Payroll Technician Ii

Description

Snohomish County is hiring payroll technician project staff to backfill and support our existing staff during a finance software system replacement project. The County has purchased Oracle, and implementation begins in the summer of 2026. Project positions are budgeted to 12/31/2026 but are anticipated to continue through the next biennial budget end date of 12/31/2028.

Payroll Technicians provide a wide range of expertise to internal departments and other local jurisdictions for technical and general payroll questions.

• Conduct in‑depth analysis of data submitted by departmental payroll liaisons for accuracy; research, evaluate and apply personnel rules and labor contracts to ensure adherence to established pay standards in conjunction with state and federal regulations; verify changes of salaries, hourly rates, and work schedules prior to entry of pay data; verify gross earnings with attention to FLSA calculations, out‑of‑class, industrial leave, medical leave, military leave, personal leave, and jury duty.
• Coordinate, assist, and monitor timely entry of data processing with departmental payroll liaisons, Dept. of Information Services, Human Resources, and Payroll within strict guidelines and deadlines; run complex process to auto‑generate time and produce various reports for verification of hours and gross dollars; enter, approve, and finalize all adjustments to payroll once main processing is complete.
• Conduct and participate in training one‑on‑one and group sessions as needed; provide payroll expertise, procedural instruction, and advice to departmental payroll liaisons and junior taxing district payroll clerks; answer questions, resolve complaints, explain policies and procedures regarding employment taxes, retirement contributions, miscellaneous employee deductions, and explain complex state and federal regulations.
• Calculate wage and overtime payments, payroll deductions, manual pay warrants, over‑paid wages, and termination entitlements; balance remittances to outside agencies; edit payroll system output such as payroll registers and deduction reports for errors and out‑of‑balance conditions; determine necessary corrections to employee earnings records; decipher, translate, code and enter complex payroll data.
• Set up sundries for each semi‑monthly pay cycle; code employee and employer paid deductions; establish and update personnel records for junior taxing districts, including W‑4 Form, benefits, salaries and hourly rates.
• Research, analyze, evaluate and provide information requested by WA DRS (Dept. of Retirement System); respond to requests for payroll records, microfiche and line reports; interpret legal documents requesting payroll information and wage garnishment.
• Perform accounting reconciliations with emphasis on payroll general ledger and subsidiary accounts using defined methods and guidelines.
• Conduct orientation; cross‑train co‑workers for backup; develop and recommend new and revised written procedures for all processes.
• Establish, maintain, modify, retrieve and track financial, accounting and/or fiscal information using a variety of methods.
• Code, enter, obtain and/or verify financial, accounting and/or fiscal information following established clearly defined methods and guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Associate’s degree in Accounting, business administration or related field; AND two (2) years technical experience in payroll or personnel; OR any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Must pass job‑related tests.

• Specialized bookkeeping and accounting principles and practices with an emphasis in payroll and personnel management.
• General office practices and procedures related to payroll activities.
• Federal, state and local laws as they apply to payroll administration.
• Personnel/payroll system documentation.
• Basic mathematical calculations.

• Implement and apply complex and relevant procedures, laws, labor agreements and personnel rules and regulations.
• Clearly explain policies, procedures, and schedules.
• Maintain financial records…