Payroll Specialist

City of Chattanooga • Chattanooga, TN

8h • $24 • Onsite

About The Position

Incumbents in this classification are responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing for all City of Chattanooga departments. This role supports the City’s diverse workforce by managing and processing multiple biweekly payrolls, administering payroll-related deductions, maintaining compliance with applicable laws and policies, and troubleshooting payroll and timekeeping issues. The Payroll Specialist plays a critical role in safeguarding payroll data integrity, providing exceptional support to employees and departments across the organization, and supporting the City’s “One Chattanooga” vision by ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accountability in payroll.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED and four (4) years of any combination of relevant education, training, progressively responsible administrative experience in payroll processing, or experience sufficient to perform the essential duties of the job will be considered.
• Valid Driver’s License
• Knowledge of payroll tax compliance, including quarterly and year-end reporting (IRS, SSA, state agencies).
• Strong understanding of payroll principles, wage and hour laws, and regulatory requirements (federal, state, and local).
• Familiarity with garnishments, levies, child support orders, and other involuntary deductions.
• Proficiency with payroll and ERP systems (Oracle Fusion or equivalent strongly preferred).
• Knowledge of changes in payroll laws, tax regulations, and best practices.
• Experience with and understanding of Payroll Taxes, strong understanding of Payroll Compliance, and Year-End W-2 support.
• Solid skills with Google Workspace (for documentation and Gmail for communication) and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for reporting).
• Proficiency spreadsheets and reporting tools.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills for reconciling and auditing payroll.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for resolving time and labor issues, payroll variances, and system errors.
• Strong customer service skills with a helpful and professional approach.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Teamwork and collaboration skills, contributing to a culture of efficiency and transparency.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills.
• Ability to review and reconcile payroll data for accuracy and identify discrepancies.
• Ability to clearly explain payroll policies and processes to employees at all levels.
• Ability to manage multiple payroll cycles and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to prioritize and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to adapt to evolving technology, new systems, and process improvements.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or human resources is preferred.
• Payroll certification (FPC, CPP, or equivalent) preferred

Responsibilities

• Processing multiple bi-weekly payrolls for multiple City departments on established schedules.
• Review and validate employee time and labor entries, troubleshoot discrepancies, and resolve payroll errors.
• Validate payroll data for accuracy, completeness, and compliance prior to disbursement.
• Process voluntary and mandatory payroll deductions such as benefits, garnishments, wage attachments, and retirement contributions.
• Handle complex transactions such as garnishments, retro pay, tax corrections, and special pay types.
• Ensure accurate calculation, filing, and payment of federal, state, and local payroll taxes on a quarterly and annual basis.
• Interpret and implement federal, state, and local labor laws, IRS regulations, and City policies in Coordination with Department leadership
• Assist with external and internal payroll audits.
• Maintain detailed payroll records in compliance with record retention policies and audit requirements.
• Support employees and departments with payroll-related inquiries while maintaining confidentiality.
• Monitor compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and City policies; identify and report risks or discrepancies.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, and departmental staff to resolve payroll discrepancies and support cross-functional processes.
• Analyzes payroll data trends and prepares reports and summaries (e.g., payroll registers, deduction reports, comp time balances) for management and auditing purposes.
• Prepare and file quarterly and annual payroll tax reports in compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in time and labor entries, payroll calculations, and deduction errors.
• Provide support, training and guidance to department staff regarding payroll deadlines, timekeeping process and procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Serve as a point of contact for employees with payroll-related inquiries.
• Assist in system testing, upgrades, and implementation of payroll-related software enhancements (e.g., Oracle Fusion Time & Labor/Payroll).
• Optimize payroll-related workflows in coordination with department leadership
• Maintain payroll systems to ensure data accuracy, confidentiality, and security.
• Participate in testing system upgrades, patches, and new implementations.
• Support the development of payroll-related reporting for management and compliance needs.
• Provides training, guidance, and quality assurance review of payroll runs prepared by technicians to identify and eliminate disbursement errors
• May serve as escalation point for complex discrepancies that exceed payroll technician’s scope, such as intricate retro-pay calculations or multi-state tax corrections
• Must meet regular attendance requirements.
• Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.
• Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
• Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck.
• Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED