The College of Lake County has an exciting new opportunity for an experienced leader to join our Finance team in serving approximately 1,600 faculty, staff and student workers who are committed to the values of integrity, inclusion, unity, purpose, compassion and excellence in student success. The Payroll Manager is a hands-on leadership position responsible for the bi-weekly payroll processing, supervising payroll staff, directing the collection, calculations and entering or uploading data for union and non-union employees, following applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures, maintaining the financial records for current and past employees, running necessary reports, analyses and audits. The Payroll Manager reports directly the College’s Controller and will have recent successful experience as a payroll leader in an organization of 300+ employees.

The successful candidate will be a collaborator, communicator and team player, whose ability to build relationships with senior leaders, managers, supervisors, faculty, staff, and student workers is only surpassed by their dedication and commitment to accurate and timely pay for all employees, consistently implemented pay process and practices and meticulous financial records.

The College of Lake County (CLC) offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits that currently includes BlueCross/BlueShield of Illinois health, Delta dental and Superior vision insurance plans, tuition support for employees and qualified family members, three retirement plans, disability, group and supplemental life insurance, health and dependent care flexible spending account plans, a four-day work week in the summer (Fridays off!), generous vacation, sick and personal time off and 14 paid holidays each year.

CLC is a comprehensive community college located in northeastern Illinois committed to being an innovative educational institution providing life-changing paths for our students by offering exceptional learning experiences.

CLC is a DiversityJobs.com Top Diversity Employer for 2022. We not only include Diversity in our values but we demonstrate it in our hiring of Staff and Faculty.

The college is widely recognized for student success, business and community partnerships and for the achievements of our faculty, staff and alumni.

1. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting or related field from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five (5) years of payroll processing experience with an organizational headcount of 300 or more employees; OR

Associate’s degree and eight (8) years of recent experience payroll processing experience with an organizational headcount of 300 or more employees; OR

High school or equivalent and ten (10) years of payroll processing experience with an organizational headcount of 300 or more employees.
2. A minimum of five (5) years of recent experience as a payroll lead, supervisor, and/or manager with an organizational headcount of 300 or more employees.
3. A minimum of one (1) year of recent experience directly supervising employees.
4. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with PeopleSoft or similar in-house payroll processing systems.
5. Intermediate word processing and advanced spreadsheet application skills including formula authoring skills.
6. A high level of interpersonal and communication skills. Must be able to regularly explain policies and procedures, write and edit reports and coordinate the work of others.
7. High attention to detail and job ownership.
8. Proven ability to work effectively and constructively with persons of diverse cultures, language groups, and abilities; demonstrate sensitivity to and ability to work with the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

1. Professional payroll or financial certification.
2. Familiarity with accounting practices and procedures specific to a college or university.
3. Experience in software implementation and/or upgrades, including all levels of testing
4. Bilingual Spanish

Interviews will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The College of Lake County is an equal opportunity employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. In that spirit, it seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including minorities, women and people with disabilities.

Department Operations and Procedures – 65%
1. Leads the payroll function by ensuring college policy and government regulations are met, promoting exceptional customer service, maintaining modern practices and technology, and managing staff.
2. Ensures the efficient process, accuracy, and compliance for bi-weekly disbursement of payroll (includes garnishments, deductions, benefits, taxes, regulations, and legal statutes)
3. Determines payroll liabilities (federal and state income, SURS, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, worker’s compensation). Reconciles and resolves issues related to all payroll withholding, and acts as the primary liaison to state and federal agencies governing the withholding.
4. Leads year-end preparation (calendar and fiscal year), including W2’s and reporting.
5. Works with outside auditors and responds to FOIA requests, court subpoenas of payroll records, and yearly audits.
6. Prepares reports, analyses, and presents, as needed.
7. Thoroughly understands all collective bargaining unit contracts and stays current on each contract to make changes to payroll as needed based on changes in such contracts.
8. Researches payroll-related issues, analyzes alternatives, recommends policy, and implements effective solutions efficiently and proactively (including exception reporting and audit processes)
9. Creates, communicates, and maintains a pay practices guide for union and non-union faculty and staff in collaboration with department leaders and Human Resources staff. Presents to and communicates with employees related to pay-related processes, corrections, and changes.
10. Supports managers, supervisors, and employees with training and information relating to payroll functions, such as time and attendance, including timecard approval.

Management and Supervision – 20%
1. Performs responsible managerial work in directing the activities of payroll employees involved in a variety of department recordkeeping tasks. Provides leadership, education, and resources on job tasks and duties to ensure timely and accurate pay to all employees and student workers.
2. Hires, mentors, coaches, and regularly evaluates a department staff of two full-time non-exempt payroll employees.
3. Encourages growth and development of the payroll staff and other finance division employees through available resources such as professional learning, education programs and individual learning plans.

Strategic Leadership and Planning – 10%
1. Contributes improvements and changes to the collective bargaining agreements during the negotiation process to clarify and improve pay accuracy.
2. Reimagines the mission, vision, goals, and processes of the payroll department to support student and employee success in alignment with the division, unit, and College strategies and aspirational outcomes.
3. Participates as a key department leader in the process review, selection, and implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrated database.

Other – 5%
1. Participates in professional associations/organizations and educational activities that enhance payroll and finance, competencies, knowledge, business, and interpersonal skills. Remain knowledgeable of the current state and federal laws, regulations, and trends in the field of payroll.
2. Engages in internal and external communities through shared governance meeting participation and activities, networking, and education programs.
3. Performs any other assigned duties to support student and employee success, as well as the mission, vision, and values of the College of Lake County and the Business Services and Finance unit.