Senior Manager, Payroll Deductions

Move forward with us! At NJ TRANSIT, you’ll join us in transforming the third-largest transportation agency in North America. We are committed to delivering safe, reliable service that gets our customers to their destinations on time—and we’re looking to hire talented folks with a love of learning to make it all possible.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Plan, oversee, execute, and accurately complete all payroll processes for each of the five weekly and bi-weekly payroll cycles, ensuring comprehensive documentation of each payroll procedure.
• Manage outbound payroll interfaces to the Data Center, Financial Institutions, Accounts Payable, General Ledger and third-party vendors. Ensure accurate reconciliation of outbound files to payroll data.
• Oversee the planning, testing, generation, scheduling, and processing of special payments, including arbitration awards, contractual allowances, wage progressions, quarterly part-time bonuses, retroactive wage adjustments, cash-ins, and other requested payments. Ensure accuracy in earnings, taxation, deductions, and payments.
• Provide support with payroll, tax, and audit research, and respond promptly to escalated issues.
• Ensure timely interfacing of processed payroll data and accrued labor charges int the General Ledger, following the published General Ledger Closing Schedule. Ensure appropriate coding of payments, taxes, and deductions in accordance with NJT's Cart of Accounts. Prepare related General Ledger account reconciliations, supporting documentation and adjusting journal entries to guarantee the accuracy of business activities in NJT's financial statement.
• Ensure that all payroll reporting and processing requirements are accurately completed and submitted within prescribed deadlines, including tax payments and filings, garnishment withholdings and payments, PERS and PFRS reporting, account reconciliations, and pension calculations. 
• Maintain and manage employee demographic and transactional information, such as leave balances, tax profiles, deductions, direct deposits, and verification of work assignments and associated compensation per underlying contracts and NJT policies.
• Maintain and verify the accuracy of payroll system configurations, including user settings, lookup tables, calendars, parameter sets, leave policies and profiles, pay components, elements, pay categories, point sets, and various custom functions and calculations.
• Plan and oversee the completion of quarter-end and year-end payroll processes, ensuring the timely and accurate production and distribution of W-2 forms, transmission of W-2 filings, RRB filings, and other state and federal filings within regulatory or stipulated deadlines. Ensure the accurate rollover of leave balances and allotments for the new calendar year.
• Run and review the vacation pick-list report for bus agreement employees. 
• Provide support with payroll, tax, and audit research, and respond promptly to escalated issues.
• Prepare standard and ad-hoc reports, as well as requested analytics related to payroll activities for intern and external customers.
• Ensure the confidentiality of all demographics and payroll data. Securely maintain employee files on NJT premises and archive historical records to an off-site retention facility in a timely manner. 
• Ensure the accuracy of digital employee records and provide necessary training to agreement and non-agreement staff on digital records management, including creation, updates, and review.
• Monitor assigned staff to ensure they have the required business and technical skills, coverage for critical payroll functions, and quality performance. Work with other payroll managers to facilitiate routine training and knowledge sharing of payroll processes.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll processes and update procedural documents as needed to reflect any changes in processes or regulations.
• Attend hearings and meetings as required to provide testimony on payroll-related issues.
• Take on and ensure timely completion of all other assigned duties, while providing support to the Director and Senior Director as necessary.

This Position Supervises:

• Payroll Manager

Education, Experience, and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related area.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of applied progressive financial management with at least two (2) years of recent payroll experience preferred. Two (2) years of experience may be substituted for Master's degree in Accounting or related field.
• Experience with managing agreement and non-agreement staff desired.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Products with advanced MS Excel and PowerPoint experience.
• Proficiency using computerized payroll systems desired
• Familiarity with using ePersonality, HRMS system and Oracle Discoverer reporting tools strongly desired.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.

At NJ TRANSIT, you will enjoy a competitive salary and excellent benefits package:

• Comprehensive Family Health Insurance - Medical, Prescription, Dental, Vision

• Flexible Spending Account

• Life Insurance

• Paid Leave

• Tuition Assistance

• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits Plan

• Retirement Plans

• 401(a) - Retirement plan with a 6% employer contribution

• 401(k) - Retirement savings plan with up to a 3% company match

• 457(b) - Deferred Savings Plan

NJ TRANSIT is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Job Location

City: Newark

State: NJ
Salary Range: $105,000 - $170,000