- Salary
- $5k – $6k/mo
- Location
- Denver, CO, CO, US
- Department
- Finance
- Visa
- Not sponsored
- Source
- GovernmentJobs
Description
Application Deadline: 10/18/2026
Cover Letters are required, please upload your cover letter and resume as one document. Failure to do so may result in immediate disqualification or the rejection of the application.
To Apply: Visit Our Careers Page
About the Colorado State Public Defender
Colorado’s Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) maintains a reputation as one of the top organizations in the nation specializing in the delivery of indigent criminal defense. We operate as an independent agency within the Judicial Branch of Colorado State Government with nearly 1,000 dedicated employees assigned to twenty-one Regional Trial Offices, a centralized Appellate Division, and a centralized Administrative Office. The mission of OSPD is to defend and protect the rights, liberties and dignity of those accused of crimes who cannot afford to retain counsel. We do so by providing constitutionally and statutorily mandated representation that is effective, zealous, inspired and compassionate. We seek to hire professionals who are dedicated to furthering our mission and demonstrate compassion in their service to our clients. We are a fast paced, team-oriented environment, where self-motivation and a personal commitment to high performance are important attributes for success.
Notes on Employment Eligibility:
- This position requires State of Colorado residency on your first day of employment, and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position. No relocation assistance will be available.
- Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position now nor in the future.
Benefits of Working for the OSPD:
- Medical Insurance
- Basic Vision Insurance - included with medical plans
- Dental Insurance
- State Paid Life Insurance
- State Paid Short-Term Disability
- FSA – Healthcare and Dependent Care
- HSA Plan with Employer Contribution
- Generous Paid Time Off & Sick Leave
- Flexible Schedules
- 11 paid holidays
- Access to Mental Health and Well-Being Resources
- Colorado PERA
- 401(k) and 457 Supplemental Retirement Plans
For more information on benefits please visit https://dhr.colorado.gov/state-employees/state-of-colorado-employee-benefits. For additional information on PERA visit www.copera.org.
Additional information about the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender can be found at: http://www.coloradodefenders.us/
Position Purpose and Objectives/Definition of Work:
This class describes specialized, fully operational technical accounting work involved in the processing and recordkeeping of all employee payroll and related employment information. This is the primary position responsible for preparing and executing the agency's payroll, processing personnel actions, and tracking and reconciling paid leave earnings and balances. Incumbents perform day-to-day activities under general direction and rely on extensive experience and knowledge of payroll systems and the State’s fiscal rules, policies and procedures to complete assignments. Typical work involves processing and tracking personnel actions, auditing payroll reports, communicating policy and procedures, providing technical support and assistance to employees and managers, and maintaining all appropriate documentation and recordkeeping in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, the State’s centralized rules, policies and systems and agency policies, procedures and directives. Utilizes extensive experience and knowledge in State payroll systems that are critical to paying staff correctly and timely.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Processes OSPD personnel job actions that are initiated by hiring, promotions, reclassifications, transfers and terminations for entry into the State’s personnel and payroll system. Enters and updates job status, salary data, W-4’s, address changes, payroll deductions, direct deposits, retirement selections, and leave earnings, for approximately 1,250 employees.
- Enters manually additional payroll transactions as needed for adjustments such as, deductions, leave without pay (LWOP), medical leaves (FMLA, STD, LTD), leave payouts and lump-sum salary payments. Enters changes promptly to ensure employee paychecks accurately reflect adjustments made within the same pay period.
- Processes monthly and biweekly payroll batches. Prints standard payroll reports; audits and reconciles central and agency reports for each payroll.
- Codes manually into excel spreadsheets the monthly and biweekly timesheets for non-exempt employees for FLSA purposes; reviews and validates on a monthly basis.
- Enters and tracks paid leave accruals, utilization and balances; maintains balances in the agency leave tracking system and reconciles year-end leave balances and maximum accruals. Verifies leave accrual rates and leave conversions for transferring employees.
- Responds to questions, troubleshoots problems and assists in resolving a variety of payroll and leave-related matters involving payroll deductions, W-2 forms, direct deposits, and leave accruals.
- Corrects errors related to employee paychecks including overpayments, underpayments or incorrect deductions; makes approved adjustments. Works with employees and office managers to resolve discrepancies in leave accruals and balances.
- Assists in recommending and drafting OSPD system wide payroll procedural guidelines in accordance with state and federal rules and regulations.
- Performs a variety of on-going tasks as needed to support the agency’s payroll, personnel and business functions including, but not limited to, recordkeeping, reporting data, updating rosters and directories, distributing payroll, conducting employment verifications. Performs year end tasks such as distributing W-2 forms and employee leave reports. Scans and files payroll forms to ensure payroll/personnel files are complete.
- Coordinates and participates in special projects related to payroll and related activities.
- Performs all duties to ensure compliance with applicable laws and practices to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Performs other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned. (non-essential)
Minimal Educational & Professional Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in finance, accounting, business management, or a related field closely related to the assignment
Substitution:
Equivalent education, training, or experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to perform at this level may substitute for the stated minimum qualifications.
Preferred Qualifications:
- State of Colorado payroll or accounting experience
- Principles and concepts of payroll and recordkeeping systems.
- Technical expertise in payroll administration;
- Using judgment and analysis of problems to reach a resolution;
- Strong client service focus;
- High degree of professionalism, discretion and confidentiality;
- Ability to interpret fiscal and personnel rules, regulations, policies and procedures relevant to payroll functions;
- Attention to detail and ability to maintain records and documentation in compliance with law, rules, policies and procedures;
- Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with regional and state office managers and employees, peers, leadership, and inter-agency representatives;
- Effective verbal and written communication skills to convey information effectively in a clear and understandable manner;
- Ability to organize one’s own work and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines;
- Ability to perform basic mathematic calculations throughout the day (adding, subtracting, multiplication, division and percentages);
- Ability to operate common office and bookkeeping equipment such as, calculators, scanners, photocopiers and fax machines;
- Proficiency in the use of specialized payroll software, spreadsheets, and databases;
- Proficiency in standard software applications such as, Microsoft Office, internet browsers, and e-mail.
Physical Requirements
Employees must be able to meet the physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demands are in excess of those of sedentary work. Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.
- Occasionally required to stoop and kneel;
- Ability to sit for extended periods of time;
- Talking and hearing;
- Reaching with hands and arms, using hands and fingers.
JOB APPLICATION FAIRNESS ACT
Resumes must include dates of employment but, you may redact or remove any information that will identify your age, date of birth or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
STATEMENT OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING:
OSPD is committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone feels respected, accepted, and valued. With this in mind, we strive to create an inclusive workplace that embraces different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. We will continuously review our company policies and hiring practices to foster a fair and equitable work culture.
NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, marital status, or other protected status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
Consistent with this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including the application and selection process.
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [email protected]
If you have questions about the application or encounter any issues during the application process please contact us at [email protected]
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.