Payroll Clerk

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth.

We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Payroll Manager, the Payroll Clerk ensures the timely and accurate processing of employee compensation while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws. Serving as the primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries, this role collaborates closely with Human Resources and Finance to manage timekeeping, wage adjustments, and tax with holdings. Additionally, the Payroll Clerk will reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts and play a key role in the upcoming implementation of a third‑party payroll system.

Salary Range: $20.00 - $24.00 / hour

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Calculate standard pay, overtime, shifts, bonuses, commissions, and retro‑pay accurately.
• Process bi‑weekly payroll, using automated payroll software.
• Review and verify timesheets.
• Execute direct deposits, manual checks, and wage garnishments (child support, tax levies, wage assignments).
• Maintain employee payroll profiles, updating pay rate changes, tax with holdings (W‑4 forms), direct deposit details, and benefit deductions.
• Balance and reconcile payroll accounts before and after pay runs to ensure accuracy.
• Ensure compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), state wage laws, and organizational policies.
• Assist with quarterly and annual tax reporting, including W‑2 verification and distribution.
• Generate regular and ad‑hoc payroll reports for management, accounting, and HR departments.
• Assist in internal and external payroll audits by gathering required documentation and records.
• Prepare general ledger entries related to payroll expenses and payroll taxes.
• Address and resolve employee payroll discrepancies, questions, and requests in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.
• Coordinate with HR regarding new hires, terminations, leaves of absence, and employee status changes.

Experience and Education Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required;
  Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration preferred.
• 1–3 years of hands‑on payroll, bookkeeping, or administrative accounting experience.
• Experience in an office environment is essential, with preference for experience in a financial or higher education setting.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office including Excel;
  Word;
  PowerPoint.
• Experience in one or more of the following is preferred: payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, office administration.

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive personal and financial employee information with absolute confidentiality and discretion.
• Understanding of labor laws, payroll tax regulations, wage garnishments, and withholding guidelines.
• Customer Service skills; welcoming in person, phone and email
• Numerical aptitude and financial literacy
• Must have learning agility, with aptitude for quickly acquiring and…