Payroll Manager

Job no: 549384
Position type: Management (MPP)
Location: Stanislaus - Turlock
Division/Equivalent: Stanislaus
School/Unit: Human Resources, EOC
Department/Office: Human Resources
Categories: MPP, At-Will, Full Time, Human Resources, On-site (work in-person at business location)

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    • Position Summary
    • Full-time position under the Management Personnel Plan (MPP) available on or after September 8, 2025 in Human Resources.



      The Payroll Manager is responsible for the oversight, administration, and integrity of all payroll functions for the university. This position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll for all employee groups, in compliance with federal and state laws, collective bargaining agreements, and CSU policies and procedures. The role serves as the primary liaison with the State Controller’s Office (SCO), Chancellor’s Office, Human Resources, Faculty Affairs, and other internal and external stakeholders on all payroll-related matters.

      The Payroll Manager supervises a team of payroll professionals, directs daily operations, supports system testing and updates, audits transactions for accuracy, and develops and implements policies to enhance payroll efficiency and compliance. The incumbent plays a critical role in supporting campus operations through sound fiscal stewardship, customer service, and the effective integration of payroll systems and business processes.

    • Job Duties
    • Duties include but are not limited to:
      • Recruit, train, evaluate, and provide ongoing supervision to payroll staff.
      • Assign and prioritize daily workloads, monitor progress toward deadlines, and ensure service quality and compliance.
      • Oversee staff compliance with policies and procedures; initiate and facilitate disciplinary processes when necessary.
      • Review and approve staff leave and overtime requests based on operational needs.
      • Facilitate regular team meetings to review priorities, share updates, and address staffing, project, and operational matters.
      • Collaborate with leadership to ensure aligned and effective support between the payroll team and other administrative units.
      • Oversee the end-to-end processing of payroll transactions for all employee groups, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable policies and regulations.
      • Manage payroll actions including appointments, status changes, leaves, promotions, separations, retirements, settlements, and related transactions.
      • Administer pay adjustments such as garnishments, docks, retroactive pay, and other compensation corrections.
      • Maintain and audit attendance data using the Absence Management system.
      • Reconcile payroll-related financial records, including revolving fund accounts, receivables, and retroactivity reports.
      • Submit payment requests and required documentation to external agencies as needed.
      • Develop and maintain the annual payroll calendar.
      • Coordinate student payroll processes with relevant departments to ensure accurate data and policy alignment.
      • Provide payroll guidance to employees and departments; ensure courteous and confidential customer service.
      • Provide technical leadership for payroll systems, ensuring data integrity, functionality, and system performance.
      • Test and implement system updates, enhancements, and fixes; maintain table setups and configurations.
      • Serve as a system security administrator for payroll-related platforms and tools.
      • Manage authorization records for payroll certifications and check distribution.
      • Generate and analyze reports using campus and systemwide data tools to support operations and decision-making.
      • Maintain secure and compliant payroll records in accordance with retention and confidentiality standards.
      • Oversee the accuracy and timely entry of personnel and payroll transactions into relevant databases.
      • Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies through research, analysis, and collaboration with Human Resources, Faculty Affairs, and external agencies.
      • Interpret and apply policies, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and technical directives governing payroll operations.
      • Review payroll procedures regularly and implement process improvements to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.
      • Serve as the primary campus contact for payroll-related inquiries, training, testing, and procedural updates from the State Controller’s Office and other regulatory bodies.
      • Maintain effective working relationships with internal departments and external stakeholders to support seamless payroll operations.
      • Other duties as assigned.
    • Minimum Qualifications
    • Education:  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, public administration, business administration, accounting, finance, or a related field. A combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities may be considered.

      Experience:  Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in payroll and personnel transaction processing, including 1 year in a lead or supervisory role.

    • Preferred Qualifications

      • Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in payroll administration, including at least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role.
      • Experience processing payroll in a public sector, higher education, or unionized environment.
      • Demonstrated experience with state payroll systems, including the State Controller’s Office (SCO) processes, PIMS, CIRS, and Cal Employee Connect (CEC).
      • Experience with CMS/PeopleSoft HR or other enterprise HRIS systems to process payroll or manage employee records.
      • Experience interpreting and applying collective bargaining agreements, federal and state labor laws, and payroll-related policies.
    • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

