Payroll Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The Office of the Controller is responsible for the financial operations of Chicago Public Schools, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Internal Accounts, and Corporate Accounting.

Job Summary: 

Reporting to the Payroll Manager, the Payroll Specialist assists the Payroll team in reviewing the way we process payroll for employees and ensuring payments are accurate and timely. The Payroll Specialist reviews payroll data and notes any errors, validates amounts, hours worked, rate of pay, and deductions, and ensures payments are made on time. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Payroll Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Record duties below - do not add rows. 

• Assign %25 to each duty, totaling 100%25 (not applicable for SG1, SG2, or union positions).

• Provide Tier II support for employee questions

• Review timesheets and attendance records for accuracy, making corrections as necessary 

• Review compensation-related data including wages, retroactive payments, bonuses, and benefits

• Assist the payroll team in reviewing payroll transactions and running and/or reviewing related exception reports to ensure anomalies are researched, explained, and/or resolved

• Assist with researching and resolving pension and benefit-related issues 

• Assist with audits of payroll procedures and records

• Assist with making improvements to business processes and systems

• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Payroll Specialist must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• High school diploma or GED equivalent is required

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of related professional work experience, including the following, is required: 

  • Minimum of three (3) years of payroll experience

  • Minimum of one (1) year of experience utilizing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) payroll application and working with customer service management (CRM) systems to ticket and track call volume

• Payroll experience in a large government organization is strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of payroll processes 

• Knowledge of state and federal payroll related laws and regulations including tax regulations 

• Ability to create and use spreadsheets to view data and validate calculations

• Proven ability to use payroll applications such as PeopleSoft, Oracle and Kronos Timekeeping systems.

• Ability to ensure data accuracy, and identify and document any issues 

• Able to write and clearly explain payroll procedures and policies

• Ability to provide superior customer service through all types of interactions by maintaining a positive, friendly, professional, and patient attitude at all times 

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize tasks, and schedule to meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment 

Benefits:

Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice

CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to our employees and their eligible dependents. You'll have access to a variety of choices to best fit your needs:

Medical Plan Options

Pharmacy

Dental

Vision

Behavioral Health & EAP

Employee Wellness Program

Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow

We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:

Basic Life Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Pension Plans

Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Spot Pet Insurance

Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life

CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:

Paid Leave

Sick Leave

Vacation Days

Parental Leaves

Short-Term Disability

Religious Holidays

Leaves

Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions; however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.