PAYROLL TECHNICIAN II

Snohomish County is hiring payroll technician project staff to backfill and support our existing staff during a finance software system replacement project. The County has purchased Oracle, and implementation begins in the summer of 2026. Project positions are budgeted to 12/31/2026 but anticipated to continue through the next biennial budget end date of 12/31/2028.

Payroll Technicians provide a wide range of expertise to internal departments and other local jurisdictions for technical and general payroll questions. If you would like to be part of a team taking Snohomish County to the next level in technology, please apply!

BASIC FUNCTION

To perform technical and specialized financial, accounting and/or fiscal support services in payroll/personnel and employee data processes. This level is primarily involved in the disbursement and remitting of payroll, employee benefits, payroll taxes and may also provide basic accounting services.

Job offers are contingent on successful completion of employment verification and background checks. Snohomish County will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

For any questions, reach out to ***email_hidden***

Job Duties

STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Conducts in-depth analysis of data submitted by the departmental payroll liaisons for accuracy; researches, evaluates and applies the use of personnel rules and labor contracts to ensure adherence to established pay standards in conjunction with state and federal regulations; verifies changes of salaries, hourly rates, and work schedules prior to the entry of pay data; verifies gross earnings amounts with concentration of attention on specifics such as FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) calculations, out of class, industrial leave, medical leave, military leave, personal leave, and jury duty.
• Coordinates, assists, and monitors timely entry of data processing with departmental payroll liaisons, Dept. of Information Services, Human Resources, and Payroll within strict guidelines and deadlines; responsible for running complex process used to auto-generate time then produce various reports for verification of hours and gross dollars by payroll liaisons; enters, approves, and finalizes all adjustments to payroll once main processing of entries is complete.
• Conducts and participates in training one-on-one and group sessions as needed; provides payroll expertise, procedural instruction, and advice to the departmental payroll liaisons and junior taxing district payroll clerks; answers questions, resolves complaints, explains policies and procedures regarding employment taxes, retirement contributions, miscellaneous employee deductions, and explains complex state and federal regulations.
• Conducts complex calculations of wage and overtime payments, payroll deductions, manual pay warrants, overpaid wages, and termination entitlements; balances remittances to outside agencies, edits payroll system output such as payroll registers and deduction reports for errors and out of balance conditions; determines necessary corrections to employee's earning records; deciphers, translates, codes, and enters complex payroll data.
• Sets up sundries for each semi-monthly pay cycle; codes employee and employer paid deductions; establishes and updates personnel records for the junior taxing districts, which include the W-4 Form, benefits, salaries, and hourly rates.
• Research, analyze, evaluate and provide information requested by WA DRS (Dept. of Retirement System); responds to requests for information of payroll records, microfiche, and reports on line; interprets legal documents requesting payroll information and garnishment of wages.
• Performs accounting reconciliations with an emphasis related to payroll general ledger and subsidiary accounts using defined methods and guidelines.
• Conducts orientation; cross-trains co-workers for backup; develops and recommends new and revised written procedures for all processes.
• Establishes, maintains, modifies, retrieves and tracks financial, accounting and/or fiscal information using a variety of methods.
• Codes, enters, obtains and/or verifies financial, accounting and/or fiscal information following established clearly defined methods and guidelines.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Associate's degree in Accounting, business administration or related field; AND, two (2) years technical experience in payroll or personnel; OR, any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Must pass job related tests.

Additional Information

Knowledge And Abilities

Knowledge of:

• specialized bookkeeping and accounting principles and practices with an emphasis in payroll and personnel management
• general office practices and procedures relating to payroll activities
• federal, state and local laws as they apply to payroll administration
• personnel/payroll system documentation
• basic mathematical calculations

Ability To

• implement and apply complex and relevant procedures, laws, labor agreements and personnel rules and regulations
• clearly explain policies, procedures, and schedules
• maintain financial records and prepare related reports
• gather, evaluate, and document technical data
• maintain confidentiality and exercise good judgment
• conduct complex arithmetical computations with speed and accuracy
• operate standard office equipment
• operate county standard computer systems and office software and hardware packages
• work efficiently under pressure and meet deadline
• establish and maintain effective work relationships with all levels of county management and staff and representatives of other government agencies
• apply and use reconciliation procedures
• independently organize and perform tasks with minimal supervision, and work in a team environment

SUPERVISION

Employees in this classification receive direction from an administrative supervisor as assigned. Assignments are made indicating generally what is to be done, the quantity of work expected and any deadlines, which are to be met. The employee carries out recurring assignments on his/her own initiative and receives additional specific instructions for new or unusual assignments. The work is reviewed by evaluation of results obtained.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work is performed in the usual office environment and may include field trips to outlying areas. Occasional evening, weekend and/or holiday work may be required to timely complete the payroll process.

Snohomish County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.

Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.

EEO policy and ADA notice

Snohomish County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees that receive a regular appointment who work at least 20 hours a week.

County Benefits

Visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/Benefits to learn more about the following benefits.

• Medical Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Retirement
• Basic Group Term Life Insurance/ Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Commuting Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Partners for Health Employee Wellness Program
• Leave & Holidays

Voluntary Benefits

• Deferred Compensation 457(b)
• Supplemental Group Term Life Insurance
• Additional Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Supplemental Individual Insurance Policies

Healthcare Premiums

• Regular full-time employees: If you work 35 or more hours per week, you will pay these monthly premiums for medical insurance. The County pays the monthly premiums for vision, dental, and basic life insurance.
• Regular part-time employees: If you work between 20 and 34 hours per week, you will pay pro-rated monthly premiums for medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. The County's contribution toward the premium for an employee in a regular part-time appointment will be pro-rated in an amount equal to the F.T.E. percentage the employee is assigned.

Note: Temporary employees, seasonal employees and paid interns may be eligible for medical insurance benefits. R eview the County's ACA Employer Shared Responsibility Guide to learn more.

Following are a series of supplemental questions designed to assess your job-related experience and qualifications. Please note that as part of the screening process your responses will be reviewed in conjunction with your general online application. The employment history and education detailed in your general application must validate/support your responses to the supplemental questions. If your responses cannot be validated, you will not proceed to the next steps of the review/selection process. A resume may be submitted, but it will not substitute for the general online application or supplemental questions; responses such as "see resume" or "see application" may not be considered. Do you agree to answer each question truthfully and that your responses can be supported by your general application/work history and by your references?

• Yes
• No

How many years of technical experience do you have in payroll or personnel?

• No experience to less than two years of experience
• Two years to less than three years’ experience
• Three years to less than four years’ experience
• Four or more years’ experience

What level of education have you completed?

• No degree
• One year certificate
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree or higher

Describe your payroll processing experience including the following for each entity you have been assigned payroll processing responsibilities: A. Organization's number of employees B. The number of staff in the payroll department C. A list of your top three payroll responsibilities

Describe your payroll processing experience as it relates to each of the following topics: A. Data analysis B. Partnering and supporting internal and external customers C. Research such as union contract compliance, payroll rules and regulations.

Describe the steps you would take and the resources you would use to resolve the following issue brought to you by an employee: Employee states their W2 taxable wages are incorrect

• Required Question