Payroll Technician

Payroll Technician

Closing Date: 03/19/26*

*For full-consideration, all application packets must be received by 11:59 pm on the closing date.

Campus: Central Services

Salary Grade: C1-46

Starting Salary: $5,831.21 (per month)

Full Salary Range: $5,831.21 - $7,812.35 (per month)

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is currently accepting applications for the classified position above.

The Foothill - De Anza Community College District does not have a remote work policy. All employees are expected to be available to work in person and on-site per the requirement of the department.

All interviewing costs incurred by applicant are the responsibility of the applicant.

Foothill - De Anza Community College District Mission Statement:

The mission of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is student success and educational excellence. The district and its colleges provide access to affordable, quality educational programs and services that develop a broadly educated and socially responsible community that supports an equitable and just future for California and the global community. Every member of our district contributes to a dynamic instructional and learning environment that fosters student engagement, equal opportunity, and innovation in meeting the various educational and career goals of our diverse students. Foothill-De Anza is driven by an equity agenda and core values of integrity, inclusion, care for our students' well-being, and sustainability.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Payroll & Retirement Services, the incumbent is responsible for performing assigned payroll functionalities for a selected range of employee classes. The position requires retirement reporting experience for a large size institution in CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) or other similar retirement system for Public employees. The position must have a thorough understanding of the bargaining agreements, governmental and district policies for the regulatory and procedural compliance for assigned employee classes with the ability to prepare, analyze and balance payroll reports including financial analytics.

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, performs routine to complex technical accounting work to prepare the District's two monthly payrolls and ensure that employees' work time is properly recorded and coded, and employees are paid accurately, on time, and in accordance with their employment status and applicable laws, personnel rules and policies, California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) laws and reporting rules, collections rules and policy, Board policy, and collective bargaining agreements; prepares, maintains, and distributes a variety of payroll records and reports; and performs related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives immediate general supervision from the Payroll Supervisor. Exercises no supervision of staff.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This is the journey-level class in the paraprofessional Payroll Technician series. Incumbents perform the full range of duties as assigned, working independently on regular assignments, and exercising judgment in applying guidelines, processes, policies, and procedures when performing tasks and making decisions. Incumbents at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class series is distinguished from other finance and accounting support classifications such as Accounting Assistant and Accounting Technician in that the Payroll Technician series requires specialized subject matter expertise in payroll, retirement laws, collections procedures, and collective bargaining agreements.

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)

1. Communicates with employees and supervisors by phone, e-mail, and mass messages to ensure timely completion, review, approval, and submission of online and paper time records.
2. Ensures timesheets and time reports are submitted on time by monitoring and communication with staff and supervisors.
3. Receives, reviews, verifies, reconciles, and processes timesheets to prepare the District's two monthly payrolls, using both scheduled and off-cycle processes; audits time records for completeness and accuracy; prepares and balances payroll reports and records; issues manual timesheets and timekeeping reports as needed.
4. Assists departments and employees by providing payroll information, explaining procedures, and answering questions pertaining to payroll; ensures compliance of District timekeeping and pay practices with state and federal laws, personnel rules and policies, CalPERS laws and reporting rules, collections rules and policy, Board policy, and collective bargaining agreements as they apply to wage and hour, payroll, withholding and deductions, retirement benefits, and a wide variety of paid and unpaid leave usage.
5. Processes, calculates, and maintains records of a variety of personnel and payroll actions, including validating new hire set-up and changes in pay or employment status, tax withholding, overtime and holiday hours, retroactive or adjusted pay, retirement and voluntary deductions, wage garnishments, leaves of absence, and final paychecks and pay-offs based on applicable laws, rules, or policies; validates accuracy of data.
6. Prepares and reconciles vendor payments for employee deductions, prepares deduction registers, transmits backup data to vendors, and submits remittance requests to Accounts Payable.
7. Reconciles payroll clearing accounts and performs corrections through payroll adjustments or journal vouchers when necessary to resolve discrepancies.
8. Performs collection of overpayments in accordance with policies and rules.
9. Prepares, extracts, and reconciles data for a variety of reports using the District's enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise reporting, and financial reporting and query systems, as well as standard word processing and spreadsheet software.
10. Researches payroll records and data to determine eligibility of various types of compensation for calculation of CalPERS benefits, including buy-back requests; verifies employees' leave-of-absence status and eligibility for paid time off benefits (holiday, vacation, and sick leave).
11. Maintains employee records for voluntary and non-voluntary deductions; prepares reports for and requests for payment to various garnishing agencies, federal and state tax authorities, labor unions, and retirement plan providers.
12. Prepares reports of contributions to employee benefit plans and CalPERS and supplemental retirement plans; analyzes, verifies, and updates retirement contribution amounts based on employer and employee eligibility, in accordance with relevant laws and rules; prepares and reconciles employee retirement reports for CalPERS and supplemental plan providers; serves as key point of contact in the department for configuration and updates to mandatory retirement system reporting.
13. Scans and archives payroll documents in accordance with department and Board policy.
14. Assists the Payroll Supervisor with special projects as required.
15. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Incumbents at the Payroll Technician I level may exercise some of the knowledge and abilities listed below in a learning capacity.

