Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Processes City and School payrolls: weekly, semimonthly, and special payrolls, including all payroll audit reports for dissemination. Manages the vendor warrant processing function (as needed). Responsible for ordering, tracking, and reconciling of departmental expenses for Financial Services Department. Manages sensitive employee information.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

• Responsible for processing weekly, semimonthly, and special payrolls
• Investigates issues with payroll and payroll reporting, vendor reporting, and regulatory reporting discrepancies; provides solutions.
• Prepares all payroll-related audit reports for use by comptrollers and treasury staff.
• Works closely with Treasury, Comptroller, and IT staff to resolve payroll issues and errors.
• Reconciles federal and state monthly tax withholdings from payrolls with MA DOR reports and IRS reports, on Excel spreadsheets, including voided checks.
• Assists with data audits and investigations.
• Assists in the troubleshooting and testing of payroll and other assigned systems and applications, i.e, SSRS report.
• Acts as a resource for users within Munis and SSRS for the creation of reports.
• Develops and maintains standard operating procedures and process flows, analytic and project status reports, analyzing and troubleshooting data integrity issues, generating reports and coordinating system changes and problem investigation/resolution
• Works collaboratively with managers in Treasury, Comptrollers, FIS, and IT departments, to assure successful and accurate payrolls.
• Maintains strict confidentiality with sensitive employee information.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Systems Administration and 3 years of experience with payroll system is preferred. Strong organizational skills, with the ability to meet critical deadlines and work under pressure. Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office programs. Experience in MUNIS Payroll System is a plus. Demonstrated ability to be flexible and to handle confidential information with discretion and tact. Excellent customer service is essential.

Company Description

THE CITY:
The City of Newton is a wonderful place to live and work. Newton has safe and attractive neighborhoods, an excellent public school system, an active community life, multiple transportation systems, proximity to Boston and a well-managed and financially strong City government. The City of Newton has a population of approximately 88,900, with 32,600 housing units and occupies a land area of 18.3 square miles. Newton is principally suburban-residential in character. Unlike many other communities that are established around a single Main Street or downtown, Newton is comprised of thirteen distinctive villages. Newton has a diversified economic base with approximately 4,700 establishments employing approximately 79,500 people. Newton is special in many ways. It is home to a variety of private secondary and post-secondary schools including a portion of Boston College, Lasell University, William James College, Hebrew College, and the UMass Amherst – Mount Ida Campus. The longest stretch of the Boston Marathon runs through the City, including the well-known Heartbreak Hill. Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, serves as an important partner to the City. In September 2018, Newton was again ranked #1 in Massachusetts as the best place to live and #12 in the U.S.
OUR GOVERNMENT:
Newton has what is known as a “strong Mayor” form of government with the Mayor having the executive and administrative powers of the City. The legislative branch is comprised of 24 City Councilors. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was sworn in on January 1, 2018 after serving on the City Council. She ran on a platform of providing Newton’s children with a top-notch education in an inclusive environment where empty nesters, seniors, young families, and people of diverse incomes can live together in vibrant villages and neighborhoods. Mayor Fuller is committed to keeping Newton safe, improving the city’s infrastructure, addressing climate change, providing excellent and responsive city services, and fostering art, culture and community life. The first female Mayor of Newton, she is a tireless advocate for all the city’s residents and is committed to making sure the city is welcoming, inclusive and diverse. The City of Newton was evaluated by Moody’s Investors Services in February 2020 and assigned its highest rating of AAA. Newton was thus well-positioned to weather the pandemic and economic downturn.
AS AN EMPLOYER:

The City of Newton believes that its employees are its greatest asset. To that end, we are committed to supporting our employees by providing competitive wages and growth, a comprehensive benefits package which includes a defined municipal pension plan, quality health and dental insurance plans, generous paid leave benefits, paid holidays, and access to supplemental benefits such as deferred compensation, short term disability plans, flexible spending accounts, and other employee benefits. We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program and access to employee training and professional development opportunities. We continuously work to review and expand upon our benefit offerings. We encourage you to visit our Human Resources Department website to learn more about our organization and benefits which are available to our employees. And as always, you are encouraged to reach out to our dynamic HR Team by emailing hr@newtonma.gov.

Human Resources Diversity Statement

We recognize our workforce is a source of strength that is vital to our ability to effectively serve the City of Newton’s diverse community. We will:

• Actively recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and talented workforce.
• Proactively address discrimination through education and in partnership with other departments and leaders.
• Serve as a role model to celebrate and nurture diversity.
• Foster inclusion by staying curious and clarifying assumptions.
• Evaluate and develop policies and practices that reflect the diverse nature of our workforce.
• Build and strengthen accountability at all levels to support diversity efforts.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 457 Deferred Compensation plans
• Metro Credit Union
• Verizon Wireless discount
• Employee Assistance Program
• Generous paid leave time benefits and paid holidays.
• City Retirement (Mandatory)
• Direct Deposit
• Opportunity to serve the public and join a dynamic team of dedicated employees