Payroll and Benefits Clerk

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll, leave, and benefits for all employees and for ensuring compliance with government regulations and best practices.

Essential Duties:

• Enter employee data, salaries, deductions, withholdings, and other compensation changes into the payroll system in accordance with payroll action forms.
• Compute employee garnishments, enter the calculations into the payroll system, and prepare payments to garnishment vendors.
• Ensure the timely, accurate processing of payroll updates, including new hires, terminations, pay rate changes, and corrections to processing errors.
• Provide support for payroll processing by assisting with leave data entry and corrections as needed.
• Analyze various payroll audit reports to ensure that pay is correct and that all deductions and reporting are accurate.
• Report all new hires to the Georgia New Hire Reporting Center in compliance with state regulations.
• Assist employees with payroll, leave, and benefits inquiries, including benefits enrollment, open enrollment, new hire orientation, and ESS troubleshooting and password resets.
• Review weekly benefit billing statements, error reports, and notifications; research and resolve discrepancies by adjusting the payroll system and communicating changes to affected employees.
• Serve as a backup front desk receptionist for the Business Office when needed.
• Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of payroll and benefit files and records.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws, adhering to industry best practices. 

Other Duties:

This job description is not exhaustive and may not include all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. The employee may be asked to perform other related duties as assigned.

Performance Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates prompt and regular attendance.
• Attends relevant meetings and/or trainings.
• Foster a collaborative environment by maintaining professional and effective working relationships with team members and other departments.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Educational Level: High School Diploma. Two years of college or an equivalent combination of training and experience preferred.
• Experience: Three to five years of office experience required, preferably in a school system or government entity.
• Certification/License Required: None
• Physical Activities: Routine physical activities required to fulfill job responsibilities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of laws, practices, and terminology of payroll functions as they apply to Georgia school districts.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite products such as Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Proficient with or the ability to quickly learn payroll software.
• Ability to follow established procedures.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills are needed.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential situations with tact, professionalism, and diplomacy at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to set and achieve goals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrates ability to work in a fast-paced multi-task environment.
• Must possess proven effective organizational skills and the ability to meet frequent deadlines.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with school officials, employees, and team members.
• Ability to work in a team environment to meet goals and deadlines.
• Detail-oriented, customer-focused, and results-driven.
• Professional and positive attitude and demeanor.
• Demonstrate the ability to work independently and maintain confidentiality.

Essential Physical Requirements: (The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions).

• Sufficient personal mobility, flexibility, and balance, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to work in various office/school locations with computer equipment, lifting or moving objects that weigh up to 15 lbs. occasionally.
• Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to understand verbal instructions and communicate effectively on the telephone and in person.
• Positions in this classification work indoors and may sit for long periods of time.
• Work involves operating a computer, calculator, copier, and other equipment and involves repetitive arm and hand movement, hand-eye-arm, and finger dexterity to use a personal computer keyboard, ten-key, and other common office equipment.
• Sufficient visual acuity, with or without reasonable accommodation, to read and process large volumes of numerical data, interpret detailed insurance billing statements, and operate computer monitors for extended periods of time.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not to be considered an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned.

By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the job description, including the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the Benefits Specialist position. I further understand that this job description is not exhaustive and that additional duties may be assigned as needed.