Payroll Assistant HR/Payroll PT

Position Summary

Located 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is a two-time Aspen Award-winning institution (top 15% of Community Colleges) with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America’s top 100 producers of Minority Associate Degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs.

This position serves as a primary contact for supporting the Colleges Payroll administration. The individual in this position coordinates payroll processing activities, ensures accurate data entry, and timely transactions, and assists in resolving payroll related inquiries. In this fast-paced role, the assistant must have comprehensive knowledge of HR and Payroll. The individual performs a variety of administrative support duties for the Human Resources staff, blending front office coverage responsibilities with HR/PAY tasks. The Payroll Assistant HR/PAY must be familiar with standard payroll concepts, practices, and procedures. The incumbent must be detailed-oriented, able to meet critical deadlines, possess excellent customer service skills, and independently manage personnel records, and forms for the department.

Reports to: Payroll Director
Work hours: 20 per week

The hiring salary for this position will be from the min to mid-point of the salary range advertised. This position is open until filled.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1: Payroll Processing & Contract Administration – 45%

• Coordinates with the Payroll Director to ensure employees have access to the most current payroll information, forms, and procedures. Provides payroll-related information to internal and external college stakeholders.
• Reviews and processes adjunct faculty contracts and Personnel Payment Instructions (PPIs), including flat-rate and hourly payments. Communicates with departmental administrative assistants regarding PPI issues and ensures all documentation is maintained in electronic format for efficient retrieval.
• Processes hourly Personnel Payment Instructions for temporary employees, student assistants, and work-study participants. Updates general ledger account codes for new temporary positions and transitions employees into Self-Service Time Entry. Submits JotForm requests to IT to establish Self-Service accounts.
• Collaborates with departmental administrative staff and Financial Services to resolve payroll discrepancies and update general ledger account codes for new or revised positions.
• Processes federal and state tax forms for employees across multiple jurisdictions, including Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

• Leads onboarding activities related to payroll, ensuring completion of all required HR documentation and compliance requirements.
• Educates new employees on payroll schedules and available payroll services.
• Maintains onboarding materials and tracks completion of onboarding requirements, ensuring timely updates in payroll systems.
• Coordinates onboarding logistics, including document collection and campus orientation activities.
• Trains new employees on Self-Service Time Entry and Self-Service Leave Reporting systems.

• Assists employees with payroll self-service functions, including direct deposit enrollment, banking updates, and account setup.
• Sends onboarding welcome emails related to direct deposit and supports employees with self-service banking setup.
• Reviews new bank setups and updates the ACH Colleague bank table to ensure accuracy prior to payroll transmission.

• Ensure compliance with federal and state payroll regulations and institutional policies.
• Maintains accurate and confidential employee records in accordance with institutional guidelines and legal requirements.
• Supports internal and external audits by providing payroll documentation and employee records as needed.
• Manages document retention processes, including secure disposal of outdated or confidential records.
• Processes Verification of Employment requests for external agencies, including financial institutions, government entities, military organizations, and previous employers.

• Participate in monthly "Boost Your Payroll Knowledge" training sessions offered by Payroll Services.

Minimum Education and Training

Required Education and Experience:

• High school graduate: Associate degree preferred.
• Three (3) years’ experience preferred in HR/PAY environment.
• Proficient in Micro Office Suite, with knowledge of Word, and Excel.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, and projects while providing customer service by phone and in person.

• High school graduate: Associate degree preferred.
• Three (3) years’ experience preferred in HR/PAY environment.
• Proficient in Micro Office Suite, with knowledge of Word, and Excel.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, and projects while providing customer service by phone and in person.

Minimum Qualifications and Standards Required

• Knowledge of office management principles, methods, and procedures to complete work assignments.
• Knowledge of principles, problems, and methods of public and business administration to complete work assignments.
• Knowledge of the department mission, goals, and objectives to carry out assignments.
• Knowledge of sorting/filing techniques and records retention policies and schedules to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to remain professional when dealing with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple assignments.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail when completing multiple assignments.
• Ability to track and monitor pertinent activities (e.g., regulatory, process changes) in an organized fashion to keep the office running efficiently.
• Ability to identify information, materials, and resources needed to complete a project or assignment.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with management, staff, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy when dealing with the needs, problems, and/or concerns of other department staff, outside agency personnel, and/or the public.

The College of Southern Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Background Checks

The College of Southern Maryland conducts background checks in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the College's staff and students. The final candidate for this position will be subject to the following background checks: Criminal History Check and Sex Offender Registry Check.

Conflict of Interest policy

No College of Southern Maryland employee shall engage in or have a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in any activity that conflicts or raises a reasonable question of conflict with his or her duties and responsibilities. CSM Employees shall not at any time engage in any outside employment or independent consulting that would adversely affect their employment status or performance as employees at the college, create a conflict of interest, or, with the exception of constitutionally protected activities, would compromise or embarrass the college, or adversely affect professional standing. Any full-time college employee who also holds a full-time position or its equivalent in consulting elsewhere (whether permanent or seasonal) will be deemed to have a conflict of interest and will be asked to resign from one of the full-time positions. Full-time employees must promptly disclose in writing, on a form available from the Human Resources Office, to the college all other full-time employment or its equivalent in independent consulting.

Employment Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to find our frequently asked questions:https://www.csmd.edu/employment/frequently-asked-questions/index.html