IN ORDER FOR YOUR CANDIDACY TO BE CONSIDERED ALL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY BY FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION PROCESS INSTRUCTIONS LISTED IN THE JOB DISCRIPTION.ALL JOB DESCRIPTIONS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER'S JOB OPPORTUNITIES PAGE LINKED BELOW. https://careers.macomptroller.org/jobs/Careers IF YOU APPLY THROUGH THE APPLY ONLINE LINK ON THIS MASSCAREERS PAGE YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. OFFICE of the COMPTROLLER (CTR) Statewide Payroll Specialist, Program Coordinator III FY27-005 Statewide Payroll Responsibilities The mission of the Statewide Payroll Team is to ensure accurate, timely and compliant payroll services while promoting department accountability, consistent statewide practices, and responsible stewardship of public resources. Through education, guidance and collaboration, we empower departments with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively manage payroll responsibilities and support a strong, reliable statewide payroll operation.
The Statewide Payroll Team promotes the consistent application of payroll policies and practices across multiple systems, supporting the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of statewide payroll operations. The team serves as a trusted resource for payroll professionals across the Commonwealth.
Position Summary CTR is seeking qualified candidates for one full-time (37.5 hours/week) Payroll Specialist (Program Coordinator III) position on the Statewide Payroll Team. The Payroll Specialist supports the accurate and timely administration of statewide payroll and serves as a key resource for payroll, Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, and Time & Attendance/Time & Labor processes. The position is responsible for reviewing and reconciling payroll and timekeeping data, supporting ACA eligibility monitoring and required reporting, and analyzing and testing Time & Attendance and Time & Labor functionality. The Payroll Specialist works closely with departments to resolve issues, maintain data quality and compliance, and ensure that payroll policies, collective bargaining provisions, and business requirements are accurately reflected in system processes and configuration.
Specific Duties The specific duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:
• Support accurate and timely payroll processing in accordance with established payroll schedules, policies, procedures, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Review payroll and timekeeping data for completeness and accuracy and investigate discrepancies prior to payroll processing.
• Reconcile payroll results and identify and resolve payroll exceptions.
• Respond to department questions regarding pay, time reporting, deductions, and payroll procedures.
• Maintain payroll documentation, procedures, controls, and audit records. Support internal and external payroll audits and compliance reviews.
• Lead the administration of the Commonwealth's Affordable Care Act compliance program, including employee eligibility tracking and reporting.
• Monitor employee hours and applicable measurement, administrative, and stability periods in accordance with Commonwealth's ACA measurement methodology.
• Review employee data to identify potential ACA eligibility or compliance issues and coordinate corrections with departments. Manage preparation, validation, and filing of Forms 1094-C and 1095-C.
• Perform regular audits and reconciliations of payroll, benefits, HR, and ACA data to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Serve as a subject matter resource for Time & Attendance and Time & labor functionality, process, and configuration. Define and document Time Reporting Code (TRC) requirements, including payroll mapping, eligibility, reporting, and downstream impacts.
• Translate business policies, collective bargaining agreements, and payroll rules into system configuration requirements. Analyze the interaction between time reporting, Time & Labor rules, payroll calculations, and downstream reporting.
• Perform impact assessments before implementing changes to TRCs, Time & Labor rules, or related system configuration. Develop detailed test scenarios and test scripts for Time & Attendance system changes. Perform unit, regression, integration, and user acceptance testing related to TRCs, Time & Labor rules, payroll interfaces, and system enhancements. Validate calculated time, payable time, overtime, premiums, exceptions, and payroll results against expected outcomes.
• Use and create queries, reports and other data analysis tools to identify data issues.
• Work with departments to ensure data quality and compliance.
• Ensure payroll and employee information is handled in accordance with confidentiality and data-security requirements.
• Maintain clear documentation supporting system changes, testing, approvals, reconciliations, and compliance activities.
• Assist with development and maintenance of standard operating procedures and process documentation.
• Identify root causes of recurring issues and recommend sustainable process or system solutions.
• Ensure departmental communication is timely and informative.
• Actively assist Team and Leadership with cross training, knowledge transfer, disaster recovery, risk assessment and internal control review.
• Remain current with CTR policies and procedures, read CTR memos, updates, attend annual internal control, risk, and fraud prevention trainings.
