Payroll Processing Specialist - Temp

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Payroll Processing Specialist works in the People, Culture, and Belonging Division at Vanderbilt University. The role processes off-cycle payroll batches, special payments, adjustments, and corrections; responds to payroll help desk tickets; researches and resolves employee payroll issues; and supports accurate, timely payroll operations. The position maintains confidentiality of employee information and helps ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures. The position has no supervisory responsibility and reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Director of Payroll. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. An associate’s degree in a related field is preferred, and an equivalent combination of education and relevant payroll or human resources experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. One to three years of payroll experience is preferred.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Experience in payroll processing, payroll administration, customer service, or human resources support.
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information.
Ability to research and resolve payroll-related issues independently.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, or a related field preferred.
One to three years of experience in payroll preferred.
An equivalent combination of education and relevant payroll or human resources experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Responsibilities

Process off-cycle payroll batches, special payments, adjustments, and corrections accurately and within established deadlines.
Respond to payroll-related help desk tickets concerning paychecks, timecards, tax withholding, direct deposit, W-2s, deductions, and payroll processes.
Research and resolve employee payroll issues.
Monitor and manage payroll ticket queues to ensure timely responses and resolution in accordance with service level expectations.
Assist employees with direct deposit setup and updates, ensuring documentation is received, reviewed, and processed accurately.
Review payroll transactions for completeness and accuracy and identify discrepancies requiring correction.
Research payroll earnings, deductions, taxes, benefits, garnishments, and other employee payroll concerns.
Assist with processing payroll adjustments, overpayments, retroactive payments, and manual check requests.
Maintain confidentiality of employee personal, employment, and payroll information.
Assist with identifying and correcting out-of-balance conditions and payroll transaction errors.
Support payroll record maintenance, document retention, and audit requests as needed.
Assist with locating and resolving uncashed payroll checks and employee payment inquiries.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional payroll policies and procedures.
Maintain current knowledge of payroll regulations, tax requirements, and payroll system processes.