Payroll Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• 2–4 years of payroll experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel and Word.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of federal and California labor laws and general knowledge of payroll functions.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive information.
• Strong time management, follow-up, and attention to detail.
• Ability to quickly learn new software packages.
• Ability to balance compliance needs with a strong commitment to customer service.

Nice To Haves

• Associate’s degree preferred but not required.
• Experience or strong interest in K-12 public education.

Responsibilities

• Run bi-monthly payroll processes as directed by the Lead Payroll Specialist and/or Director of Payroll.
• Help ensure approval of semi-monthly timesheets and paycheck distribution to school sites.
• Respond to payroll questions and inquiries, including W-2 requests and requests received through Zendesk and by phone, within service level agreements.
• Email principals and office managers about unapproved timesheets and timesheet errors.
• Enter data and audit Human Resources changes in the HRIS system, including status changes and new hires.
• Ensure payroll documents are accurate for processing, including teacher calculations and retroactive pay.
• Distribute paychecks to school sites.
• Calculate and enter blended overtime information into the payroll system, and correct partial time-off entries imported from the time and attendance system.
• Communicate with school-site Business Managers and leaders to clarify and obtain missing information.
• Enter timesheets, time-off forms, and pay adjustments, and audit entries against the Pay Check Register.
• Enter employee garnishments, send necessary responses, and process garnishment orders to the state and employee.
• Process off-cycle checks and complete employment verifications.
• Calculate teacher final payouts and PTO and sick time for leaves of absence; calculate and process sick-time transfers to and from other districts.
• Support payroll information requests from HR and Finance, and year-end tax preparation, including tax liability reporting, negative wage adjustments, and quarterly and year-end files.
• Follow up on stale-dated checks, collect teacher work calendars from school sites, and maintain payroll files.
• Ensure terminated employees are paid on time and that their Option Pay form has been received.
• Provide excellent customer service.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and support the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, and values, including antiracism, and uphold confidentiality standards and the code of ethical behavior.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.
• Support the new Service Level Agreement under which Aspire NorCal will provide finance, accounting, and payroll services to Aspire LA.

Benefits

• Eligible for Aspire health benefits.
• Retirement through CalSTRS or CalPERS, depending on the role’s credential requirements, with a 403(b) option.
• Paid time off.
• Additional teammate benefits to be determined in accordance with an updated employee value proposition.