Bargaining Unit / Salary Range NAGE UNIT 6 / G ra de 14: $80,411.50 - $117,590.46
As p e r the Unit 6 C oll ec t i v e B a r g a in i n g A g r e e m e nt b e tw ee n the Commonw ea lth of M a ss ac hus e tts a nd the N a tio n a l Asso c i a tion of G ov er nm e nt Empl o y e e s. The range is based upon a series of steps. Any potential offer is determined based upon an analysis of the minimum entrance requirements, the candidate's relevant work experience and educational achievement level.
Comprehensive Benefits Package: When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
CTR is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. The specific components and eligibility may vary based upon position classification, hours worked per week and other variables. Therefore, specific benefits for this position may be discussed as part of the interview and offer process.
The overall benefits available include paid vacation, sick and personal leave time, health, dental and vision insurance, and optional pre-tax Health Savings Account plans.
CTR employees also participate in the Commonwealth's State Retirement Plan, which can become a defined benefit plan for those that both vest and subsequently retire from State service. Follow this link for additional retirement information: http://www.mass.gov/treasury/retirement/state-board-of-retire/
In addition, CTR provides employees the opportunity to elect life insurance, long term disability insurance, deferred compensation savings, tuition remission, pre-tax commuter account plans, along with other programs. This position may be eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program administered by the Federal Government.
CTR Hybrid-Work Model CTR operates under a Hybrid work model. Under this policy, employees are currently required to work a minimum of four business days per month (two set by management and two set by the employee) on-site at CTR's Boston office and may work remotely the remainder of the time at a location approved by their supervisor, so long as they comply with the requirements of the telework policy. Under this policy, all employees must be able to report to the Boston office with little or no notice, even including the same workday should an exigent circumstance arise. Therefore, a reasonable proximity to the office is necessary. CTR does not reimburse for employees to travel to the office.
On-site work is an essential function of this position.
In addition, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily on site in Boston during the initial training and orientation period and/or for certain positions a primarily on-site role may be necessary.
Application Process: The Office of the Comptroller encourages interested candidates that meet the minimum entrance requirements and qualifications to apply for this position.
Interested candidates must submit their application, no later than 5:00 pm, on
October 22, 2026, at
https://careers.macomptroller.org/jobs/Careers .Submissions should include the following
: • a cover letter; and
• resume.
Candidates chosen to advance to a second-round interview will also be required to submit:
• three business writing samples; and
• three professional references.
Late submissions may be considered solely at the discretion of CTR.
Required Background Check - Including Tax Compliance: CTR requires a background check on all prospective employees as a condition of employment.
Candidates should know that the background check is not initiated until:
- A candidate is invited to a second or subsequent interview and
- The candidate has signed the Background Check Authorization Form and related releases.
This background check includes:
o a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check,
o Commonwealth Department of Revenue state tax compliance.
Candidates with advanced degrees and professional licenses may have these credentials verified.
Individuals other than those references provided by a candidate may be contacted in the course of completing a full background and qualification check.
Further Information: Please visit https://www.macomptroller.org for more information about the Office of the Comptroller.
Qualifications: Capabilities and Attributes: This position requires a self-starter with the following capabilities and attributes:
• strong communication skills;
• impeccable attention to detail;
• superior time management;
• proven multitasking ability;
• ability to contribute and work productively as part of a team and equally as an individual contributor;
• positive attitude;
• capacity to remain flexible and learn new standards and guidelines as necessary; and
• ability to work well under pressure.
Preferred Qualifications: • 1-2 years of experience supporting Affordable Care Act (ACA) administration, including employee eligibility tracking, ACA data review and reconciliation, and preparation or support of Forms 1094-C and 1095-C.
• Working knowledge of ACA employer reporting requirements
• Experience administering or supporting Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, including eligibility monitoring, measurement periods, data validation, and required reporting.
• Experience with Time & Attendance and/or Time & Labor systems, including time reporting, payable time, overtime, premiums, and exception processing.
• Experience analyzing, defining, or maintaining Time Reporting Codes (TRCs) or comparable timekeeping and payroll codes.
• Experience translating payroll policies, collective bargaining agreements, and business rules into system or configuration requirements.
• Experience developing and executing test scenarios and test scripts, including regression, integration, and user acceptance testing (UAT) for payroll or Time & Labor system changes.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in business administration, business management, accounting, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including demonstrated experience using advanced formulas and features to analyze and reconcile data.
• Working knowledge of the Commonwealth's HR/Payroll system (HRCMS).
• Working knowledge of the Commonwealth's Finance/Labor Cost Distribution system (Mosaic/LCD).
• Working knowledge of the Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) or a comparable data warehouse or reporting solution.
Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have at least (A) four years o
