PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY: Under the supervision of the Director of Finance, this position supervises the day-to-day operations of the Payroll Department for the Saginaw Intermediate School District. Directly supervises Payroll Specialist staff, including training, performance evaluation, and disciplinary actions. Conducts semi-annual performance reviews for direct reports. Provides payroll customer support to local education agencies (LEAs) per contractual agreement. Coordinates payroll processing, compliance, and reporting, and assists in the administration of FMLA benefits as it pertains to payroll.
COMPENSATION: $75,755 - $90,203
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- As directed, develops, produces, and oversees the preparation of all payroll reports significant to Payroll operations, including those required by the District, State, and Federal governments and outside agencies, as well as state and federal tax filings, unemployment, and retirement reporting.
- Provides system oversight for payroll platforms, including Skyward and ORS, troubleshooting issues as presented and providing solutions to increase department efficiencies, ensuring data integrity, user access, and process consistency across all contracted Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).
- Performs payroll verification and reconciliation for SISD and contracted LEAs, ensuring accuracy prior to payroll release.
- Directly supervises Payroll Specialist staff, planning, organizing, and coordinating daily workflow assignments and departmental scheduling, providing ongoing training, and maintaining the ability to process payroll data to ensure timely and accurate payroll processing.
- Conducts semi-annual performance reviews for Payroll Specialist direct reports.
- Administers corrective and disciplinary actions for supervised staff in accordance with district policies.
- Serves as the primary payroll customer service contact for LEAs that contract payroll services through the Saginaw ISD, ensuring timely resolution of inquiries.
- Develops and maintains written payroll procedures and internal controls to ensure compliance and operational consistency across SISD and contracted LEAs.
- Assists with ORS payroll reporting on a bi-weekly basis. Responsible for Michigan Public School Retirement System (MPSERS) monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements.
- Assists with salary schedule maintenance and computes retroactive pay adjustments following Board-approved negotiations or contract changes.
- Notifies the HR Department of any discrepancies identified in pay rates, contracts, or adjustments so that District data can be updated to accurately reflect contracts approved by the Board of Education or Superintendent.
- Processes and monitors wage garnishments, tax levies, and court-ordered deductions in compliance with federal and state requirements.
- Interprets collective bargaining agreements as they relate to employee compensation, deductions, and stipends, ensuring accurate implementation in the payroll system.
- Oversees calendar and fiscal year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation, distribution, and reconciliation of annual tax filings for SISD and contracted local school districts.
- Maintains confidential payroll records, tax documents, and related files per Michigan retention schedules.
- Serves as the lead contact for payroll-related audit requests, coordinating with the Director of Finance as needed.
- Attends meetings, seminars, and professional development opportunities to stay current with federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting payroll operations.
- Provides assistance on special projects and performs other duties as requested and directed by the Director of Finance.
- Provides payroll-related financial data, projections, and analysis to support annual budget preparation.
OTHER SKILLS
- Ability to have a positive attitude in working with staff, LEAs, and external stakeholders.
- Ability to redistribute payroll workload when Payroll Specialists are absent or on leave.
- Communication skills must be highly developed to be able to effectively present information and respond to questions from a diverse population of both internal and external customers.
- High level of organizational skills required.
- Know or have the ability to learn payroll legal terminology and related rules, regulations, procedures, and legislation relative to school district payroll operations.
- Ability to analyze situations and information to make appropriate decisions based on data, and to follow tasks to successful completion.
- Ability to effectively supervise, mentor, and evaluate the performance of direct reports on a semi-annual basis.
- Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills with the ability to address employee performance issues professionally.
- Other duties as requested by supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
- Three (3) years of related payroll experience, including at least one (1) year in a lead or supervisory capacity, but will consider an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and evaluate staff in a professional setting.
- Must have demonstrated knowledge and ability in working with a variety of computer software programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Skyward, and other Financial/Payroll software.
- Demonstrate complex problem-solving skills and abilities.
- Ability to prioritize work assignments and perform tasks with limited supervision.
- Must have analytical ability to analyze and interpret governmental regulations, technical procedures, collective bargaining agreements, statistical data, etc.
- Ability to work in a team setting.
- Demonstrate a high level of discretion, confidentiality, and integrity.
- A high level of decision-making abilities is required.
- Ability to deal with constant and diverse changes in daily job responsibilities.
- Willingness to receive additional training to improve job skills.
