HR Payroll Administrator

Come make a difference and join team Metro!

King County Metro Transit’s Employee Services Division is seeking a detail-oriented and equity-driven HR Payroll Administrator to ensure accuracy, integrity, and compliance of payroll processes supporting over 6000 employees across a vast and diverse range of job classifications for one of North America's largest and most innovative transit agencies.

The HR Payroll Administrator is a new position where you will play a critical role in delivering timely, precise, and customer-centered payroll services for a large, complex workforce. You will interpret and apply labor contracts, analyze payroll and timekeeping data, resolve discrepancies, coordinate leave programs, support system enhancements, and develop procedures and training that strengthen consistency and operational excellence across the organization.

This position offers a high level of responsibility, independence, and influence. Your work will directly impact employees’ experiences, operational efficiency, compliance practices, and Metro’s ongoing commitment to equity and social justice. By ensuring payroll processes are fair, transparent, and reliable, you will help sustain the foundation of trust that enables Metro Transit to deliver safe, equitable, and high-quality service to our community.

This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) position expected to last through December 31, 2027, with the possibility of extension. Additionally, the selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, TLT, or SDA positions that may occur within this classification. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority. An additional HR Payroll Administrator position is anticipated in the near future.

The HR Payroll Administrator is an Administrator II classification.

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of this work. As the HR Payroll Administrator, you will actively integrate these values into all aspects of your work, including the following duties:

• Administer payroll operations in compliance with Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), federal and state regulations, King County policies, and departmental procedures. 
• Process, audit, and maintain payroll records in PeopleSoft, including adjustments, benefit accruals, step progressions, work schedules, union dues, combo codes, and time reporting codes (TRCs).
• Analyze payroll, timekeeping, leave, and financial data to identify discrepancies, ensure data integrity, resolve payroll issues, and maintain compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct audits of time reporting, overtime, leave usage, and personnel actions to ensure adherence with CBAs, payroll policies, and HR standards.
• Monitor payroll components of employee leave programs (FMLA, KCFML, PFML, Paid Parental Leave (PPL), On-the-Job Injury (OJI), and others), coordinate reimbursements, track leave balances, notify HR of exhausted leave entitlements, and support Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance.
• Collaborate and coordinate with Metro Divisions, Employee Services workgroups, and others to resolve payroll discrepancies and issues, implement personnel actions, validate and audit data, run reports and ad hoc requests, and ensure accurate payroll processing. 
• Research, interpret, and apply complex CBAs, payroll regulations, and organizational policies to provide guidance to employees, supervisors, and management on payroll, leave, timekeeping, and cost accounting matters.
• Develop, implement, and maintain payroll procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), desk manuals, training materials, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and documentation to improve consistency, knowledge sharing, and operational efficiency.
• Train, mentor, and onboard payroll staff and PeopleSoft users including providing technical guidance on payroll processes, time reporting, and system functionality.
• Actively participate and support continuous process improvement (LEAN) efforts.
• Design, develop, and maintain payroll monitoring, tracking, and reporting systems, including leave compliance, reimbursement tracking, and payroll performance metrics.
• Support payroll system enhancements by maintaining PeopleSoft configurations, developing queries, managing TRCs and combo codes, testing system upgrades, and validating configuration changes.
• Plan, coordinate, and implement payroll-related projects, including Employee Self Time Entry implementation, new CBA provisions, process improvements, compliance reviews, and resolution of systemic payroll issues.
• Maintain payroll and personnel records in accordance with federal and state records retention requirements, including document organization, cataloging, inventory management, and Content Manager administration.
• Communicate proactively with Metro Divisions to obtain information, resolve data issues, and ensure payroll deadlines are consistently met.
• Other duties as assigned.

We are looking for candidates who meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Experience completing payroll processes, ensuring policy compliance, and applying regulatory requirements in a large scale complex payroll operation, public sector, and/or unionized environment. 
• Experience interpreting and applying labor and collective bargaining agreements for employees across diverse job classifications.
• Working knowledge of Fair Standard Labor Act (FLSA) Law.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify issues, work with large datasets, troubleshoot and resolve data problems, and ensure accurate data entry and data integrity with meticulous attention to detail and sound judgment.
• Experience using enterprise systems such as PeopleSoft and Oracle EBS to maintain and analyze HR, payroll, and financial data.
• Technologically adept, with strong proficiency across the Microsoft Office Suite including intermediate-level expertise in Microsoft Excel.
• Proven ability to manage a high-volume workload, prioritize tasks, and meet established deadlines while collaborating effectively with colleagues across various work groups.
• Experience developing and improving administrative processes, documentation, and standard operating procedures.
• Experience training others, mentoring, or providing system/process support to end users.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team while demonstrating initiative, accountability, and attention to accuracy including in situations with incomplete information or operational ambiguity.
• Experience building and maintaining strong working relationships with various individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds and roles.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including maintaining confidentiality, navigating sensitive situations, and communicating with tact and diplomacy.
• Experience providing high-quality customer-focused service in a professional setting.

Highly competitive candidates will have the following desired (but not required) qualifications:

• Working knowledge of Metro Transit’s operations, policies, and procedures.
• Payroll processing experience in a Department of King County.
• Experience using PeopleSoft and Oracle EBS.

Who may apply: We are accepting applications from all qualified applicants including current King County employees and the general public.

Required Application Materials: 

The following application materials are required:

1. An online King County application updated with accurate contact information and relevant work history going back at least 10 years (or more, if necessary) with all job duties clearly explained.
2. Completed supplemental questions. Responses to supplemental questions must be supported and verifiable by information found within your application materials.
3. A cover letter no longer than two (2) pages articulating how your knowledge and experience aligns with the duties and qualifications of this specific position. Your cover letter should also summarize your experience completing payroll processes, ensuring policy compliance, and applying regulatory requirements- including tax principles, wage and hour laws, labor laws, and state and county regulations and ordinances- in a large scale complex payroll operation, public sector, and/or unionized environment.

Selection Process: Applications will be screened to determine whether candidates meet the minimum qualifications, as well as for completeness and competitiveness as it relates to this position. Applications submitted without the required application materials listed above may be deemed incomplete and be removed from consideration. Additional documents, such as resumes, will not be reviewed if submitted. Please ensure all relevant work, volunteer, or other applicable experience is included on your online King County application. The most competitive applicants may be invited to participate in skill testing, one or more interviews and/or other selection processes. Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes, such as internal record reviews or reference checks.

Work Schedule: The work performed in this role is typically Monday through Friday, 8.00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but may at times require work outside of normal business hours. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime pay, with prior supervisor approval.

Work Location: This position follows a hybrid work schedule currently requiring a minimum of two (2) days per week onsite at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson Street, Seattle), consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work policy. Remote workdays may be adjusted or increased based on operational or business needs. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance of their assigned worksite to meet reporting requirements.

Safety Responsibility: Employees 
• Responsible for understanding this policy and their role in safety 
• Report all safety concerns 
• Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training 
• Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system 

Classification / Union / Job Code / Grade: Administrator II / Non- Represented Z3 / 281301 / 56

Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Sarah Ottele at [email protected]. 

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.