Payroll Specialist

Human Resources

105 Albright Street, Suite J Taos, New Mexico 87571

Telephone: (575) 737-6313      Facsimile: (575) 737-3891

www.taoscounty.org/jobs

Email applications to hr.jobs@taoscountynm.gov

Employment Opportunity

Internal/External

Applications will be accepted until October 16, 2026, at 5:00pm

JOB TITLE:    Payroll Specialist                                                                                                           SALARY:    $25.24

DEPARTMENT:    Finance                                                                                                                     POSITION STATUS:    FULL-TIME

FLSA STATUS:    Non-exempt                                                                                                              UNION ELIGIBILITY:    Non-Union

I.          Position Function SUMMARY: 

 Under the direction of the Finance Director and/or the Deputy Finance Director the Payroll Specialist provides a variety of full performance and professional payroll duties as needed to expedite various procedures for bi-weekly payroll and other duties related to the processing of payroll including benefit administration, general fund accounting, payroll review and processing, financial reporting and customer service. The Payroll Specialist may also be responsible for completing special projects as assigned by the Finance Director and/or Deputy Finance Director as needed.

Department Job Assignments: This Job Description is intended to be somewhat general in nature with respect to the job family, and as such it does not detail all duties of a particular job assignment. Additional duties, responsibilities, and accountabilities may be assigned to an employee in this position depending on the Department Job Assignment.

II.         ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 The following statements are essential functions of this position and not intended to be all-inclusive; rather, they are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the employee, and an employee may be directed to perform other reasonably related job duties and responsibilities. The incumbent will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties reasonably requested by their supervisor. Taos County reserves the right to revise or change the job duties and responsibilities as the need arises, based on business need, and this Job Description may be updated accordingly. This Job Description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

JOB DUTIES:

• Has primary responsibility for payroll organization, monitoring and preparation, including documentation related to pay, leave, entitlements, taxes, benefits and authorized deductions. 
• Processes payroll time sheets; inputs and records employee work hours; files time sheets; prepares biweekly payroll; determines employee earnings, calculates employee withholding’s (i.e., state taxes, federal taxes, social security, retirement, and insurance). 
• Performs computer entries and operates computer programs to complete payroll process and prints payroll checks. 
• Monitors year-to-date records of wages, deductions, taxes, and benefits. 
• Prepares various reports related to wages, retirement, and benefits. 
• Calculates and assures proper payment of overtime. 
• Prints and distributes payroll checks.
• Maintains computerized payroll files with employee pay rates, withholding allowances, benefit deductions, and other authorized payroll withholdings. 
• Distributes withholdings and direct deposits to various accounts; prepares reporting for electronic funds transfers as required. 
• Coordinates and resolves payroll problems and questions. 
• Informs employees of policies, procedures, and practices affecting payroll.
• Coordinates with county Treasurer to assure availability of funds to run payroll. 
• Researches payroll problems and issues related to errors in payroll, deductions, taxes, etc. 
• Coordinates with Human Resources and processes and/or initiates retroactive adjustments as needed. 
• Processes legal attachments and garnishments according to established policy and procedures.
• Coordinates with Human Resources Department with regard to benefit administration and addition/deletion of benefits. 
• Monitors and coordinates with Human Resources to make changes as necessary into operating system for employee termination, employee hire as well as any other approved payroll changes. 
• Maintains communication with Human Resources for matters relating to payroll records.
• Reconciles and prepares state withholding taxes and prepares federal withholding tax deposits timely and efficiently within required timeframe. 
• Generates checks for payroll deductions/benefits with various private, state and federal agencies and distributes to appropriate personnel for reconciliation and processing. 
• Makes correcting general ledger entries for payroll, benefit and withholding’s; corrects payroll journal entries as needed.
• Scans completed payroll and accounts payable documents into operating system as needed.
• Monitors changes in tax laws as needed to assure compliance.  Prepares IRT and State withholding reports and tax certificates and assures checks are prepared and mailed on time.
• Prepares reports by hand or generates needed data via computer and submits reports to appropriate authority for final review.
• Process uniform allowance and/or stipend checks as requested by Finance Director.
• After payroll has been processed and all required signatures are obtained, scan all payroll related documents into the payroll system and return to Human Resources for filing in employees personnel file.
• Has secondary monthly reconciliation duties of employee benefits and monthly submission for payment of the same. 
• Has secondary assistance duties with weekly accounts payable review as needed.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Works collaboratively, cooperatively, and in coordination with fellow team members and with others in the organization, treats them with respect, courtesy and consideration, and shows understanding and the appropriate support of other team members to help get the job done.
• Provides assistance, information, guidance and resources to diverse groups of customers, clients and others outside of the organization; treats them in a friendly manner with professionalism, helpfulness, respect, courtesy and consideration at all times regardless of circumstances.  
• Maintains regular, dependable attendance and punctuality, and physical presence at the assigned worksite; must interact directly with people at the worksite on a regular basis.  
• Complies with and actively supports all applicable workplace environmental health and safety policies, work rules, and practices, giving maximum effort to performing job functions in a manner that protects the health and safety of the employee, co-workers, and the general public.
• The incumbent in this position may have access to sensitive and proprietary company data, personal client/customer data, personal employee data, and other sensitive information, and an essential job duty is the maintenance of strict confidentiality of such information in accordance with Taos County policy, and federal/state/local laws and regulations (e.g., HIPAA, FACTA, etc.). 
• Performs other duties as assigned and which are deemed necessary or desirable by Taos County.

