Office Specialist-Payroll

Position Overview

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The Illinois Office of the Comptroller is seeking applicants for the position of Office Specialist for Payroll.

The Comptroller is the chief fiscal control officer for the Illinois government, charged by the Constitution with maintaining the state’s central fiscal accounts and ordering payments into and out of the appropriate funds. The office processes more than 16 million transactions annually and serves as a “fiscal watchdog” to ensure that all state payments meet the requirements of the law. The Comptroller’s office provides meaningful and timely fiscal information to help state policymakers adopt effective policies. The office continually seeks new ways to improve how it serves the public. The Comptroller has updated and streamlined the Comptroller’s website and has led the process of updating the state’s payroll and accounting systems. Comptroller Mendoza is committed to running the Office of Comptroller as a financial watchdog for the interest of Illinois citizens and to installing the most modern and transparent systems to make the state’s financial information available to all. 

Major Function

Under administrative direction of the Senior Public Service Administrator- Payroll Unit; the Office Specialist audits the accuracy of payroll vouchers and compares them against the electronic files sent by state agencies. The incumbent prepares vouchers for warrant writing through logging, coding, data entry and comparison checks; processes duplicate tax statement requests for state employees and retirees; verifies address file accuracy, notifies agencies regarding employee social security number discrepancies, and assists in W-4 card entry for state employees. The Office Speciialist prepares monthly payroll schedules and assists in maintaining the workload entering the payroll unit and acts as a back-up to various positions as may be needed.

Job Responsibilities

• Audits payroll vouchers for accuracy and in comparison, to electronic voucher files submitted by agencies in preparation of payroll warrant writing.
  • Verifies payroll files against hard copy signed vouchers supplied by the agencies.
  • Contacts outside agencies regarding issues, replacement payroll files, and/or missing payroll vouchers.
  • Reports discrepencies or errors to a supervisor as needed.

• Logs payroll vouchers, inputs payroll schedule information into the payroll system setting the scheduled pay date and notifies the Accounting Professionals what payrolls are ready to process for warrant writing.

• Assists Accounitng Professionals in the audit review of 114 reports in comparison with the paper vouchers.
  • Reports any discrepancies to a supervisor and notifies agencies of these issues.

• Oversees the quarterly review of Social Security Administration mismatch reports.
  • Prepares letters and reports for employing agencies regarding missing or invalid employee information such as name, date of birth, and/or social security number.
  • Submits information to agencies and follows up as needed to resolve errors.

• Assists in maintaining the workload entering the payroll unit.
  • Validates authorized signatures on payroll vouchers, sorts and distributes mail entering the payrol unit.
  • Assists with filing duplicate W2 requests, answering telephones, data entry, mailing tax statements, and filing the request documentation.

• Prepares and distributes monthly payroll schedules based on the annual IOC (Office of Comptroller) payroll schedule and average agency payroll arrival dates.

• Provides back up to Accounting Specialist and/or Accounting Professional when needed.

• Performs other duties as assigned which are reasonable to the duties defined above.

Minimum Requirements

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of two (2) years of college and one (1) year of technical accounting experience.

        OR

• Requires four (4) years of related clerical bookkeeping experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers a minimum of one (1) year experience in state government payroll, accounting, or auditing operations and systems.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Requires extensive knowledge of office practices, procedures, and programs.
• Requires ability to use mainframe and computer-based programs, the operation and use of a personal computer, and a variety of software including knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Requires ability to apply established accounting methods and techniques.
• Requires ability to operate commonly used manual and automated office equipment and perform routine maintenance.
• Requires ability to use analytical and fact-finding techniques.
• Requires ability to follow written and oral instruction of moderate complexity.
• Requires good written and oral communication skills.
• Requires ability to maintain satisfactory working relationships with other employees and the general public.
• May require working knowledge of accounting techniques and procedures.
• May require ability to analyze routine accounting records and documents.

*With or without reasonable accommodation.

Benefits

This position is eligible to be a member of the State of Illinois Group Insurance program which includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage options. Additionally, this position will annually accrue 12 paid sick days, a minimum of 12 paid vacation days, 4 paid personal days, and be afforded 14 paid state holidays, prorated based on start date. 

Equal Employment and Commitment to Diversity

The Illinois Office of Comptroller provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training. The Illinois Office of Comptroller is committed to the fair and equal employment of individuals with disabilities under the ADA. It is the Illinois Office of Comptroller's policy to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the company. The Illinois Office of Comptroller prohibits any harassment of, or discriminatory treatment of, employees or applicants based on a disability or because an employee has requested reasonable accommodation. 

The Illinois Office of Comptroller is committed to creating and maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an opportunity to participate and contribute to the success of the agency and are valued for their skills, experience, and unique perspectives. This commitment is embodied in agency policy and organizational culture.