Payroll Supervisor

Salary: $49.46 - $55.32 Hourly
Location : Seattle, WA
Job Type: Classified Civil Service, Regular, Full-Time
Job Number: 2025-00489
Department: Seattle Center
Opening Date: 04/09/2025
Closing Date: 4/22/2025 4:00 PM Pacific

Position Description
About Seattle Center:

Seattle Center is the region's premier civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our city and region, home to more than 30 arts, cultural, and entertainment organizations, family attractions, and tourist amenities. Our mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Seattle Center expanded its role recently beyond our well-known 74 acre campus, to serve as the City's lead for operating Seattle's new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle's downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. As a department of the City of Seattle, Seattle Center contributes to the quality of life for Seattle residents-and the region's economy and image as its top visitor destination.
About this position:

We are seeking a qualified Payroll Supervisor with experience in processing payroll, general accounting functions, maintaining internal payroll data system (Access), and resolving payroll discrepancies, and interpreting labor contracts. This role is critical in performing and managing multiple tasks and leading two staff to ensure unit responsibilities run smoothly for payroll operations.
The Seattle Center Accounting Unit places a very strong emphasis on teamwork and provides excellent customer service to clients and staff as well as ensures financial transactions are processed accurately and in compliance with City policies and procedures. This position reports to the Accounting Manager.

Job Responsibilities
Here is more of what you will be doing:

• Supervise all department payroll activities.
• Assign and monitor workloads for two payroll staff.
• Primary contact person for payroll inquiries.
• Provide leadership and conduct annual performance evaluations for payroll staff.
• Maintain payroll records.
• Interpret, apply policies and procedures including Department Polices, City Payroll Procedures, Union Contracts, City Personnel Rules, Fair Labor Standard Act from US Department of Labor, all City Ordinances and Seattle Municipal Codes.
• Apply HR and Payroll related rules such as Benefits, Retirement, and Labor Relations.
• Monitor and maintain the department's internal Payroll Management System (Access platform).
• Provide payroll training to accounting staff to ensure backup and no payroll process interruptions.
• Review and reconcile payroll disbursement data, every two weeks for an average of 400 to 600 employees pay warrants around $1M.
• Request and set up deductions such as Department parking permit fee or employee assistance program.
• Work closely with Human Resources staff to provide appropriate benefits to all department employees to include researching and reconciling errors resulting from medical premiums miscalculation and overpayment from worker compensation.
• Respond to requests for payroll information by employees, management staff, Central Payroll, and external agencies.
• Research, gather and provide payroll information upon request.
• Provide backup support as an approval of department Accounts Payable Group Control process (review and verify vouchers detail).
• Assist Accounting Manager on special projects.

Please note this job posting is not designed to cover or contain the complete listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change as conditions require.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
Requires a minimum of three years' experience involving finance-related responsibilities and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public or Personnel Administration, Accounting or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class.
You will be successful in this role if you have:

• Experience leading payroll staff.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and State/Federal regulations, rules and procedures pertaining to assigned payroll functions.
• Experience reviewing and researching transactions using query tools and reporting methods to identify discrepancies and develop corrective actions as necessary.
• Expertise in Human Resource and/or Payroll systems and knowledge of HR and payroll procedures is a plus.
• Proficiency in Workday, PeopleSoft and Microsoft Office applications.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to interpret technical payroll, and accounting procedures and concepts for internal and external customers.
• Ability to prioritize and organize assignments and accomplish multiple tasks with strict deadlines while maintaining accuracy and excellent customer service.

Work Environment/Conditions:
The work is performed in an office environment. This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be expected to be in-office at least three times per week
Additional Information
The full pay range for this step-progression position is $49.46 - $55.32 per hour. New employees begin at Step 1 of the pay progression, which is $49.46 hourly. Current City employees' starting rate of pay will be based on Personnel Rules regarding promotions.
How to Apply:
Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. You must submit the following items to be considered for this position no later than 4:00 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, April 22, 2025:

Completed NEOGOV online application.

Supplemental questionnaire responses.

Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.

Current rsum indicating relevant experience and education.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To align with our commitment to equity and the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative, Seattle Center is collecting cover letters and resumes without personal identifiers to achieve a blind screening process.
Work Assessment Test - Selected candidates may be required to pass a practical payroll and accounting knowledge and application test.
Background Check - This position involves background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
Why work at the City?

The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in dismantling racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and create and provide equitable processes and services. )
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at:
For helpful tips on the application process and recruitment process:
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at:
01

Describe your experience interpreting and implementing labor contracts terms and conditions. How many labor contracts have you worked with?
02

Describe an example of a query to analyze payroll transactions or pay discrepancy.
03

Describe the most complex payroll reconciliation you have created and the types of formulas and data used to arrive at the conclusion.
04

How many years of experience do you have leading a payroll team?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• Between 1 and 3 years
• 3 or more years

05

Please tell us which payroll systems you have experience working with.
Required Question