests accurately and promptly.
Monitor and implement step increases on a bi-weekly schedule; review unpaid-leave reports and delay step dates for employees who had unpaid leave during the year.
Enter requested payroll deductions, tax withholdings, direct deposit, transit/parking, and savings plans; verify and process HCSA and DCAP during annual enrollment and reconcile data with Ameriflex.
Verify new-hire information and ensure its accuracy in HR/CMS.
Process cash-outs and payments for terminated employees, inactivate records, and complete final termination processing in HR/CMS.