Payroll Series

Code No.	Class Title	Occ. Area	Prob. Period	Class Spec Effective Date	Exam Effective Date	Last Action
0792	Payroll Clerk	04 Clerical	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised
4065	Payroll Specialist I	04 Clerical	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised
4066	Payroll Specialist II	04 Clerical	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised
4067	Payroll Specialist III	04 Clerical	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised
4068	Assistant Payroll Manager	03 Managerial	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised
4069	Payroll Manager	03 Managerial	6 mo.	08/31/2022	08/31/2022	Revised

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Series Narrative

Employees in this series are involved in the operation of a payroll office that involves the preparation, distribution, maintenance, and analysis of payroll and tax records. Using automated information systems and following university policies and regulations, employees are responsible for ensuring that all federal and state laws regarding pay and payroll-related taxes are complied with.

The employees are engaged in such activities as:

the preparation of forms used to report time worked, the processing of such reports to prepare payrolls and the distribution of pay to employees
the computation of amounts to be deducted from wages (such as taxes) or the computation of vacation or sick leave
getting or verifying employee authorizations for amounts deducted voluntarily and involuntarily from wages
answering inquiries from employees, campus departments, and authorized agencies regarding payroll policies, procedures, or problems
the analysis and reporting of payroll or tax information to campus, state, or federal authorities
the maintenance or storage of payroll records
the interpretation of regulations or bargaining agreements affecting wage deductions, and
the coordination of payroll operations with information systems staff.

In the lower levels of the series, the employees are involved in progressively more difficult or complex payroll operations, while at the upper levels the employees are increasingly involved in the supervision of staff and the management of operations.

DESCRIPTIONS OF LEVELS OF WORK

0792

Level I: Payroll Clerk

Employees at this level receive training in and subsequently perform basic payroll duties, working under direct supervision from a designated supervisor.

A(n) Payroll Clerk typically -

prepares materials used to report time worked for distribution to departments (such as preparing and checking forms or coding information, addressing envelopes, and putting packets into envelopes);
performs routine processing of returned forms reporting time worked (such as reviewing information for completeness, totaling data, and entering it into the information system);
prepares new time reporting records for new employees;
checks completed withholding forms for signatures, updates database, and stores forms in files;
enters amounts of vacation and sick leave to be recorded in a data system;
answers the telephone or in-person inquiries about basic payroll information or procedures;
prepares records and forms for storage;
performs other related duties as assigned.

4065

Level II: Payroll Specialist I

Employees at this level perform payroll duties requiring knowledge of standard practices used in the preparation, distribution, and maintenance of payrolls and payroll records. They receive general instructions and have responsibility for performing each assigned task, exercising routine methods and mechanics of the job, and requesting assistance when unusual circumstances arise. The employees work under general supervision from a designated supervisor.

A(n) Payroll Specialist I typically -

enters or codes various payroll transactions such as time worked data into automated or manual information systems;
reviews payroll documents for compliance with policies and procedures;
recognizes and corrects apparent discrepancies/deviations;
assists employees in completing authorization forms for payroll withholdings, both voluntary and mandatory prepares payroll reports requiring the use of multiple sources of information;
verifies the accuracy of data entry and computations of withholding tax, retirement deductions, and overtime compensation;
responds to telephone, written, and in-person inquiries about standard payroll procedures and problems;
maintains safe and accurate storage of payroll records;
performs other related duties as assigned.

4066

Level III: Payroll Specialist II

Employees at this level are knowledgeable, highly skilled individuals who serve as resource persons for a wide range of payroll areas or who have an in-depth knowledge of specialized areas. Duties normally follow established procedures but may include routine minor corrections to make documents acceptable for processing. They may provide guidance to or supervise lower-level employees in specialized areas. The employees work under the direction of a designated supervisor.

A(n) Payroll Specialist II typically -

reviews, processes, interprets, and maintains proper documentation for additions, changes, or deletions to the pay file database;
verifies and updates centralized pay control file;
reviews and verifies payroll documents for compliance with policies and procedures;
administers FMLA EIL leaves, accruals, and usages of vacation and sick leave, provides guidance or instruction to employees in the completion of authorization forms for payroll withholdings;
acts as an inter-departmental and intra-departmental liaison for questions and problems relating to the area of specialization;
investigates and completes employee verifications of employment and unemployment inquiries;
processes death benefits;
maintains the financial institution tables and their corresponding transit numbers for the direct deposit system of pay;
performs other related duties as assigned.

4067

Level IV: Payroll Specialist III

Employees at this level perform all payroll specialist duties as well as general balancing of payroll totals and researching and preparing special reports for senior management. This position may also train less experienced payroll technicians in areas of specialization. They work under minimal supervision from a designated supervisor.

A(n) Payroll Specialist III typically -

inspects automated systems output such as registers and standard reports;
determines and corrects out-of-balance conditions;
processes vendor checks and reports;
prepares and files quarterly payroll taxes for federal and state government;
coordinates disbursement of employee payroll checks under specified guidelines;
prepares garnishments and levies;
serves as a resource person to confirm and defend payroll policies and procedures;
trains less experienced payroll technicians in procedures regarding the use of equipment;
oversees the replacement and re-sending of lost W-2s;
performs other related duties as assigned.

4068

Level V: Assistant Payroll Manager

Employees at this level are characterized by some freedom for decision-making and interpreting institutional policy. They assist the Payroll Manager with all aspects of planning, operations, and control of the payroll office. They work under administrative supervision from a designated supervisor.

A(n) Assistant Payroll Manager typically -

directs the daily work of staff about priorities and deadlines;
assists in the hiring and managing of employees/assist with evaluations of other staff;
trains new staff and acquaints entire staff with changes and/or modifications to payroll processing;
acts as a liaison between staff and payroll manager;
continually monitors and makes necessary adjustments to year-to-date totals for quarterly reports and individual employee W-2 records;
administers special check requests for appropriate situations:
- to replace lost checks
- to provide employees with loans towards salaries not paid due to late paperwork
- to correct overpayment situations when termination notices are late
performs other related duties as assigned.
responds to authorized payroll information inquiries, such as verification of employment, by courts, financial institutions, and both internal and external auditors;
prepares and processes salary reversals and bank transfers;
completes retirement reports for individuals terminating from SURS and coordinates any adjustments to the same;

4069

Level VI: Payroll Manager

Employees at this level are responsible for the management of a payroll office including all payroll processing and related activities. These employees control all tasks necessary to accomplish the organization’s payroll processing objectives. They work under administrative direction from a designated administrative official.

A(n) Payroll Manager typically -

hires, trains, evaluates, determines work assignments, approves leave time, and resolves discipline problems of and for staff employees;
maintains the payroll system calendar schedules and coordinates changes with the Comptroller’s Office and banks;
responsible for seeing that payroll procedure conforms to federal, state, and university rules and regulations;
attends meetings, and workshops, and peruses other informational resources to remain current with ever-changing payroll requirements;
checks and logs computer output and tapes, monitoring usage and distribution;
administers data control, acts as liaison with computing services, and schedules job processing;
conducts staff meetings and training sessions to coordinate tasks;
prepares numerous bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports for federal tax, state tax, social security, retirement, unemployment, and other deduction agencies;
administers tax levies, wage garnishments, and bankruptcy notices, including correspondence with outside agencies (such as lawyers and the state comptroller’s office);
serves as payroll liaison to administration, reporting on a regular basis;
performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

0792

Level 1: Payroll Clerk

CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER

High school diploma or equivalent.