Payroll Specialist

Chicago Public Schools•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience. The Office of the Controller is responsible for the financial operations of Chicago Public Schools, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Internal Accounts, and Corporate Accounting. Job Summary: Reporting to the Payroll Manager, the Payroll Specialist assists the Payroll team in reviewing the way we process payroll for employees and ensuring payments are accurate and timely. The Payroll Specialist reviews payroll data and notes any errors, validates amounts, hours worked, rate of pay, and deductions, and ensures payments are made on time. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED equivalent is required
Minimum of five (5) years of related professional work experience, including the following, is required:
Minimum of three (3) years of payroll experience
Minimum of one (1) year of experience utilizing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) payroll application and working with customer service management (CRM) systems to ticket and track call volume
Knowledge of payroll processes
Knowledge of state and federal payroll related laws and regulations including tax regulations
Ability to create and use spreadsheets to view data and validate calculations
Proven ability to use payroll applications such as PeopleSoft, Oracle and Kronos Timekeeping systems.
Ability to ensure data accuracy, and identify and document any issues
Able to write and clearly explain payroll procedures and policies
Ability to provide superior customer service through all types of interactions by maintaining a positive, friendly, professional, and patient attitude at all times
Ability to plan, organize, prioritize tasks, and schedule to meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions; however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

Nice To Haves

Associate or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred
Payroll experience in a large government organization is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Provide Tier II support for employee questions
Review timesheets and attendance records for accuracy, making corrections as necessary
Review compensation-related data including wages, retroactive payments, bonuses, and benefits
Assist the payroll team in reviewing payroll transactions and running and/or reviewing related exception reports to ensure anomalies are researched, explained, and/or resolved
Assist with researching and resolving pension and benefit-related issues
Assist with audits of payroll procedures and records
Assist with making improvements to business processes and systems
Other duties as assigned