Reporting to the Payroll Manager (or Payroll Lead), the Senior Payroll Specialist is responsible for implementing and administering complex payroll functions, including the development and enforcement of payroll processes and timekeeping policies and procedures. Under limited direction, the Senior Payroll Specialist will use concepts and laboratory policies and procedures to solve a wide range of difficult problems such as, ensuring the accurate generation of Lab payroll, including labor distribution records, benefit and leave accruals, overtime and miscellaneous payments. Additionally, exercising judgment within generally defined practices and policies, the Senior Payroll Specialist will ensure compliance with all federal, state, and University of California (UC) reporting requirements for payroll information including taxes, withholdings and employer contributions.

Required requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field, or equivalent training and experience and a minimum of 3-5 years related experience.
• UC experience.

Certificates & Licenses

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) desired but not required.

Under limited direction the Senior Payroll Specialist will perform the following duties:

• Oversee, execute, and monitor payroll transactions, processes, and systems.
• Reconcile biweekly and monthly payrolls to corresponding UCPath invoices and to the general ledger.
• Independently research, analyze, and correct irregularities and reconciling items in system output results and
• reconciliations.
• Develop and implement solutions to complex payroll problems through in-depth evaluation and analysis.
• Coordinate resolution of sensitive and complicated employee inquiries with Human Resources and UCPath Service Center.
• Manage AskUs tickets and act as a liaison between Lab employees and the UCPath Center on escalated issues.
• Utilize computer databases (e.g., PeopleSoft FMS) to obtain and analyze complex financial information, and collaborate with computer programmers to design and develop reports. Prepare reports, including non-standard and ad hoc reports, for internal and external audiences.
• Handle monthly and year-end close payroll activities.
• Coordinate the processing of fringe benefits and imputed income.
• Reconcile quarterly 941 reporting and W-2 year-end reporting.
• Execute system testing for payroll-related applications such as Lab Employee Time System (LETS) and UCPath.

Knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Ability to interpret and apply payroll policies and procedures.
• Ability to perform payroll functions including payroll laws and requirements, pay cycle, payroll taxes including foreign national taxation, benefits accounting, garnishments and withholdings, payroll accounting, and payroll best practices.
• Ability to develop and maintain complex financial spreadsheets and databases containing advanced functionsand significant experience in utilizing commercial and/or institutional financial tools.
• Ability to independently research, interpret, analyze, compile, and present data and information.
• Excellent decision making, problem-solving and analytical skills to independently solve complex issues requiringmature judgment, discretion and tact.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively prepare and deliver payroll-related briefings, documentation, reports and financial advice to Laboratory personnel, and/or other external organizations and agencies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively explain, negotiate, persuade and build consensus among diverse stakeholders; demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with all levels of personnel, both internal and external to the Laboratory.
• Ability to independently devise new approaches, perform assignments and make decisions with high consequence of error with limited direction from management.
• Intermediate Excel skills including pivot tables, lookup functions and graphs to aid in payroll analysis.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications and Zoom.