Payroll Specialist - Wash DC & Hybrid

Position Description

Under the technical direction of Direct Hire (DH) staff in the Office of Finance, the Entry-Level Payroll Specialist supports the administration of federal payroll operations for employees under various hiring mechanisms. Personnel utilize automated payroll and personnel systems to execute routine and moderately complex payroll functions in accordance with federal laws, regulations, and Agency policies. The role supports accurate and timely payroll processing while providing responsive customer service in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment.

This labor category performs non-inherently governmental functions under established procedures.

• Process routine payroll transactions, including time and attendance, leave audits, payroll adjustments, allotments, pay differentials, lump-sum payments, and state tax resolution.
• Support retirement-related payroll actions, including retirement deductions, allotments, and coordination of retirement and survivor benefit applications.
• Assist with complex payroll disbursement activities, including prior service costing actions based on determinations from the Office of Human Capital and Talent Management (HCTM), recalculation of payroll deductions associated with retirement code changes, and processing payroll components of retirement and survivor benefit forms (e.g., DS-765, DS-2896, DS-3100).
• Research, analyze, and resolve payroll discrepancies, including suspense items, manual salary payments, adjustment reports, and system-generated errors.
• Assist in resolving payroll issues related to incentive programs, separation benefits, tax withholding, direct deposit, benefit premium contributions, bills of collection, and paid leave accruals.
• Maintain and reconcile payroll records and reports, including retirement-related data for employees covered under CSRS, FERS, and FSRDS, ensuring accurate posting of payroll and retirement transactions.
• Apply working knowledge of federal payroll policies and procedures, including NFC directives, OMB guidance, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the CFO Act, and the Debt Collection Improvement Act, when executing payroll actions.
• Utilize federal payroll systems, including NFC and associated tools such as Power Term, SPPS, EPIC, and GovTA, to process, research, and correct payroll transactions.
• Analyze payroll data to identify inconsistencies, research root causes, and apply established procedures to support accurate resolution of payroll issues.
• Respond to employee and Agency payroll inquiries and provide professional customer service through the Agency s payroll Service Now ticketing system.
• Support payroll reporting, documentation, and record retention in compliance with federal requirements and internal controls.
• Perform duties independently in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment while managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Follow established procedures and internal controls while maintaining confidentiality of payroll and personnel data.

Salary: $90000 - $120000 per year