Payroll Supervisor

This opportunity is open to all interested candidates.

OVERVIEW:

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California and one of the top largest urban school districts in the United States, is looking for professionals who care deeply for students and are committed to the communities in which they serve.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Because each person is born with inherent worth and dignity, and because equitable access and opportunity are essential to a just, educated society, San Diego Unified employee commitments include being respectful of differences and diverse perspectives, and being accountable for one’s actions and the resulting impact.  

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Payroll Supervisor will plan, organize, and supervise a variety of payroll functions including processing and confirming multiple monthly payrolls; developing, testing and supervising technology requirements; perform complex technical tasks; interview, hire and evaluate payroll staff; relieve the workload and act on behalf of the Director, Payroll/Benefits as assigned.

POSITION SPECIFICS:

• Working Location: Payroll Department 4100 Normal Street, Room 1150, San Diego, CA 92103
• Work schedule: Full-time. 12 months / 260 days per year
• The position is paid on the AASD Classified Supervisors Salary Schedule, Supervisor Schedule I , Salary Plan 0601, Grade 049.
• Qualifies for District Paid health and wellness benefits for employee and dependents
• Experience in California school district or other public agency is preferred, but not required.
• This application requires you to respond to position-specific questions in your submitted online application. These questions are identified below in the APPLICATION INFORMATION section.

Examples of Duties:

An incumbent may perform any combination of the essential functions shown below. This position description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge, or abilities associated with this classification, but is intended to accurately reflect the principal job elements.
E = Essential Functions

• Supervise the operations of a large and complex payroll system, technology requirements, user acceptance testing, test script development, payroll procedures, retirement contributions, leave plans/accruals, and other payroll responsibilities. E

• Provide technical training to payroll and site/department staff on payroll application and procedures; interpret legislation and regulation; ensure compliance with state and federal laws, and district policies and procedures. E

• Review and analyze legislative language related to payroll obligations, operations, employee leave plans, and other related regulations; act as a district resource and assist with district compliance and mandated activities. E

• Select, train, supervise, and evaluate the performance of Payroll Specialists and other payroll clerical positions; organize and coordinate assignments, priorities, technical and clerical functions of the payroll department. E

• Receive, analyze, and resolve special and unique problems related to overpayment recovery, assignment change agreements, and work calendars. E

• Troubleshoot technical system problems and recommend improvements; coordinate update of the payroll Time and Labor employee data base with Information Technology staff; assist in the implementation of system changes to accommodate employer/employee contract requirements, legislative and regulatory compliance. E

• Screen and audit actions pertaining to personnel assignments and payroll operations; review job components for accuracy and timeliness. E

• Prepare information and make presentations to school site and central office staffs related to timekeeping, payroll procedures, legislative and regulatory compliance; contact all levels of staff and the public; explain salary schedules, negotiated contracts, and district procedures; provide training and assistance to school personnel regarding payroll procedures. E

• Compose, organize, and edit payroll handbooks, operating procedures, staff correspondence and newsletters. E

• Gather, compile, and organize salary and other statistical and personnel data; calculate, analyze, and summarize statistical data; coordinate interdepartmental requests for data from the employee, payroll, and time and labor database. E

• Appear as a district representative at hearings, mediations, and court appearances as assigned. E

• Operate computers, calculators, and other office machines and equipment. E

• Perform related duties as assigned.

To view the detailed position description for Payroll Supervisor, click here.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

A combination of training, experience, and/or education equivalent to graduation from a recognized four-year college or university with a major in business administration, public administration, or other appropriate field and four years of recent, progressively responsible, payroll, fiscal or related experience of acceptable level and quality.

Licenses and Other Requirements: 

Possession of a valid California driver's license and availability of private transportation (mileage expense allowance provided).

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Application Process

To be eligible for consideration, interested candidates must submit the following items. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all required information, including completion of the Work Experience and Education Sections of the online application, required attachments, and responses to all application questions.

• Online employment application
• A completed online employment application must be submitted/received electronically by the closing date. This application MUST include all required attachments, current and previous employment history and education to evaluate your qualifications, and all other requirements identified in the recruitment and application questions. It is important to note that a resume does not substitute for completing the Work Experience and Education sections. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all relevant details and attachments.
• Paper applications are not accepted.  

• Answer all application questions 
• The application questions should be answered thoroughly, clearly, and concisely as the responses provided (along with the entire application package) will be carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will move forward in the recruitment process.

• Contact information for all previous places of employment where you served in a classified (non-certificated) position must be listed under the 'Employment History' section of the application (Senate Bill 848). As of January 1, 2026, in accordance with SB 848 Education Code section 44051 applicants for classified positions are required by law to provide a complete list of every school district, county office of education, charter school and/or state special school (also known as a Local Education Agency (LEA)) with which you have previously been employed, regardless of the length of service. The District may contact current and former LEAs at any time during the application screening process.

• In accordance with SB 848 and Education Code, all applicants for classified (non-certificated) positions must provide a complete employment history. Please adhere to the following:

• List Every Educational Employer: You must include every school district, county office of education, charter school, other educational institutions, or state special school where you have been employed, regardless of your length of service.
• HR Contact Information: In the Employer Email field, you must provide the email address for that employer's Human Resources or Personnel Office (i.e., not your direct supervisor).

Note: These email addresses are required to satisfy the employment verification and background requirements mandated by Education Code.

• Contact information for three references must be listed in the 'Reference' section of the application. References should be from a current or previous supervisor. Reference email requests may be sent at any time during the application screening process of this recruitment. These reference requests are not an indication of progression in the recruitment process or an interview opportunity. Written reference letters dated within the last year are also accepted and may be attached to your online application in the Reference Section.

• Resume (Required)
• Resume must reflect current and past work and accomplishments.
• A resume does NOT substitute for completing work history, education sections, or the supplemental questions of the employment application.

• Position-Specific Questions (Required)

To be considered for this position, you must answer every position-specific question. Failure to answer each position-specific question will result in your application being considered incomplete and disqualify you from further consideration for this recruitment.

QUESTION 1: Please outline the size of the payroll team you have directly supervised/evaluated, and your experience managing payroll within a California school district or other public agency. If you do not have any experience, please type 'N/A'.

QUESTION 2: Please summarize your direct experience working with payroll systems and the types of ERP/payroll systems you have worked with. If you do not have any experience, please type 'N/A'.

Do not upload your answers as an attachment. You will be required to answer each question before submitting your application.

• Additional documents (Optional)
• Cover Letter/Letter of Intent
• Letters of Recommendation and/or additional documents, if any, must be attached to the online employment application.

For questions regarding this job announcement, including priority consideration, please contact Personnel Analyst, Carolyn Gonzalez at cgonzalez12@sandi.net.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

If you have questions about your application, please email jobs@sandi.net.

The San Diego Unified School District communicates information regarding the hiring process via email.  Please be aware that the District is not responsible for messages blocked by your email service. In an effort to allow our emails through your personal spam filter, you can try to add the domain@sandi.net and domain@ted.peopleadmin.com to your safe senders list.  

San Diego Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by reason of the following actual or perceived characteristics: age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital or parental status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. 

For more information about equity in employment, contact: 

Title II Coordinator & Uniform Complaint Compliance Officer Eric Rico: (619) 725-7225, erico1@sandi.net / Title IX Coordinator Anna Ward:  (619) 725-7225, award2@sandi.net / 504 Coordinator Eri Nall:  (619) 344-6420, enall@sandi.net