Senior Payroll Specialist

Senior Payroll SpecialistUnder the direction of the Payroll Manager, the Senior Payroll Specialist performs a wide variety of payroll and timekeeping processing, reporting, validation, and customer support activities to ensure all audits, payments, and payroll processes are accurate and timely in accordance with Payroll policies and procedures. Partners with key stakeholders to troubleshoot and resolve discrepancies. Provide a full scope of timekeeping and payroll system technical support to resolve complex payroll issues.The Senior Payroll Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:Provide tier III support to employees, schools, and departments for payroll and/or timekeeping questions and issuesProcess and validate accuracy of payroll and/or timekeeping system updates such as employee schedules, pay rules, password resets, pay codes, timesheet data, pension, garnishments, transit, union and other general deductions using CPS and vendor systems.Partner with stakeholders to research and resolve payroll and/or timekeeping discrepancies and resolve exceptions and ensure accurate and complete payroll records.Research issues in HR systems to ensure that data accurately transfers between systems and perform corrections as required.Participates in system upgrades and implementations for process improvements.May serve as a backup to the payroll manager or team lead, as needed.Other duties as assigned.In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Senior Payroll Specialist must possess the following qualifications:High school diploma or GED equivalent, requiredAssociate degree or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferredCertified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferredMinimum of five (5) years professional payroll experience in large complex payroll systems as a payroll specialist, payroll administrator, or equivalentExperience in a large government organization strongly preferredStrong working knowledge of payroll wage and hour laws, tax regulations, and payroll operationsStrong working knowledge of payroll system functionality and the ability to effectively utilize ERP applications (E.g., PeopleSoft, Oracle, Kronos)Advanced spreadsheet skills (VLOOKUP, Pivots, functions, etc.)Strong communication skills with the ability to accurately understand and communicate payroll wage and tax information, payroll policies and procedures, and payroll system functionality to all levels of employeesAbility to maintain a thorough understanding of the payroll cycleStrong organizational skills with the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize tasks and schedules to meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.Demonstrate high levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, credibility, and the courage to make difficult yet necessary decisionsAbility to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action stepsAbility to provide superior customer service through all types of interactions by maintaining a positive, friendly, professional and patient attitude at all times.Conditions of EmploymentAs a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. "Up-to-date" on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.