Job Details

Assistant Payroll Manager

Position Number: 6231335
Location: Cheney, WA
Position Type: Business - Accounting

Assistant Payroll Manager

About Eastern Washington University:

Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. As the regions polytechnic, we are recognized for our distinctive approach to hands-on learning that leads to in-demand careers. EWUs 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washingtons second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelors and masters degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a 24-25 College of Distinction (CoD).

Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2024.

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region. This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place-the knowledge that comes from the land.

Job Summary:

Eastern Washington University (EWU) invites applications for the position of Assistant Payroll Manager. This full-time, administrative exempt role is integral to ensuring the timely payment and accurate reporting of compensation for all university employees. Reporting directly to the Payroll Manager, the Assistant Payroll Manager will lead and mentor a dedicated payroll team, uphold and document internal controls and payroll procedures and contribute to the continuous improvement of payroll processes.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Supervision: Oversee and guide payroll fiscal staff, fostering a collaborative and supportive team environment.
Payroll Processing & Compliance: Assist in the preparation and processing of payroll, ensuring adherence to university policies and applicable state and federal regulations.
Documentation & Internal Controls: Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation of payroll procedures and internal controls to ensure consistency and compliance.
Training & Development: Provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities for payroll staff to enhance skills and knowledge.
Problem Resolution & Support: Address and resolve payroll-related inquiries from employees and departments, ensuring timely and accurate responses.

The salary range for this position is $71,225 up to $99,877. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills. In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, life and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits/insurance/ .

Required Qualifications:

Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a closely related field
Progressive responsibility in payroll processing or related field
Ability to lead, guide, direct and develop departmental staff
Ability to document procedures and internal controls
Demonstrate and foster a culture of ethical leadership and encourage a supportive team-orientated work environment
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects within established deadlines
Demonstrated ability to apply a responsive and flexible approach that is supportive to the needs of, including universal access, our students, faculty, staff and the public.

Preferred Qualifications:

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the preferred experience below:

Master of Business Administration, Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or equivalent
Specific experience working in the payroll operations of a college or university environment
Extensive hands-on system administration experience with Ellucian Banner HR/Payroll module or similar ERP system
Three years combined experience in payroll processes, automated ERP payroll processing, payroll deduction reporting and payroll account analysis for a large corporate or government entity

Other Skills and Abilities:

Job Duties:
Directing and Supervision of Payroll Staff Operations

Provide general supervision of fiscal staff
Manage professional development of fiscal staff
Responsible for training, with hands on work, and inventory development of staff abilities
- Develop training system (curriculum)
- Cross-training of staff
Develop and maintain a critical task list of primary and secondary designees
Develop forward-looking plans for the management of critical timelines and due dates
- Give adequate time for necessary research and performance
Maintain payroll cycle knowledge
- Serve as backup for payroll staff during absences or peak data entry periods
Collaborate with Payroll Manager on an ongoing basis
- Coordination of critical tasks and due dates
Provide review on reconciliation of the general ledger and vendor feeds
Interview and recommend selection of applicants, conduct performance evaluations and take corrective action if needed

Percent of Time: 65

Procedure Management, Documentation and System Administration

Participate in testing system upgrades and new software applications
Participate in system setup of deductions, earn codes, etc.
- Updates to statewide feeds, vendor feeds, other reporting needs
- Document feeds, write queries and reports, reduce reliance on IT
- Manage coordination of interfaces with third-party systems
Document and maintain internal procedures manual and outward facing procedures
Document and maintain internal controls

Percent of Time: 20

Research and Reporting

Interpret and apply guidance from outside sources related to payroll requirements
Provide review of quarterly reporting, including tax and benefit remittance
Assist with information to external auditors regarding payroll related activity

Percent of Time: 10

Special Projects

Prepare year-end closeout activities and payroll disclosures for financial statements
Work on other projects as assigned

Percent of Time: 5
Conditions of Employment:

During the course of university employment this position will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value; as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.
All new employees will comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.
This is an Administrative Exempt position and is covered by EWU Policy 406- 01, Exempt Employment
After starting employment, employees will complete required training. In person and Zoom training opportunities will be posted on InsideEWU and are listed on the Human Resources webpage at https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training/.

Salary Information:

$71,225 up to $99,877. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Posting Date: 05/15/2025
Open Until Further Notice: No
Closing Date:
Screening to Begin: Immediately

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/13613