Payroll Supervisor

Work where you play!
Join our team at Parks Tacoma to put your skills to use serving your community and making Tacoma a vibrant, healthy, and welcoming place to live.
 
Who We Are
Parks Tacoma  is a CAPRA-accredited and AZA-accredited, independent park district that leads efforts to build a healthy, sustainable community. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Parks Tacoma's mission is to create healthy opportunities to play, learn, and grow. The independent park district spans the city providing a wide range of life-enriching destinations and services, including 70 parks, 80 miles of trails, 1,000 acres of urban forest, 66 playgrounds, four community centers, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Point Defiance Park, and much more. Our work is guided by eight core values that are the foundation of our actions and goals: innovation, excellence, equity, inclusiveness, sustainability, accountability, safety, and fun.
 
Why You’ll Love it Here
Come work where you play! You will contribute to the overall vitality and well-being of your community when you work for Parks Tacoma, and you’ll do so as part of a supportive team of committed, passionate, and mission-driven professionals. The people of Parks are the key to its success, and you just might be the next great addition to our team. You’ll receive a competitive wage, along with an attractive benefits package, including medical, dental, retirement, vacation, holidays, and much more. On top of that, you’ll wake each day knowing that you’re helping make Tacoma a great place to call home.
 
Position Information
Under the direction of the Chief Financial and Administration Officer, the Payroll Supervisor is responsible for supervising and overseeing payroll operations district-wide and performs expert level strategic leadership in planning, preparing and disbursing payroll for Parks employees. The incumbent supervises a team of payroll staff in delivering payroll accurately and effectively and recommends and implements payroll policies and procedures to meet the district’s responsibilities with respect to labor agreements, labor laws, payroll tax administration and system updates.  

The incumbent works closely and collaboratively with all district staff, divisions and external stakeholders in carrying out the section’s duties.

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to:

• Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact professionally with other employees, customers, and suppliers.
• Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
• Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.
• Observe applicable safety requirements, use safety equipment provided, implement appropriate safety practices and report immediately any unsafe working conditions or hazards.

Payroll Processing: 

• Responsible for the management of the overall payroll function, ensuring accurate and timely processing for 800 employees that are part-time and full-time represented and non-represented. 
• Ensure actions, corrections, change requests, or adjustments are processed in a timely and accurate manner and meet compliance requirements. 
• Actively participate in the audit and review of payroll processing prior to finalization and submission for accuracy and completeness. 
• Responsible for compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, as well as district policy and procedures regarding payroll activities. This includes but is not limited to: obligations around special leave, payroll benefit accruals, bargaining agreements, district employment policies, and other similar requirements related to managing the payroll cycle. 
• Ensure accurate deduction and remittance of garnishments, child support, IRS levies and court orders as administered by vendors or internal staff.
• Ensure accurate recording of payroll related expenditures into the district’s accounting system for each payroll cycle.
• Manage compliance with federal, state & local tax law & quarterly and annual payroll reporting (e.g., LNI, LTC & PFML, etc.), tax deposit reporting, involuntary deductions (levies – e.g., W2, 1095, 941, FIT, FICA, etc.), Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting, and any other required reporting.
• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of payroll processes, effectively driving improvement in performance and efficiency where needed. be adapt to address resource and operational challenges.
  
  

Payroll Programs & Systems

• Implement and maintain effective systems, policies, and processes to correctly compute and record time, earnings, benefits, taxes, and other items that affect net pay. Ensure all related system capabilities are operational and conform with regulatory and audit requirements.
• Develop, maintain, update, and communicate organization wide payroll policies and processes regarding earnings, deductions, and timekeeping. 
• Assist in the development of exception reporting and system reporting that will identify errors or omissions prior to finalization and submission. Proactively research errors and implement corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence. 
• Manage and coordinate the reconciliation of benefit invoices. 
• Interpret, educate and apply a variety of laws and regulations governing payroll administration; this includes but is not limited to pertinent labor contract and administrative code provisions, annual salary and salary standardization directives, district policies and other documents governing employee's pay and benefit rights. Provide written and oral explanations to management and employees is necessitated. Ensure labor agreement changes are implemented timely and accurately. 
• Responsible for developing work performance standards and the execution of internal controls to ensure accuracy of data.
• Participates in the development, implementation, and modification of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and coordinates needs and customizations to meet the needs of departments and/or sound financial practices. 
• Assist the Budget Officer and Controller in planning and development of the budget, coordinating the preparation of annual budget through the district’s position control system and processes. 
• Works closely with the Human Resources division.