Knowledge of:

1. Payroll and timekeeping practices, procedures, and terminology.
2. Payroll processes and employee voluntary deductions and retirement reporting processes as they relate to payroll.
3. Principles and practices of accrual basis of accounting.
4. The processing and recording of payroll and financial transactions related to employee deductions and mandatory retirement.
5. Applicable federal, state, and local laws, personnel rules and policies, CalPERS laws and reporting rules, collections procedures, Board policies, and collective bargaining agreements that affect District payroll and timekeeping.
6. Business arithmetic.
7. Recordkeeping and retention principles, policies, and procedures.
8. Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to work, including word processing and spreadsheet, office productivity, and specialized software applications.
9. English usage, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation.
10. Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, students, and District staff, including individuals of diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation.

Ability to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty and staff.
2. Interpret, apply, and explain relevant laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures regarding payroll processing, employee recordkeeping, and employee benefits related to payroll processing.
3. Adhere to and ensure others' compliance with applicable federal and state laws, personnel rules and policies, CalPERS laws and reporting rules, collections procedures, Board policies, and collective bargaining agreements pertaining to payroll, timekeeping, and compensation.
4. Analyze data and situations accurately, identify issues and problems, and recommend effective courses of action.
5. Review payroll and other financial documents for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
6. Maintain confidentiality of payroll data.
7. Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and other requests for service.
8. Prepare a variety of standard and ad hoc payroll reports.
9. Make accurate arithmetic computations and generate related reports.
10. Establish and maintain a variety of filing, recordkeeping, and tracking systems.
11. Establish, maintain, and research payroll records and related accounting records and files.
12. Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
13. Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
14. Operate modern office equipment including computer and peripherals, printer/copier/scanner, desktop calculator, and a variety of software applications.
15. Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
16. Learn and apply emerging technologies, as necessary, to perform duties in an efficient, organized, and timely manner.
17. Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
18. Exercise tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within established policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
19. Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty and staff.
2. Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade, supplemented by 12 semester units (or 18 quarter units) of college-level coursework or specialized training in payroll, accounting, or a related field, and three (3) years of experience in financial and accounting processing and recordkeeping; AND two (2) years of experience in payroll.

Licenses and Certifications:

Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver's License by time of appointment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals on a case-by-case basis.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances.

APPLICATION PACKET:

1. A District on-line application on . *In the application, you will provide information, which demonstrates your understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty and staff. Additionally, you will be asked to explain how your life experiences, studies or work have influenced your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
2. A cover letter addressing your qualifications for the position.
3. A current resume of all work experience, formal education and training.

If any required application materials are omitted, the committee will not review your application. Items not required (including reference letters) will not be accepted. For full-consideration, all application packets must be received by 11:59 pm on the closing date.

Please allow yourself ample time to complete your application and resolve any technical difficulties that may arise with your submission. We do not guarantee a response to application questions within 48 hours of the closing date. You may also visit our "Applicant Information" to assist with technical difficulties at:

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Position: Full-Time, Permanent, 12 months per year

Starting date: As soon as possible upon completion of the search process.

Excellent benefits package which includes medical coverage for employee and eligible dependents, dental, vision care, employee assistance program, long term disability, retirement benefits and basic life insurance. For information on our benefits package that includes medical for employees and dependents, visit our web site: .

Persons with disabilities who require reasonable accommodation to complete the employment process must notify Employment Services no later than the closing date of the announcement.

The successful applicant will be required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S.

For more information about our application process contact:

Employment Services

Foothill-De Anza Community College District

12345 El Monte Road

Los Altos Hills, California 94022

Email: [email protected]

To apply, visit