What are the responsibilities and job description for the Payroll Specialist position at River Partners?
Payroll Specialist
Title: Payroll Specialist
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: Senior Administrator
Location: Chico
Pay Scale: $75,000.00 - $87,000.00
Who We Are
A tenacious nonprofit founded in 1998; River Partners brings life back to California rivers. We advance an innovative model of conservation that harnesses the power of restored riverways to create a thriving future for the states' environment and communities. We revive and reconnect entire river landscapes, critical wildlife corridors, and vast ecological regions across California. We achieve this bold pace and scale of restoration by blending modern farming practices, cutting-edge science, and diverse alliances. Each year, we plant hundreds of thousands of native trees and vegetation across thousands of acres along California's most imperiled rivers.
Why We Do It
Healthy rivers are essential for a vibrant California. They provide fresh water for growing our food, economy, communities, and wildlife found nowhere else. Rivers support more species and in greater numbers than any other ecosystem in California – making our state a worldwide biodiversity hotspot. Yet just 5% of our native riverside habitat remains. What’s left needs reviving. The actions we take during this decade will decide California's future. With their exponential benefits for wildlife, natural resources, and communities, healthy rivers are critical for a flourishing Golden State for generations to come.
Why Our Work Matters
Our work supports a range of wins for wildlife, flood safety, climate resiliency, water conservation, healthy communities, and local economies statewide. This includes supporting the recovery of dozens of imperiled species, boosting flood safety for communities in flood-prone regions, and growing California’s climate resilience by planting more than 2.5 million trees that capture 1 million tons of greenhouse gases each year. We've led hundreds of major projects in more than 20 watersheds across nearly 17,000 acres throughout California. River Partners has restored more habitat along impaired California rivers than anyone else in the West.
Position Description:
The Payroll Specialist will manger and oversee all aspects of payroll processing , from weekly, bi-weekly , and off-cycle submissions. This is essential in maintaining accurate financial records, supporting the finance department, and ensuring compliance with GAAP standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage payroll using the Deltek Vantagepoint and ADP software to ensure timely and accurate pay for employees, running associated payroll reports and maintaining up-to-date payroll records.
- Implement, maintain, and review payroll processing systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, and other deductions.
- Process, report and pay multi-state payroll tax liabilities monthly, quarterly and annually as required.
- Work closely with HR and Finance teams to ensure accurate employee compensation.
- Manage prevailing wage setup
- Set up and maintain log of all garnishments/tax levies and remit all payments to respective agencies in accordance with each garnishment order.
- Review all garnishment related notices and prepare and process garnishments withholdings as authorized.
- Manage, report and remit other payroll deductions including employee insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, employee loans and miscellaneous deductions.
- Assist employees with payroll-related issues and questions.
- Participate in orientation presentations to train new employees on Deltek Vantagepoint Timesheets
- Troubleshoot & resolve issues related to payroll; including placing stop payments on lost paychecks and issuing replacement, correcting wage and/or benefit rates, and resolving incorrect hours worked for correct payments.
- Maintain payroll information by collecting, calculating, and entering data on payroll software systems. Prepare payroll checks, as needed.
- Process payroll for voluntary and involuntary terminations as requested.
- Reconcile payroll journals to general ledger monthly.
- Prepare and distribute all annual tax reporting documents including W-2s and 1099s.
- Facilitate audits by providing records and documentation to auditors.
- Identify and recommend updates to payroll processing software, systems, and procedures.
- Prepare and maintain accurate records and reports of payroll transactions.
- Maintain employee confidence and protect payroll operations by keeping information confidential.
- Prepare reports by compiling summaries of earnings, taxes, deductions, and nontaxable wages.
- Calculate, track and input commissions and bonuses.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices.
- Maintain and update payroll records, ensuring compliance with company policies and legal regulations.
- Assist with general accounting tasks such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and reconciliations as needed.
- Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information securely.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- 5 years or more of payroll administration.
- Experience in processing certified payroll and prevailing wage preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field required.
- Strong technical knowledge of commonly used payroll concepts, practices and procedures, including union agreements, fair labor standards, prevailing wage decisions, certified payroll reporting and worker's compensation accounting
- Knowledge of In depth Multi State and Local tax jurisdiction as well as Federal labor standards
- Excellent consultative and communication skills (written & oral)
- Ability to interface effectively with all levels of employees/management and effectively disseminate information
- Excellent time management and leadership skills.
- Proficient in accounting software, experience with Foundation software is a plus
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Office applications.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Compensation
Exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience, anticipated to range between $75,000.00 - $87,000.00
River Partners offers a generous benefits package including ample holidays and paid time off, an alternative work week schedule, flexible location and hours, health insurance, and up to 4% 401(k) match on your contribution.
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to the link below
Careers at River Partners
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until this position is filled.
Equal Opportunity Employer
River Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, religion, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or any other protected group status or non‐job-related characteristic as directed by law.
Salary : $75,000 - $87,000
