Description

Payroll Support Specialist

Payroll Department, Business Office

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe in college for ALL and we are committed to ensuring that all our students graduate from college. IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States sending 100% of our students to college. 58% of our students graduate from college in 6 years – that’s 8 times the national rate for students in our communities!

IDEA was founded in 2000 as a single school with 150 students in the Rio Grande Valley. When interest exceeded building capacity, to meet the demands, IDEA’s co-founders committed to serving more students in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and beyond. We now serve nearly 100,000 students across Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Ohio.

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.

To learn more about IDEA, check out this video.

Position Overview:

The Payroll Support Specialist role is responsible to research and resolve employee and manager payroll-related questions timely and accurately. This role will provide a first point of contact within the payroll team to address employee concerns to enhance the employee’s organizational experience.

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position based in Texas with preference given to candidates who live in Rio Grande Valley or one of IDEA's other established Texas regions. Some travel to regional office may be required.

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $16.96 and $21.20 per hour, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, vision, and supplemental benefits, as well as retirement plans and a generous vacation package. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

In this role you will:

• Responding to Employee and Manager Concerns
• Provide first response to employee and manager questions within a four-hour timeframe.
• Address immediate employee and manager concerns by investigating all issues upon receipt
• Respond to all requests within a three-business day timeframe, providing accurate information and action steps that may be required to fully resolve the issue
• Provide reports to payroll team members and management related to trends in questions and issues to help process improvement to increase the employee payroll experience
• Escalate matters requiring specialized review to appropriate team members for resolution
• Work with employees and managers to provide direct, one-on-one training opportunities to help eliminate future issues and concerns
• Hold regular office hour meetings to address concerns, provide general payroll processing requirements, and present payroll best practices to staff members with non-specific employee related concerns

• Work with payroll staff members to understand the full cycle of all payroll processing requirements, allowing for better response to employee concerns
• Be an active member in discussions related to process improvement, utilizing feedback received from employees and managers related to payroll related processes and experience
• Work with payroll leadership to develop and present trainings related to current pain-points and hot topics related to payroll concerns
• Assist in the development of documents and training guides to provide to staff members for better understanding of organizational and payroll-specific roles
• Attend payroll-related trainings to further enhance payroll understanding and requirements to provide accurate feedback to employees on payroll-related legal requirements

• Assisting with Payroll Processes (as time permits)
• Assist with the input of manual timesheets for bi-weekly staff members based upon organizational pay requirements (as time permits)
• Provide support for audits and review of pay records to ensure accuracy
• Provide additional support on major issues that affect payroll processing timelines and ensuring all employees are paid in a timely manner

Required education/experience

• 
  High School Diploma/GED or bachelor’s degree (preferred)
• Experience: 1-4 years of payroll experience, preferably in an education environment, or experience in a role requiring strong customer service
• Knowledge of payroll processing

• Licenses or Certifications (if applicable): FPC or CPP desired

Required technology:

• Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to use Microsoft products, including PowerPoint, experience with Employee Information Systems, Enrollment Platforms, and other benefits databases.
• Strong Excel knowledge and skills.

Preferred skills/experience:

• Efficient with payroll competencies.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of Payroll tax in a multiple jurisdiction setting.
• Ability to work with others in a team environment with a “No Excuses” attitude.
• Ability to read, analyze and apply mathematical concepts such as computing rate, ratio, and percentages.
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles
• Ability to perform under immense pressure
• Ability to learn software programs and system processes with ease
• Have strong work ethic with personal drive for success exemplifying “whatever it takes” attitude.

Goals:

• Achieve 95% Payroll Department Customer Service Satisfaction Rating for 2022-23 fiscal year
• Overall FY22 payroll accuracy of at least 98% on processed payrolls
• Overall FY22 payroll related accuracy of at least 99.75% overall on processed payrolls
• 2023 W-2 accuracy of at least 99.5% for all W-2s across all entities
• 99% overall on-time rate for payroll processing deadlines

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At IDEA we recognize that racism, bias, and privilege exist in society. We are committed to an organizational culture that promotes awareness and inclusivity for our students and staff, and supports their path to positively impact our broader society. We are committed to recognizing the impact of racism and privilege, and commit as an organization to have equitable practices, policies, and structures. Visit https://ideapublicschools.org/dei/ to learn about IDEA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias commitment.

Learn more about IDEA

IDEA’s Core Values