Payroll Specialist

Carney, Sandoe & Associates is a leading education recruitment organization has partnered with an independent school in Atherton, California seeking their next Payroll Specialist.

Summary

Responsible for the accurate and timely processing of biweekly payroll and maintenance of payroll-related employee data. Ensures payroll practices are administered in accordance with applicable California and federal wage-and-hour requirements, school policies, and internal controls, while providing payroll guidance and support to employees, managers, Human Resources, and Finance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end biweekly payroll process, ensuring payroll is processed accurately and on time from collection of inputs through review, reconciliation, transmission, validation, and payroll close.
• Manage payroll workflow and deadlines, coordinate required inputs from Human Resources, managers, timekeeping systems, and external providers, and proactively research and resolve exceptions before payroll is finalized.
• Review and audit timekeeping and payroll inputs, including regular and overtime hours, meal period premiums, holidays, stipends, supplemental pay, deductions, paid and unpaid leave, and Wellness/Sick Leave usage during leaves of absence.
• Maintain accurate payroll-related employee data and system configurations in the HRIS and timekeeping systems, process approved changes, monitor interfaces and imports, perform routine audits, and resolve data discrepancies that may affect pay.
• Administer payroll in accordance with applicable California, federal, and local wage-and-hour requirements, including FLSA, overtime and regular-rate rules, meal and rest period premium pay, wage statements, final pay, deductions, garnishments, recordkeeping, and taxation of applicable employer-paid benefits.
• Process and review off-cycle and manual payments, retroactive adjustments, final pay, garnishments and levies, and other payroll corrections or special payments as needed.
• Reconcile payroll each cycle, validate payroll registers and confirmed reports, investigate variances, and partner with Finance on payroll journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and general ledger tie-outs.
• Coordinate with Human Resources on payroll-impacting employee changes and leaves of absence, including compensation changes, employment status changes, paid and unpaid time, and benefit deductions; benefit plan administration remains the responsibility of the HR Generalist.
• Support quarterly and year-end payroll activities, including W-2 review, taxable fringe benefit processing, payroll tax reconciliations, required filings or notices, unclaimed payroll checks, and coordination with payroll providers and Finance, as applicable.
• Maintain complete and accurate payroll records, internal controls, calendars, procedures, reports, and supporting documentation, and provide information for audits, compliance reviews, and ad hoc operational or financial reporting.
• Respond to employee and manager payroll questions promptly and professionally, research and resolve payroll issues, communicate required actions clearly, and escalate complex or sensitive matters as appropriate.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, controls, reporting, and system workflows, including automation of payroll inputs and participation in HRIS, timekeeping, and payroll system enhancements or implementations.
• Demonstrate strong ownership and accountability for payroll operations by independently driving work from issue identification through resolution, proactively addressing gaps, and taking on related responsibilities necessary to achieve accurate and timely outcomes.

Education and Experience:

• Three to five years of progressively responsible payroll experience, including hands-on experience processing California payroll. An equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of California and federal payroll and wage-and-hour requirements, including FLSA, overtime, regular rate of pay, meal and rest period premium pay, timekeeping, wage statements, final pay, payroll deductions, and payroll recordkeeping.
• Experience using an HRIS/payroll and timekeeping system, including maintaining payroll-related employee data, running audits and reports, and troubleshooting payroll-related system issues.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to identify payroll discrepancies, analyze data, research issues, and resolve problems accurately within strict deadlines.
• Strong Excel skills, including the ability to work with payroll reports, reconciliations, lookups, pivot tables, and related data analysis tools.
• Ability to interpret and apply school policies, payroll procedures, local and state ordinances, and applicable payroll-related rules and regulations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, managers, Human Resources, Finance, and external vendors while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment within established guidelines, manage competing priorities, and meet recurring payroll deadlines.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and staying current with changes in payroll law, regulations, technology, and best practices.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.

Potential Benefits: Compensation and benefit packages are competitive but will differ by school and will typically depend on geographic location, your experience, and your level of degree.

💵 Competitive pay

🧠 Professional Development Opportunities

✏️ Classroom Resources

🏥 Medical, dental and vision insurance

😃 401(k) plan – Employer match

⛱️ Paid holidays, vacation and personal time

🏠 Housing (boarding schools only)

About CS&A:

Our job placement service is free to job seekers. By getting to know you personally -- beyond just your resume -- we connect you directly with hiring schools whose open positions match your specific requirements (location, school type, position type, etc.) and skills, saving you the time of sorting through hundreds of job postings and getting lost in a pile of resumes. More importantly, as an educator you deserve to have someone on your side who can help you find a position in a school community where you'll thrive. That's our mission.

Carney Sandoe does not discriminate on the basis of physical handicap, sex, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its services, consulting, events, professional development, or other programs.