Senior Specialist, Payroll Hourly

DPS•Denver, CO

About The Position

About this job: Responsible for high-volume, complex payroll administration across multiple departments or employee categories. Leads resolution of escalated payroll discrepancies and provides guidance to Payroll Specialists and other stakeholders. Processes all employee transactions, employee time cards, contract pay module, health leave management, and payroll processing for all district employees. Partnering with school leaders with regards to employee transactions and processing, including coordinating with other departments to ensure payroll data is correct and accurate for processing. Completes post payroll auditing, payroll corrections and overpayment processing. What DPS Offers You: A Culture that values Equity, Accountability, Integrity, Collaboration and Fun with a shared vision that Every Learner Thrives. Salary Range $32.308 - $38.770 . In addition to competitive compensation, DPS has other Total Reward offerings such as; time off, health and wellness benefits, and PERA Retirement. For more information visit our New Employee Resources page. What You'll Do: Provides guidance and training to Payroll Specialists. Review and validate peer work to ensure quality and adherence to established standards and deadlines Manage end-to-end payroll processing for complex employee groups and pay structures. Verify, audit, and reconcile high-volume payroll data, ensuring timely and accurate payment for all district employees. Proactively collaborate with Human Resources, Benefits, Compensation, and Finance teams to research, resolve, and correct discrepancies across systems Serve as a subject matter expert for escalated payroll issue resolution, handling complex employee pay concerns, overpayments, garnishments, and tax adjustments while maintaining confidentiality and compliance with labor laws and district procedures. Acts as the first escalation point for payroll questions requiring expert-level knowledge or cross-department coordination Act as a liaison between schools, central office, and cross-functional teams to provide guidance and expertise in payroll matters, promoting operational consistency and high-quality customer service Analyze and implement process improvements within payroll operations, contributing to ongoing system optimization, data accuracy, and efficiency across departments Conduct post-payroll audits and prepare adjustments, off-cycle corrections, and manual transactions to ensure financial integrity and accuracy of employee payments. Performs advanced auditing to identify systemic issues and proposes long-term solutions such as process improvements to improve data accuracy Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll systems, laws, and best practices, serving as a subject matter expert and supporting payroll-related projects, including system transitions, testing, and training Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a designated area of the payroll department; maintains related documentation, leads updates to procedures, and provides training and guidance to Payroll Specialists in their SME area Other duties as assigned

Requirements

High School Diploma/GED - Required
Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience, in payroll administration and processing, preferably within a large school district or public sector employer - Required
Knowledge with Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel and Outlook and Google Suite
Proficiency with various proprietary payroll and HRIS systems, preferably Oracle and TruePay
Effective communication skills
Strong attention to detail
Effectively handle multiple demands and competing deadlines
The ability to take responsibility for one’s own performance
Work collaboratively with others on a team
Aptitude for variety and changing expectations and fast-paced environment
Advanced knowledge of basic payroll laws, garnishment requirements, laws governing deceased payments, pre-tax vs. post-tax deductions and laws governing those deductions, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as promulgated by the Governmental Accounting Standard Board, preferably within a large school district or public sector employer
Ability to work under pressure, exercise good judgment and make sound decisions in stressful situations
Ability to work effectively with staff and the public
Ability to receive, coordinate and assign various job related tasks simultaneously
Ability to communicate clearly in both written and oral formats
Lead for racial and educational excellence and work to dismantle systems of oppression and inequity in our community, along with believing in and supporting all students so they feel seen and heard with access to high quality education.
Live and work with a permanent home address in Colorado while working with us.
Have the ability with or without accommodations to meet the physical demands of the position.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's Degree - Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field - Preferred
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) designation is desired but not required

Responsibilities

Provides guidance and training to Payroll Specialists.
Review and validate peer work to ensure quality and adherence to established standards and deadlines
Manage end-to-end payroll processing for complex employee groups and pay structures.
Verify, audit, and reconcile high-volume payroll data, ensuring timely and accurate payment for all district employees.
Proactively collaborate with Human Resources, Benefits, Compensation, and Finance teams to research, resolve, and correct discrepancies across systems
Serve as a subject matter expert for escalated payroll issue resolution, handling complex employee pay concerns, overpayments, garnishments, and tax adjustments while maintaining confidentiality and compliance with labor laws and district procedures.
Acts as the first escalation point for payroll questions requiring expert-level knowledge or cross-department coordination
Act as a liaison between schools, central office, and cross-functional teams to provide guidance and expertise in payroll matters, promoting operational consistency and high-quality customer service
Analyze and implement process improvements within payroll operations, contributing to ongoing system optimization, data accuracy, and efficiency across departments
Conduct post-payroll audits and prepare adjustments, off-cycle corrections, and manual transactions to ensure financial integrity and accuracy of employee payments.
Performs advanced auditing to identify systemic issues and proposes long-term solutions such as process improvements to improve data accuracy
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll systems, laws, and best practices, serving as a subject matter expert and supporting payroll-related projects, including system transitions, testing, and training
Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a designated area of the payroll department; maintains related documentation, leads updates to procedures, and provides training and guidance to Payroll Specialists in their SME area
Other duties as assigned