Payroll Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Hope Mission Statement

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

Position Purpose and Summary 

Accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing is essential to staff trust, regulatory compliance, and organizational integrity.

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for the end-to-end processing of bi-weekly payroll and the management of the agency's HRIS and timekeeping systems. Working closely with Finance and Human Resources leadership, this role ensures payroll accuracy, maintains confidentiality, administers benefits and leave tracking, produces payroll reports, and provides timekeeping training to staff and supervisors. The Payroll Specialist upholds internal controls and serves as the organization's primary resource for payroll compliance, HRIS integrity, and staff certification tracking.

Responsibilities

Bi-Weekly Payroll Processing

• Confirm all new hires and staff changes are properly entered into the HRIS system before each payroll run.

• Send interim hours to supervisors and approvers for review prior to processing payroll.

• Confirm all timecards have been received and appropriately authorized.

• Perform a final review of reported hours for inconsistencies before submission.

• Submit payroll on time to meet direct deposit and paycheck distribution schedules.

• Obtain CFO approval of payroll transmission before release.

• Process additional payrolls as authorized by the Director of Human Resources.

• Provide an annual schedule of timecard submission deadlines to all staff.

Payroll Reporting

• Maintain confidentiality of all payroll records at all times.

• Provide overtime reports comparing actual to budget by employee and by program on a regular basis.

• Confirm accuracy of workers compensation expense and cost center allocation.

• Provide additional reports and analyses as directed by Finance and HR leadership.

Benefits, Leave, and Compliance

• Confirm retirement plan deductions in accordance with employee eligibility and enrollment.

• Coordinate employee benefit deductions during approved leaves of absence.

• Confirm accuracy of vacation and sick accruals in accordance with agency policy and employee classification.

• Ensure employees on approved leave do not continue to accrue sick or vacation hours.

• Coordinate processing and distribution of annual W-2s.

• Provide W-4 and state withholding forms to staff annually.

• Train staff and supervisors on how to check available vacation and sick balances.

• Provide analysis and reports on leave balances as requested.

• Assist with financial audits and examinations by regulatory agencies as needed.

HRIS and Timekeeping Management

• Oversee HRIS capabilities to ensure the agency's information and reporting needs are met.

• Manage processes for completing verifications of employment, maintaining associated files, and following established protocols for final checks.

• Provide timekeeping training to new staff as part of new hire orientation.

• Provide specialized training to supervisors on timecard monitoring, approval processes, and time-off request procedures.

• Train supervisors on time clock use and timekeeping compliance.

• Train and maintain a designated backup for bi-weekly payroll processing.

• Attend training to maintain competency in HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping applications.

• Maintain current knowledge of IRS and California labor laws pertaining to payroll and benefits.

Staff Certification and Records Tracking

• Track expiration dates for all required staff certifications and compliance items including CPR and first aid, physicals, vehicle insurance cards, and work authorization documents.

• Send monthly reminders when performance evaluations and certifications are due.

Secondary Duties

• Support HR team members as needed to maintain high standards of service and operational continuity.

• Serve as backup to HR functions as needed.

• Attend HR department meetings, interdepartmental coordination meetings, and other agency meetings as directed.

• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of Human Resources.