Payroll Manager

CSU Careers•Turlock, CA

About The Position

Full-time position under the Management Personnel Plan (MPP) available on or after January 5, 2026 in Human Resources. The Payroll Manager is responsible for the oversight, administration, and integrity of all payroll functions for the university. This position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll for all employee groups, in compliance with federal and state laws, collective bargaining agreements, and CSU policies and procedures. The role serves as the primary liaison with the State Controller’s Office (SCO), Chancellor’s Office, Human Resources, Faculty Affairs, and other internal and external stakeholders on all payroll-related matters. The Payroll Manager supervises a team of payroll professionals, directs daily operations, supports system testing and updates, audits transactions for accuracy, and develops and implements policies to enhance payroll efficiency and compliance. The incumbent plays a critical role in supporting campus operations through sound fiscal stewardship, customer service, and the effective integration of payroll systems and business processes.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, public administration, business administration, accounting, finance, or a related field. A combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities may be considered.
Experience: Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in payroll and personnel transaction processing, including 1 year in a lead or supervisory role.
Demonstrated experience in successfully leading others, training and scheduling workload and assignments.
Comprehensive knowledge of general office methods, practices, and procedures.
Comprehensive knowledge of CSU policies, procedures, programs, guidelines, applicable state and federal laws, educational codes, and collective bargaining agreements including but not limited to the Uniform State Payroll Procedures Manual, Personnel Information Management System, CalPERS Manual, Executive Orders, and Technical Letters published by the Chancellor’s Office.
Ability to select, apply, and clearly and concisely explain a wide variety of complex policies, procedures, guidelines, programs, and applicable state and federal laws, educational codes, and collective bargaining agreements that are not clearly described in available guidelines.
Ability to independently draft, and satisfactorily prepare and reconcile pay and personnel transaction reports of staffing, classifications, and employee deductions and salary patterns.
Ability to organize work, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines; work independently.
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality with all data and sensitive materials.
Ability to research, analyze, explore solutions, and present complex concepts and analysis to make recommendations for changes to existing processes and procedures; make sound decisions and recommendations regarding payroll activities.
Ability to prepare and implement training programs for others on payroll/personnel/benefit transactions.
Ability to use current computer word processing and spreadsheet software programs, web browsers, electronic calendaring programs, ERP/HRIS, and data management systems.
Ability to perform advanced arithmetical calculations, rapidly and accurately work with numbers, names, codes, and symbols.
Ability to audit and reconcile data; interpret and apply written rules and regulations; review detailed numerical records of transactions to identify, trace, and correct processing errors.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; communicate effectively orally and in writing; possess excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work with the general public, a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, and internal department teams.
Ability to exercise tact, courtesy, and good judgment in responding to others.
Ability to perform advanced mathematical calculations.
Ability to accurately enter data.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the position; prepare professional written correspondence.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in payroll administration, including at least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role.
Experience processing payroll in a public sector, higher education, or unionized environment.
Demonstrated experience with state payroll systems, including the State Controller’s Office (SCO) processes, PIMS, CIRS, and Cal Employee Connect (CEC).
Experience with CMS/PeopleSoft HR or other enterprise HRIS systems to process payroll or manage employee records.
Experience interpreting and applying collective bargaining agreements, federal and state labor laws, and payroll-related policies.

Responsibilities

Recruit, train, evaluate, and provide ongoing supervision to payroll staff.
Assign and prioritize daily workloads, monitor progress toward deadlines, and ensure service quality and compliance.
Oversee staff compliance with policies and procedures; initiate and facilitate disciplinary processes when necessary.
Review and approve staff leave and overtime requests based on operational needs.
Facilitate regular team meetings to review priorities, share updates, and address staffing, project, and operational matters.
Collaborate with leadership to ensure aligned and effective support between the payroll team and other administrative units.
Oversee the end-to-end processing of payroll transactions for all employee groups, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable policies and regulations.
Manage payroll actions including appointments, status changes, leaves, promotions, separations, retirements, settlements, and related transactions.
Administer pay adjustments such as garnishments, docks, retroactive pay, and other compensation corrections.
Maintain and audit attendance data using the Absence Management system.
Reconcile payroll-related financial records, including revolving fund accounts, receivables, and retroactivity reports.
Submit payment requests and required documentation to external agencies as needed.
Develop and maintain the annual payroll calendar.
Coordinate student payroll processes with relevant departments to ensure accurate data and policy alignment.
Provide payroll guidance to employees and departments; ensure courteous and confidential customer service.
Provide technical leadership for payroll systems, ensuring data integrity, functionality, and system performance.
Test and implement system updates, enhancements, and fixes; maintain table setups and configurations.
Serve as a system security administrator for payroll-related platforms and tools.
Manage authorization records for payroll certifications and check distribution.
Generate and analyze reports using campus and systemwide data tools to support operations and decision-making.
Maintain secure and compliant payroll records in accordance with retention and confidentiality standards.
Oversee the accuracy and timely entry of personnel and payroll transactions into relevant databases.
Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies through research, analysis, and collaboration with Human Resources, Faculty Affairs, and external agencies.
Interpret and apply policies, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and technical directives governing payroll operations.
Review payroll procedures regularly and implement process improvements to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.
Serve as the primary campus contact for payroll-related inquiries, training, testing, and procedural updates from the State Controller’s Office and other regulatory bodies.
Maintain effective working relationships with internal departments and external stakeholders to support seamless payroll operations.
Other duties as assigned.