Assistant Director, Payroll Operations-Hybrid Schedule

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Payroll Operations, the Assistant Director, Payroll Operations, will assist and support the Associate Director in day-to-day payroll processing to ensure payroll is processed on time, accurately, and in compliance with regulations and University policies and procedures. The Assistant Director will develop an intricate understanding of the PeopleSoft payroll system and support the Associate Director in system upgrades and compliance initiatives. The Assistant Director will lead various payroll-related projects and collaborate with several cross-functional teams within Finance and HR.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the successful execution of the various payroll cycles using the Payroll Operations checklist.
• Collaborates with HR Processing Center (HRPC), Benefits and other Payroll Analysts to analyze pre- and post-payroll production reports.
• The Assistant Director will serve as a backup to the Associate Director.
• Analyzes error lists and makes corrections as appropriate.
• Processes stop payment requests for checks and ACH items submitted via ServiceNow using the online banking portal.
• Handles positive pay exception processing, creates off-cycle calendars when needed for payroll processing, and supports other routine payroll operations tasks.
• Leads various union audits and supports University financial statement audits.
• Supports the payroll operations team to upload garnishments; processes tax refunds, overpayment recovery adjustment entries, and payline adjustments as needed; assists labor accounting / departments with payment issues.
• Identifies trends / patterns of errors identified during the production job stream; serves as a backup resource for HRPC, providing guidance and assistance as appropriate.
• Assists with year-end preparation and testing of W-2s and 1099Rs; prepares and issues W-2Cs and corrected 1099Rs; balances adjustments as needed. Resolve W2-related issues submitted via Service Now.
• Assist the Associate Director with testing of new programs / processes and system upgrades.
• Collaborates with the Payroll Accounting team and responds to inquiries related to accounting research.
• Develop a strong and collaborative relationship with HR.
• Lead special projects related to improving efficiencies in payroll processing and process improvement.
• Provide backup coverage for overpayments, deposit checks on the RDC machine, and post entries on the cash module.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
• 4-6 years of related payroll operations experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred.

Other Requirements

• Must be detailed-oriented with strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Experience with PeopleSoft required.
• Must be able to identify priorities within multiple assignments in a high-pressured, short-deadline environment, and be able to work with diplomacy and efficiency in a large, complex environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work closely and effectively with a diverse group of University administrators, characterized by strong consensus building and relationship building skills, essential.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) is essential.
• Must be able to negotiate issues and resolves problems.
• In addition, the successful candidate must be able to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization, and a strong role model.
• Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.