People Management

• Lead, monitor, train, provide work direction, coach employees, and participate in their evaluation and development. 
• Develop short- and long-range plans for payroll staffing, training, work projects, and other related issues.
• Ensure employees have work plans appropriate for their business function and that the plan is being followed. Conduct regularly scheduled meetings with employees to communicate work plans, set expectations, exchange performance feedback, and build employee satisfaction.
• Attract, engage, and retain a qualified and motivated staff. 
• Create, manage, and maintain an employee centric service philosophy that supports a culture of employee care and operational efficiency. 

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration or related field and a minimum of 5 years of increasingly responsible professional level government accounting and payroll experience, including experience working with collective bargaining agreements, and at least 3 years of supervisory or lead experience. An additional 4 years of related experience can substitute for the degree requirement.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
License & Other Requirements:
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) through the American Payroll Association (APA) is highly preferred.
Valid Washington driver's licenseEnvironment:

• Office environment that is open and busy. 
• Constant interruptions due to internal/external customer needs and demands. 
• Driving a vehicle to conduct work.

Physical Abilities: 

• Sitting for extended periods of time.
• Reaching overhead and above the shoulders to retrieve and store supplies and documents.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, adding machine and other office equipment.
• Seeing to read and ensure accuracy of statements, reports, and journal entries.
• Hearing and speaking to exchange information in person and on the telephone.

Hazards:

• Possible contact with dissatisfied or abusive individuals. 

General Skills and Abilities:

• General understanding of payroll functions in compliance with State, federal, labor, personnel and payroll laws, rules and regulations.
• Analytical skills for financial research and modeling in a complex multi-system environment; ability to develop and implement financial models for forecasting and expenditure/revenue analysis.
• Decision making – ability to identify issues, develop analyses of alternative positions and impacts; makes data driven, defensible decision and recommendations; takes calculated risks based on logical rational decision-making processes; makes timely/responsive decisions; assumes responsibility for decisions made; and involves others appropriately in decision making processes.
• Utilize quality improvement tools and processes in accomplishing work activities and in support of the district’s mission, values and goals; this includes seeking opportunities to participate in process improvement activities and seeking out efficiencies in how work is accomplished on an ongoing basis.
• Cultural, ethnic, and gender sensitivity and competency based on District-wide policy and expectations.
• Demonstrate an ability to establish customer service standards. Serv as a positive example of providing good customer service and implements improvements to customer service standards as necessary. Communicate and train others in the application of standards to improve customer service delivery.   

Knowledge of: 

• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and best practices; Budget, Accounting and Reporting Systems (BARS) manual; Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB); Government Finance Administrators Association (GFOA) budget guidance and best practices.
• Washington State Budget, Accounting and Reporting Systems (BARS) manual.
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) standards, recommended practices and policies, rules, and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Development, implementation and analysis of accounting and reporting methods, procedures, and systems.
• Leadership principles and employee engagement activities.
• Applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Principles and practices of public administration, including purchasing, contracting, cost accounting, personnel administration, labor law and risk management.

Ability to: 

• Communicate – excellent written and verbal communication expertise, preparing, reviewing and summarizing information in a clear and concise manner that meets the needs of diverse audiences.
• Understand Complex Information – ability to understand and synthesize large amounts of budget, accounting and policy information and approach problem solving in a supportive and logical manner.
• Manage Tasks – work effectively in ever-changing, fast paced and sometimes political environment.
• Influence Decisions – ability to work effectively in inter/intra-district relationships, providing information and guidance as appropriate to gain support and facilitate a cooperative decision-making environment.
• Resourcefulness – effectively manage tasks, work efficiently and collaboratively in a team environment, sometimes in high stress situations, in order to achieve district goals.

PARKS TACOMA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, disability or any other merit factor. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.
   
Parks Tacoma employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
   
Parks Tacoma is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resources at hr@tacomaparks.com.
   
 Employment is subject to a national background check.
   
This position is an at-will position with no written or implied contractual agreement.  

Salary : $100,642 - $137,779