Payroll Specialist

Chicago Public Schools•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Payroll Specialist supports the Office of the Controller’s Payroll team by reviewing payroll processes and helping ensure employee payments are accurate and timely. Reporting to the Payroll Manager, the specialist reviews payroll data, identifies errors, validates amounts, hours worked, pay rates, and deductions, and helps ensure payments are made on time. This is a full-time, exempt position paid on a salary basis. The Office of the Controller is responsible for CPS financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, internal accounts, and corporate accounting. CPS serves more than 325,000 students in over 500 schools and employs more than 45,000 people. The district’s work is guided by the values of student-centeredness, whole-child support, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED equivalent.
At least five years of related professional work experience.
At least three years of payroll experience.
At least one year of experience using 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.
Ability to use payroll applications such as PeopleSoft, Oracle, and Kronos Timekeeping systems.
Ability to ensure data accuracy and identify and document issues.
Ability to write and clearly explain payroll procedures and policies.
Ability to provide superior customer service with a positive, friendly, professional, and patient attitude.
Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize tasks and schedules to meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Employees must establish and maintain residency within Chicago’s geographic boundaries within six months of their CPS hire date and throughout their employment. All CPS employees must be Illinois residents; the Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary or part-time positions.

Nice To Haves

Associate or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
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 and make corrections as necessary.
Review compensation-related data, including wages, retroactive payments, bonuses, and benefits.
Assist with reviewing payroll transactions and running or reviewing related exception reports so anomalies are researched, explained, or resolved.
Assist with researching and resolving pension- and benefit-related issues.
Assist with audits of payroll procedures and records.
Assist with improving business processes and systems.
Perform other duties as assigned.