Payroll Specialist

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

29d•Onsite

About The Position

The College of Engineering is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Payroll Specialist to join the HR Shared Services team supporting faculty, staff, and student employees. In this role, you will manage a range of Workday payroll processes and transactions, including student hiring, onboarding (I-9 verification), time and absence tracking, and costing allocations to ensure accuracy, compliance, and efficiency. You will also assist with the quarterly Academic Student Employee (ASE) appointment process, issuing approximately 400 offer letters per quarter and coordinate tuition, benefits, and scholarship/fellowship funding. As the first-tier point of contact for student inquiries, you will provide timely and accurate information while offering guidance and support to ensure a positive experience. This role serves as a key resource to faculty, department leadership, and students across multiple departments, providing guidance and expertise on payroll-related matters. It offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on operational excellence and the employee experience. On-site presence is required at least three days per week to support in-person I-9 verification.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED certificate and two years of office/clerical experience including at least six months of experience in a human resources or related setting.
Demonstrated excellent written/oral communication skills, technical documentation skills, user liaison skills, and personal interaction abilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience using Workday or other Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
Experience with data collection, analysis, and reporting
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to manage high-volume student appointments accurately and efficiently
Experience working in a university or college environment
Familiarity with ticketing or case management software

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive support to faculty, staff, and students.
Manage all relevant Workday processes while collaborating effectively with EWH contacts, department supervisors, budget managers, CoE HR, and administrators.
Manage and serve as a subject matter expert on Workday Time and Absence entry, processes, and reporting.
Partner with students, staff, and faculty to ensure accurate entry and approval of hours each pay period and provide guidance and training as needed.
Generate and analyze Workday reports to support auditing and tracking procedures, ensuring accurate payroll, compensation, and personnel actions.
Create biweekly reports (e.g., missing costing allocations, timesheet approvals, employee end dates) and collaborate with staff across multiple departments to resolve discrepancies and maintain data integrity.
Review and process payroll and onboarding documentation for all new employees, including SSN/ITIN verification letters, I-9 review, E-Verify completion, and coordination of background checks as required.
Identify and resolve overpayments and underpayments, processing corrective actions as necessary.
Partner with the EWH to complete retro payments, request emergency checks, and calculate or collect overpayments.
Oversee costing allocation entries, provide guidance to budget managers, and troubleshoot issues by coordinating with the EWH to resolve system or process errors.
Ensure compliance with departmental best practices, College of Engineering and University of Washington policies, and applicable union contracts.
Maintain current knowledge of all relevant policies and agreements.
Manage a high-volume quarterly ASE appointment process for both graduate and undergraduate students, advising faculty and department leadership on appointment types, eligibility requirements, and compliance standards.
Coordinate and process Workday transactions for over 400 ASE appointments each quarter, ensuring timely and accurate entry to meet strict health benefit and tuition coverage deadlines.
Prepare and issue more than 400 offer letters per quarter in accordance with UW policies and UAW ASE union agreements, maintaining exceptional attention to detail and accuracy under tight timelines.
Serve as the first-tier point of contact for a high volume of student inquiries, responding within 24 hours via a shared email inbox to address questions related to appointments, funding, and policies.
Partner with academic services staff to coordinate and disburse scholarship and fellowship funding for 150+ students per quarter, ensuring proper coverage, compliance, and timely issue resolution.
Compile, analyze, and distribute quarterly and annual appointment data across multiple departments, ensuring stakeholders have accurate and up-to-date reporting.
Provide individualized support to students navigating appointment policies and benefits, including assistance with GAIP / Tuition Waivers / ISHIP, and other matters.
Participate in professional payroll development; attend meetings and trainings provided by CoE HR, Administrator, and college wide HRC
Contribute to an outstanding customer-service environment including strong collaboration with other team members, students, other HR Service Members and Employee Workday Help