Payroll Data & Compliance Specialist (HR Specialist Sr)

Date Opened: Friday, February 07, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

HR Support

Salary: $57,691.48 - $72,114.35 Commensurate with Experience

SUMMARY

The Human Resources Payroll & Compliance Specialist (HR Specialist Senior) is a cross-functional position providing guidance and support with payroll and transaction functions within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), ensuring accuracy for all CATS employees.

The HR Payroll & Compliance Specialist performs professional-level work coordinating human resources activities related to payroll, tuition reimbursement, department invoice processing and reconciliation, and data entry into its HRIS (Workday) system ensuring its accuracy for data and record management. Work requires self-initiative and is performed with latitude for discretion, independent judgment, and action under minimal supervision. This role has extensive contact with internal and external customers.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Complete Payroll Administration: Manage and process department payroll on a weekly basis, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

• Audit and Reconcile Payroll: Review hours and dollars, identify discrepancies, and make prior pay period adjustments as needed.

• Inquiries and Resolutions: Respond promptly to payroll-related inquiries, research issues, and provide clear, timely feedback to resolve concerns.

• Reporting and Compliance: Prepare and submit payroll reports to various auditing entities, ensuring full compliance with both regulatory and organizational standards for transit operations.

• Training and Development: Develop and deliver training materials for supervisors and managers to ensure payroll processes are accurate, compliant, and efficient.

• Tuition Reimbursement: Evaluate and process all CATS employees’ requests for tuition reimbursement.

• Data Entry & Record Maintenance: Handle departmental changes and transactions, maintain accurate records of payroll activities and confidential data.

• Routine Audits: Conduct routine audits to ensure data integrity and accuracy in payroll and personnel records.

• Report Generation: Create and deliver ad-hoc reports, including employee leave, vacation accruals, retirement projections, merit projections and special projects.

• Invoice Processing: Perform Munis invoice processing and reconciliation for CATS Division, adhering to CATS and City policies and guidelines.

• Vendor Liaison: Serve as the liaison between City vendors to ensure bills are paid accurately and on time.

• Employment Verifications: Respond promptly and accurately to employment verification requests, maintaining confidentiality and compliance.

• Collaborative Support: Work closely with other HR functions, including leave management and employee relations, to ensure seamless support and compliance.

• Take on other duties as assigned to support the department’s overall payroll function.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Possess good organizational and time management skills.

• Possess excellent interpersonal skills.

• Possess excellent attention to detail, data entry, and accuracy.

• Possess effective customer service skills.

• Ability to handle and safeguard sensitive information with confidentiality, discretion, and integrity.

• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally both orally and in writing.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental employees, other city departments, and the public.

• Ability to convey information effectively and discreetly.

• Ability to collect and analyze information.

• Ability to interpret complex policies, regulations, and manuals and to communicate this information clearly and accurately to employees.

• Must have strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Must have a strong understanding of principles and pay practices.

• Must have strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Ability to carry out assignments based upon brief and general instructions.  

Preferred Qualification

Previous experience with City of Charlotte Payroll processes, Kronos, Munis and Workday is a plus. 

Minimum Qualifications

Requires a HS Diploma with three years’ experience in Human Resources, Ac