Payroll Specialist

JOB TITLE

Temporary Payroll Specialist (20 hours/week)

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

Payroll - JM

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Associate Director, the Temporary Payroll Specialist works approximately 20 hours per week to support the daily operations of the payroll function, including customer service and end-to-end processing of multiple biweekly payrolls in Workday HCM, to ensure accurate and timely payment to all employees.

The role processes regular payroll as well as special payments such as net pay reissues and other out-of-sequence payrolls. The Temporary Payroll Specialist reviews and analyzes employee transactions and time reports to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, university policy, the employee handbook, and provisions of collective bargaining agreements.

This is a temporary position of approximately six months, with possible extension, at an hourly rate of $30–$35, intended to provide additional support to the payroll team.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Payroll Processing

• Assist with biweekly payroll processing for multiple pay groups, including auditing, analyzing, verifying, and entering payroll items.
• Ensure accuracy of gross-to-net calculations, benefit deductions, retirement contributions, tax withholding, union dues, and garnishments.
• Review reported time, follow up with managers and employees, evaluate time and adjustments from prior pay periods, evaluate unprocessed time, and clean up unsubmitted time entries.
• Run payroll audit reports in preparation for processing, follow up as needed, and make adjustments and fixes for accurate and timely payment.
• Communicate about missing direct deposit information, distribution of printed checks or pay cards, net pay reissues, direct deposit rejects, and stale-dated checks.

Customer Service

• Communicate via email, phone, and videoconference with employees, departments, managers, and agencies, researching and responding to questions about pay, deductions, taxes, etc.
• Manage the payroll queue in the Halo ticketing system.
• Send general reminders related to time entry and approval deadlines, year-end processing, etc.
• Create and update procedure and job-aid documentation for department and community use.
• Maintain accurate information on the website and in Workday, including setting up processing for future payrolls and vacation and holiday calendars.

Payroll Knowledge, Reporting, Tax Filing & Reconciliation

• Support compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations, including wage and hour, tax, and reporting requirements.
• Develop a strong understanding of collective bargaining agreements, including time entry codes, pay rules, earning calculations, and reporting.
• Support calendar year-end processes, including W-2 preparation, reconciliation, and distribution.
• Run reports to assist with preparing periodic, quarterly, and annual tax filings.
• Respond to audit requests and compliance reporting.
• Assist with entries to finalize fiscal year-end.
• Track garnishments and advance repayments, and create accounts payable requisitions.
• Assist with registering and maintaining payroll tax accounts, reconciling ADP tax transactions, filing and paying tax obligations outside of ADP’s processing, and reconciling payroll tax records with ADP, tax agency, and accounting records.

Testing & System Maintenance

• Partner with internal and external teams for Workday testing related to system projects, optimization, enhancements, fixes, and new releases.
• Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years of payroll experience, including Workday HCM payroll.
• Knowledge of federal and state payroll laws and regulations.
• Proficiency in Excel.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills with an aptitude for problem-solving.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and meet payroll deadlines.
• Availability to work approximately 20 hours per week remotely, including coverage on biweekly payroll deadline days.

Preferred

• Experience with ADP payroll tax processing and reconciliation.
• Experience in a unionized environment and applying collective bargaining agreement pay rules.
• Payroll experience in higher education.

Additional Details:

This is a temporary position of approximately six months, with possible extension, at an hourly rate of $30–$35, intended to provide additional support to the payroll team.

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Non-Exempt)

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making. It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.