III.        CORE TAOS COUNTY VALUES, BEHAVIORS, & COMPETENCIES:        

As a requirement of their employment, all Taos County employees are expected and required to support and demonstrate Taos County’s core values and behaviors, and to perform the essential functions and elements of this position competently. Employees are expected to demonstrate these values and behaviors through their behavior and performance throughout the course of the introductory period of employment and continuing throughout employment with Taos County.  The values, behaviors, and competencies that need to be demonstrated by all Taos County employees include but are not limited to:

• Quality/Compliance: Achieving a standard of excellence with our work processes and outcomes, honoring Taos County policies and all regulatory requirements.
• Customer/Client focus: Striving for high external and internal customer/client satisfaction, going out of our way to be helpful and pleasant, making it as easy as possible on the customer/client, rather than on self, department, or organization.

• Clear Communication: Expresses oneself clearly and effectively when speaking and writing to individuals and groups; listens attentively and ensures all parties involved understand communication; responds in a timely manner using appropriate communication methods.
• Interpersonal Skills: Interacts effectively with others using discretion, empathy and self-regulation when working toward resolution of divergent interests; recognizes and appreciates the quirky or unusual traits of others.
• Professional Expertise: Achieves a proficient level of ability or knowledge in job-related areas; continues to grow with the changing requirements of the job.
• Adaptability: Adjusts to changing circumstances by altering attitudes and behaviors; displays resilience and flexibility in response to setbacks and stressful situations with energy and optimism.

• Collegiality:  Being helpful, respectful, approachable, and team oriented, building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. 
• Initiative:  Takes action to influence events, generate ideas for improvement, takes advantage of opportunities, and does not wait to be told what to do next.
• Efficiency and Continuous Improvement:  Planning ahead, managing time well, being on time, being cost conscious, thinking of better ways to do things.
• Coachability: Being receptive to feedback, willing to learn, embracing continuous improvement in personal and professional growth & development, performance, and productivity.
• Team Player: able to work collaboratively with others in the organization, and to work well with diverse groups of people and gain and maintain the respect of others, both inside and outside Taos County.
• Decision Making: Uses sound judgment to make good decisions based on information gathered and considers all pertinent facts and alternatives before deciding.  Commits to decision.
• Performance Standards: Sets and maintains high-performance standards.  Pays close attention to detail, accuracy and completeness and follows up on work outputs.
• Problem-Solving: Analyzes problem by gathering and organizing all relevant information.  Identifies cause and effect relationships and comes up with best solution.
• Integrity: Shares complete and accurate information.  Maintains confidentiality and meets own commitments and adheres to organizational policies and procedures.  
• Motivation: Displays energy and enthusiasm, commits additional effort, and maintains a high level of productivity and self-direction.

IV.        POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

 Fair Labor Standards Act Provisions:  

This position is non-exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is subject to the organization’s policies and procedures pertaining to overtime hours.

Independence of Action; Supervision Received:

The Payroll Specialist works under general supervision of the Finance Director and/or Deputy Finance Director. Employee works alone on routine work and checks with supervisor only when in doubt. Production generally precedes a check on the quality control. Established methods and procedures are clearly established, and general instructions provided.

Supervision Exercised:

The Payroll Specialist is responsible for own work and has no supervisory authority or responsibility; although the Payroll Specialist may be responsible for organizing and reviewing the work of volunteers or others working on special projects s/he is overseeing that are assigned by the position’s supervisor.  

