Program Specialist 4 - Payroll

Program Specialist 4

Salary: $61,404-$82,512 | Classification:
Program Specialist 4 |

Reports to:

Payroll Manager

The primary objective of this role is to manage end‑to‑end payroll processing, including staff direction, timesheet review, employee communication, and ensuring compliance with applicable policies and procedures. The position maintains internal checks and balances by facilitating staff verification processes, ensuring the accuracy of employee data entries and updates through peer review. In addition, this role serves as a key support resource for employees and managers by providing training, guidance, and best practices related to payroll functions.

The position independently advises employees on matters such as compensation and time reporting, while also contributing to the development of training programs and the effective use of HR/payroll systems.

• Guide employees on entering hours worked, leave, holiday pay, and special pay on timesheets, and verify submission for accuracy.
• Respond to payroll inquiries, including questions about payroll deductions and pay, ensuring responses are accurate and consistent with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Help supervisors with reviewing, approving, and correcting timesheets, ensuring accurate documentation and compliance.
• Coordinate with the benefits team and/or employee for deduction adjustments or when errors are identified during reconciliation to ensure PEBB enrollment is accurate.
• Collect information required for TIAA benefits calculations.
• Verify job data for accurate benefit deduction, updating process as needed.
• Review submission in Health Care Authority (HCA) 24/7 and Pay 1 verifying submissions are accurately entered into ctcLink.
• Reconcile health deductions and communicate any errors with the Benefits Manager for resolution.
• Assist employees in resolving issues related to electronic timesheets to ensure accurate hours are reported for pay.
• Coordinate with relevant departments to resolve discrepancies in leave processing to ensure accurate number of hours are reported for the pay period.
• Identify and resolve any discrepancies in direct deposit information to ensure accuracy.
• Coordinate the process for reissuing paychecks adhering to established internal procedures and state and federal regulations.
• Communicate payroll deadlines to employees ensuring they are met.
• Collaborate with accounts payable to dispatch vendor payments after payroll processes.
• Verify personnel data.
• Determine the type of legal document such as writ of garnishment, child support order, order to withhold or federal educational loan.
• Enter data into ctcLink to ensure accurate setup in ctcLink.
• Verify garnishments are accurate during payroll processing, resolving any discrepancies.
• Prepare and submit First and Second answers to the issuing court or agency after garnishment payroll processing is complete.
• Review faculty contracts and update tickets, partial entries, and related files for accuracy prior to approval.
• Coordinate with the ABO to confirm accuracy of data provided by Divisions and Instructional Support Services (ISS) and resolve errors identified during the approval process.
• Other duties as assigned.

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• Experience in a higher education setting.
• Experience with People Soft.

Please note that we are unable to sponsor visas for this position. Only candidates who are currently authorized to work in the United States will be considered.

This is a full‑time classified position scheduled to work 40 hours a week, with a salary range of $61,404–$82,512 annually. All classified positions will start their salary at Step A. When you have completed six months of probation, you will receive a 5 percent pay increase. A collective bargaining agreement exists, and this position is covered by the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) Union.

Classified positions qualify for the following benefits:
Medical/vision, dental, long‑term disability, life insurance, accidental dismemberment, Flexible Spending Arrangement, Dependent Care Assistance…