Payroll Specialist

• Actively engages in continuous improvement of individual, team, and organizational operations, procedures, policies, and guidelines to improve efficiency and internal controls. 
• Reviews timesheets for accuracy, completeness and appropriate approvals
• Calculates all correction timesheets, retro calculations and final termination payments.
• Reviews and analyzes payroll reports for errors, adjusts as needed to resolve problems.
• Calculates and remits all applicable withholding liabilities for all City employees on a timely basis, including, but not limited to federal and state taxes, pensions, deferred comp, garnishments, and other related payroll liabilities. 
• Processes termination checks in compliance with various government guidelines and pension plans. 
• Calculates, processes, reviews, submits, and distributes accurate direct deposit files and paychecks for the City’s bi-weekly payrolls, within strict timelines. 
• Runs the general payroll ledger payroll posting process. 
• Assists employees with sensitive questions regarding direct deposit, leave accruals, and other payroll-related inquiries.
• Processes off-cycle checks as needed.
• Researches and remains current on federal and state payroll tax law changes, pension, benefits, and other applicable laws and regulations affecting payroll administration.

• Formal Education/Knowledge: Work requires knowledge of a specific vocational, administrative, or technical nature which may be obtained with a two-year associate's degree, diploma or equivalent from a college, technical, business, vocational, or correspondence school. Appropriate certification may be awarded upon satisfactory completion of advanced study or training.
• Experience: Minimum three years of experience processing full-cycle payroll (municipal experience preferred).
• Certifications and Other Requirements: None
• Reading: Work requires the ability to read and comprehend complex written documents such as administrative guidelines, use and sales tax documentation, IRS Guidelines, accounting guidelines, technical manuals and various legal agreements.
• Math: Work requires the ability to perform general math calculations rapidly and accurately such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, to read and manipulate spreadsheet formulas, and to calculate percentages, interest charges, and payments.
• Writing: Work requires the ability to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper English sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Managerial: Complex - Job has no responsibility for the direction or supervision of others but role may include overseeing work quality, training, instructing and scheduling work.
• Policy/Decision Making: Moderate - The employee normally performs the job by following established standard operating procedures and/or policies. There is a choice of the appropriate procedure or policy to apply to duties. More complex work as well as decisions with more significant impacts may be reviewed prior to being finalized. 
• Technical Skills: Broad Application - Work requires a comprehensive, practical knowledge of a technical field with use of analytical judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Interpersonal/Human Relations Skills: Moderate - In addition to the sharing of information, interactions at this level may also include providing advice to others outside direct reporting relationships on specific problems or general policies/procedures. In many of the interactions, contacts may require the consideration of different points of view to reach agreement. Elements of persuasion may be necessary to gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas.

Payroll Specialist 12 Month Objectives

City of Goodyear

Develop proficiency in City payroll operations and provide dependable processing coverage under general supervision. Complete assigned duties using established procedures, deadlines, approvals, and review controls; refer complex calculations, policy questions, and significant discrepancies to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

First 90 Days

1 Learn City payroll procedures and requirements. Review the payroll calendar, task checklists, City policies, administrative guidelines, and confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate the sequence of assigned payroll duties, identify required approvals, and explain when an issue requires further review.

2 Validate timekeeping entries and imports. For each assigned payroll cycle, review timesheets and imported data for completeness, valid pay codes, hours, and approvals. Check Executime for missing approvals, follow up with employees and supervisors before cutoff, and document unresolved items for escalation. Verify source files before import and confirm results afterward.

3 Complete assigned payroll calculations. Prepare corrected timesheets, retroactive pay, off-cycle checks, and termination payouts using approved procedures and supporting records. By day 90, complete assigned routine calculations with limited guidance and required review; document the basis for each calculation and resolve identified errors before processing.

4 Build proficiency in biweekly processing. Complete assigned Munis payroll processing steps within internal deadlines, using the payroll checklist. By day 90, demonstrate accurate completion of assigned steps for two consecutive payroll cycles, with complete supporting records and all identified exceptions corrected or escalated before finalization.

Months 4 Through 6

5 Apply Police and Fire payroll rules. Review the applicable bargaining agreements, schedules, pay codes, overtime, and leave provisions affecting assigned work. By month 6, complete a supervised review of representative Police and Fire payroll calculations and apply established rules to assigned transactions. Refer unusual scenarios or interpretation questions for review.

6 Prepare deductions and payroll liabilities. By month 6, accurately prepare and reconcile assigned tax, retirement, deferred compensation, garnishment, and other liability payments or files for two consecutive payroll cycles. Submit for required review by the established deadlines and track rejected items and follow-up through resolution.

7 Use reports to identify payroll exceptions. Each payroll cycle, use established reports and Excel tools, including pivot tables, to review assigned employee changes, earnings, deductions, and leave balances. Compare exceptions with source records, correct routine discrepancies within assigned authority, and retain evidence of review.

8 Complete payment and posting duties. By month 6, demonstrate assigned direct deposit file, paycheck, off-cycle payment, and payroll general ledger posting procedures for two consecutive cycles. Confirm totals against approved payroll reports, retain processing confirmations, and promptly report discrepancies to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager.

Months 7 Through 12

9 Maintain dependable processing coverage. Consistently complete assigned payroll duties independently within established procedures and review controls. For every assigned cycle, meet internal deadlines or notify the Payroll Manager of obstacles before the deadline. Maintain complete calculation support and review records and use feedback to prevent recurring errors.

10 Support quarterly and annual reporting. By month 12, complete assigned quarterly reconciliation and year-end preparation tasks, including supporting schedules, employee information checks, and W-2 validation and distribution. Provide accurate, organized records to the Payroll Analyst or Payroll Manager by assigned dates. If an annual cycle has not occurred, complete a walkthrough using prior-year records.

11 Document procedures and establish backup coverage. By month 12, create or update at least two procedures for assigned recurring duties, including source records, validation steps, approvals, and exception handling. Demonstrate readiness to cover at least one additional payroll function through supervised completion and share the updated procedures with designated backup staff.

12 Support approved improvements and system changes. By month 12, identify at least one practical improvement to an assigned payroll task and submit it to the Payroll Manager. Complete assigned HRIS training, data checks, or test cases within agreed dates; document expected and actual results, report discrepancies, and retest approved corrections as directed.

Expectations Throughout the Year

Protect confidential employee information and provide clear, respectful service to employees, departments, and outside agencies. Acknowledge inquiries within two business days and communicate the next step or expected follow-up date. Keep current on requirements affecting assigned duties through approved training and guidance, and raise compliance questions before processing. Review progress with the Payroll Manager at 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months using completed checklists, reconciliations, procedures, and training records.