Payroll Assistant III

What You'll Do

The payroll assistant will gather all information pertaining to work patterns and salary deductions, ensuring accurate capture in our payroll software. The role also involves identifying and correcting payroll-related errors before the salary run, leading the preparation and distribution of weekly and bi‑weekly payrolls, and entering union, hourly, and salaried payroll timesheets, work orders, adjustments, and corrections into the payroll system under the general direction of the Payroll Manager.

• Maintains accurate records of all employee payroll transactions.
• Verifies pay rates and deductions to ensure compliance with company policy, union contracts, SOX controls, and employee designations.
• Analyzes, audits, validates, and prepares timesheet data for the payroll system in accordance with the payroll schedule, runs standard reports to identify exception time situations, and ensures all employees in the assigned group have submitted their timesheets and that all hours are coded and accounted for correctly.
• Responds to payroll inquiries and requests within established service‑level agreements, provides guidance and educates employees as needed to resolve pay or time discrepancies and ensure payroll is accurately processed.
• Updates and maintains documentation on all payroll policies and procedures and complies with departmental process guidelines and standards during each payroll cycle.
• Prepares and maintains detailed reconciliation documentation of payroll data to general ledger account balances, reviews accounting ledger entries, identifies and resolves discrepancies and variances, and updates general ledger information as needed.
• Assists with monthly, quarterly, annual payroll tax returns prepared and processed by the vendor, processes voluntary employee deductions such as 401(k), employee stock purchases, and United Way, and assists in processing tax with holdings and payments to townships, municipalities, counties, etc.
• Requests check payments for union dues, stock, thrift plans, United Way, etc.
• Generates and distributes standard and ad‑hoc payroll reports as needed for internal finance and operational departments to track labor costs.
• Supports system elevations and process automation, develops knowledge of payroll and time‑keeping system fields, codes, and processes to problem‑solve issues such as vendor interface failures.
• Develops close working relationships with internal partners such as Finance and Accounting teams, Benefits, IT, etc., to quickly resolve issues and handle special requests.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal wage and hour and payroll laws and regulations.
• Updates and maintains payroll files, files paperwork, maintains weekly payroll reports and ensures documentation and records comply with audit control standards, practices, and procedures.
• Assists with other tasks or special projects, e.g., W‑2 reconciliations, internal and external audits, etc., as assigned.

An Associate's degree in finance, accounting, or a related field is required. Bachelor's degree preferred.

A minimum of 5 years of payroll experience that demonstrates expert‑level knowledge of payroll, payroll deductions, and payroll taxes.

The noise level in the work environment is generally quiet. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Sedentary physical activity requires reaching, sifting, lifting, finger dexterity, grasping, feeling, repetitive motions, talking, and hearing. Visual requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. 75% or more time is spent looking directly at a computer. The associate is frequently required to stand, walk (or otherwise be mobile). Ability to deal with stressful situations as they arise.

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color,…