      • Demonstrated experience in successfully leading others, training and scheduling workload and assignments.
      • Comprehensive knowledge of general office methods, practices, and procedures.
      • Comprehensive knowledge of CSU policies, procedures, programs, guidelines, applicable state and federal laws, educational codes, and collective bargaining agreements including but not limited to the Uniform State Payroll Procedures Manual, Personnel Information Management System, CalPERS Manual, Executive Orders, and Technical Letters published by the Chancellor’s Office.
      • Ability to select, apply, and clearly and concisely explain a wide variety of complex policies, procedures, guidelines, programs, and applicable state and federal laws, educational codes, and collective bargaining agreements that are not clearly described in available guidelines.
      • Ability to independently draft, and satisfactorily prepare and reconcile pay and personnel transaction reports of staffing, classifications, and employee deductions and salary patterns.
      • Ability to organize work, set priorities, and meet critical deadlines; work independently.
      • Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality with all data and sensitive materials.
      • Ability to research, analyze, explore solutions, and present complex concepts and analysis to make recommendations for changes to existing processes and procedures; make sound decisions and recommendations regarding payroll activities.
      • Ability to prepare and implement training programs for others on payroll/personnel/benefit transactions.
      • Ability to use current computer word processing and spreadsheet software programs, web browsers, electronic calendaring programs, ERP/HRIS, and data management systems.
      • Ability to perform advanced arithmetical calculations, rapidly and accurately work with numbers, names, codes, and symbols.
      • Ability to audit and reconcile data; interpret and apply written rules and regulations; review detailed numerical records of transactions to identify, trace, and correct processing errors.
      • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; communicate effectively orally and in writing; possess excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work with the general public, a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, and internal department teams. Ability to exercise tact, courtesy, and good judgment in responding to others.
      • Ability to perform advanced mathematical calculations.
      • Ability to accurately enter data.
      • Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
      • Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the position; prepare professional written correspondence.

    • Salary Range
    • Anticipated salary will be $7,386 - $8,222 per month plus excellent paid benefits. Salary will depend on the qualifications of the successful finalist. 
    • Compensation & Benefits
    • Commensurate with qualifications and experience.  As a member of the 23-campus CSU System, we offer an extremely competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, outstanding vacation, health, dental, and vision plans; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 15 paid holidays a year. Link to Benefits Summary: CSU Employee Benefit Summary

    • How to Apply
    • To be considered, qualified candidates must submit a completed Stanislaus State online employment application, cover letter, and resumé. Applications are accepted electronically only.  Please note that failure to completely fill out each section of the online application may result in your application not receiving consideration.  To apply online, please click the “Apply Now” button on this page.

    • Application Deadline
    • OPEN UNTIL FILLED; SCREENING TO BEGIN ON OR AFTER JULY 21, 2025. (Applications received after the screening date will be considered at the discretion of the university.)

    • Criminal Background Clearance Notice
    • Satisfactory completion of a background check (which includes checks of employment records, education records, criminal records, civil records; and may include motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and sex offender registries, as position requires) is required for employment.  CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

    • Additional Information
    • Campus & Area

      California State University, Stanislaus serves the San Joaquin Valley and is a critical educational resource for a six-county region of approximately 1.5 million people. The University is fully committed to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion – one in which every person in the University community feels safe to express their views without fear of reprisal. Widely recognized for its quality academic programs, the University has 10 nationally accredited programs and 662 faculty members. 94 percent of full-time faculty holds doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. The University offers 43 undergraduate majors, 16 master's programs, 7 post-graduate credentials, a doctorate in education and serves more than 10,000 students. New instructional facilities have been built for the unique pedagogy of professional programs, laboratory sciences and performing arts.

      Stanislaus State continues to receive national recognition with its ranking as one of the best 384 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The University was one of 12 public universities in the nation to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanislaus State in its top 10 among public universities in the West, while Washington Monthly honored Stanislaus State as the West’s No. 1 university for the money. Stanislaus State also is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education.

      Clery Act Disclosure

      Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the annual security report (ASR), is now available for viewing at https://www.csustan.edu/annual-campus-security-report. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Stanislaus State for the previous three years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the office of the Clery Director located at One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382.

      Equal Employment Opportunity

      The university is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.  The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised 7/21/17, as a condition of employment.

      Applicants requiring necessary accommodations to the application process may contact the Human Resources Department at (209) 667-3351.  California Relay Service is available at (800) 735-2922 voice and (800) 735-2929 TDD.  As a federal contractor, we are committed to attracting a diverse applicant pool.  Please consider completing the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form (your response will not be shared with the search committee) at:  Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability PDF Form.

      CSU Stanislaus hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

      The CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. The CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside California.

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    • The individuals who appear to be the best qualified for this position will be contacted by telephone or email for an interview.

      INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

       

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