Coordination and Cooperation with Internal and External Parties:

Internal:

Responds to requests for information from the Finance Director and/or Deputy Finance Director; and works with other department staff on issues and special projects that may have a moderate impact on provision of Taos County’s programs and services. 

External:

Employee has a minimal amount of independent contact with external parties. Under direction of the Finance Director and/or Deputy Finance Director, may work with external vendors, applicants, agencies, and others to provide accurate services.

V.  POSITION AUTHORITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:

 General: 

Position has high level of line responsibility and moderate authority to make independent decisions over an assigned function.  A person in this position regularly takes responsibility for a key operation or function due to their level of accountability.  

Budgetary/Financial Authority and Accountability: 

Position has moderate level of accountability for budgetary or financial decisions, and decisions will have a moderate level of impact on resource utilization within Taos County.  Overall responsible for ensuring accuracy for all payroll functions that may have an impact on operating budget for the various departments.

Equipment/Asset/Material Authority and Accountability:

Position has a low level responsibility for equipment & other assets, materials, and supplies; proper utilization is required plus accountability for first-level maintenance may be required.     

VI. POSITION QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

 As a requirement of their employment, all Taos County employees are expected and required to perform the essential functions and elements of this position competently, demonstrating adequate progress throughout the course of the training and introductory period of employment and continuing throughout employment with Taos County.  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience: 

Required:

• High School Diploma (or GED or High School Equivalence).
• Some college course work in accounting, finance, bookkeeping or a relative field of study.
• Two (2) years of experience; accounting, finance, payroll, bookkeeping. 

Preferred:

• An Associate’s Degree in accounting, finance, bookkeeping is highly preferred.  
• Certificate in business, human resources, or directly related discipline from a recognized accredited educational institution.
• Five (5) years of work experience in accounting, finance, payroll, bookkeeping.  

Substitution:

• Additional education or professional training may substitute for experience requirement.  

Language Requirements:

Required:

Ability to read and write English in order to understand and interpret written procedures and technical manuals. This includes the ability to give and receive instructions in written and verbal forms and to effectively present information and respond to questions from vendors, contractors, supervisors, co-workers, residents, and city/county agencies.

Preferred:

Bi-lingual (English/Spanish)

Certification, Licenses and Registrations:

• Must have (or obtain within 3-months from the date of hire) and maintain a current, valid State of New Mexico driver’s license; must have and maintain a Taos County-insurable driving record. 

Training/Professional Development Requirements:

• Must successfully complete all Taos County-required safety and other training within required timeframes  
• Must successfully pass and maintain training certification in all state, Taos County, and/or other training requirements of the position and job assignment.  
• Additional training requirements for this position may be mandated by Taos County. 

Tools and Equipment Used: An employee in this position must be knowledgeable and skilled in the safe use and maintenance of the following tools and equipment:

• Standard office equipment and software, including desktop computer, and standard MS-Office applications or equivalent
• Must be able to operate a company vehicle

Other:

• In accordance with the conditional offer of employment, individual must pass drug screen, and other required background investigations.  
• Additional drug screening and background investigations may be required depending on the job assignment, regulatory or policy requirements, job transfer, or in accordance with Taos County’s Drug-Free Workplace policy.

VII.       PHYSICAL & MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical and mental demands, and working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Physical Effort and Demand:

• Little to no physical demand is required to perform the work; an employee in this position frequently sits at a desk or workstation. 

 Visual Acuity, Hearing, Speaking, Manual Dexterity: 

• Must have visual acuity and manual dexterity to perform timely and accurate data entry; 
• Must be able to make individual, small group, and large group presentations as required by position
• Must effectively convey ideas, images, and goals to diverse group of personalities.

 Mental Demand: 

• Effective performance requires continual thinking and attention to work/detail demanded by the essential functions of the job. 
• Must be able to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect pertinent data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and initiate appropriate course of action. 
• Must be able to work non-standard work hours occasionally, as required to fulfill job responsibilities.

Environment/Working Conditions:

• Little to no hazardous conditions exist in the work environment. The work environment is pleasant; only minimal negative physical factors exist. 
• Moderate amount of negative psychological factors; these factors must be addressed and considered in the performance of duties and have minimal potential for a negative impact on job employees.

Safety-Sensitive Position Designation:

• This position is not classified by Taos County as “safety-sensitive.”

Conditions of Employment

• Employees are required to be in compliance with Taos County’s policy on current influenza and other vaccination requirements for employees.