The Benefits, Retirement, and Payroll Section of the Central Employee Services Division within King County's Department of Human Resources (DHR) seeks an experienced Payroll Administrator to become part of the team that provides critical support to King County departments and agencies to pay our 16,000 County employees.
 
As one team, the Central Employee Services Division supports a thriving King County employment experience and provides integrated compensation, benefits, work/life well-being, safety, and retirement planning services. Ensuring the health and safety of employees is our number one priority.
 
Commitment to Equity & Social Justice 
As the only county in the United States named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation’s history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a diverse region that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures.
 
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. The Payroll Administrator will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices in all aspects of the work.
 
To learn more, please visit: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx
 
Other Position Information 
This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour workweek, normally 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position is represented by Teamsters Local 117/Professional & Technical.

• Coordinate and monitor timely entry of payroll data by departments and agencies within strict guidelines and deadlines to ensure timely payroll production.
• Review and validate payroll data submitted by County agencies and departments for correct format and reasonability, including resolving error or discrepancies for system processing.
• Administer employee garnishments, tax levies, and other involuntary payroll deductions to ensure compliance. 
• Identify and recommend process improvements and remove obstacles to produce accurate and timely payroll for employees. 
• Represent Central Payroll Operations to department and agency staff, build relationships of trust, respect, and partnership to process accurate and timely payroll for County employees. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Five years payroll processing experience in a central payroll production department in a highly unionized environment. OR
• Any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the work.

• Working knowledge of payroll processing procedures, payroll tax principles, age and hour laws, state and county regulations and ordinances related to payroll production. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and difficult situations.
• Experience taking initiative and being accountable for the final work product. 
• Experience using PeopleSoft Payroll and PeopleSoft Time and Labor modules or comparable HR/Payroll systems.   
• Intermediate level of proficiency using Microsoft Excel.
• Clear and effective oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with internal and external individuals at all levels.
• Ability to work with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including sensitivity to and knowledge of various, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic groups.
• Ability to manage multiple and shifting priorities, meet deadlines, and do so in collaboration with other team members.

• Experience in the public sector with complex labor organizations.
• Certified Payroll Professional with the American Payroll Association.
• Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, or Information Technology. 
• Experience applying LEAN principles to payroll processes. 

Teleworking Requirement 
The work associated with this position will be performed through a combination of teleworking and onsite work throughout the work week. Employees will have access to shared workspaces. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
 
Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including wearing masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
   
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.  
 
Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
     
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles – we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
 
(New) COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
As of October 18, 2021, most* King County employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If hired, you will be required to submit proof of vaccination. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. Employees may make requests for a reasonable accommodation based on a medical disability or for sincerely held religious beliefs. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.
 
 *This directive applies to employees in the Executive Branch, which includes the Assessor, Elections Director, Sheriff, and County Executive.
 
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.
 
To Apply
This position is open to the public and all King County employees. If you are interested, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
 
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed as received, and they will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. All materials will be evaluated for spelling, grammar, and punctuation usage. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a series of interviews.

Forms and Materials Required 
 

1. An online employment application completed at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs. The employment history should go back at least 10 years if you have 10 years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). 
2. A cover letter no more than two pages summarizing how you meet the required experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills for the job.