DOLA Accounting Technician III (Payroll and Benefits)

Department Information

• Medical and Dental Plans
• Strong, secure, yet flexible Retirement Plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus pre-tax and ROTH 401K, and 457 plans
• Employee Wellness Programs
• Paid Life Insurance
• 11 paid Holidays per year plus Vacation and Sick Leave
• Short and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• RTD Eco Pass to all eligible State Employees
• Flexible work schedule options and hybrid work options
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Training opportunities
• Variety of Free discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program

Description of Job

• Plan and manage daily operations of processing for payroll and benefits and prioritizes work in compliance with preset deadlines for processing as determined by the State's Central Payroll and Central Benefits divisions.
• Update and adjust employees' records and complete monthly, bi-weekly and special payrolls.
• Classify and record earning types such as regular pay, retroactive pay, overtime pay, annual leave payouts and late pay. Assemble, batch, post, compute and approve transactions in CPPS.
• Complete labor allocation error corrections to clear all errors on the DPA 9910 error report within the time limits set by Central Payroll, consulting with other accountants to verify accuracy.
• On a monthly basis, complete a CPPS/CORE reconciliation, compare CORE labor allocation information with information in Onbase, the CPPS reporting system.
• Analyze, create, update, review, verify, audit, reconcile and maintain payroll reports from CPPS.
• Consult with employees who are retiring or terminating employment regarding payroll related issues.
• Provide guidance and advice to staff regarding payroll and benefits questions and decide on the appropriate action needed to correct payroll and benefits errors.
• Reconcile and determine the need for adjustment entries in CORE to correct any errors.
• Ensure the timely and accurate processing of each payroll cycle.
• Keep supervisor, management and departmental employees informed and up-to-date on payroll-related concerns or issues, as appropriate.
• Respond to managers and employees questions, issues and concerns related to payroll and benefits.
• Respond to auditor's requests for information by pulling files and documentation related to the audit (audit samples), respond with responses to inquiries and provide information about the transactions, as requested.

• Present information to new hires during onboarding.
• Complete transaction processing related to employee benefit elections.
• Verify the accuracy of employee records in BenefitSolver by completing a system inquiry on a regular basis and reviewing related system-generated reports.
• Complete a review of BenefitSolver and CPPS to ensure integrity of the data transfer to/from each system by reviewing employee records and reports from both systems.
• Regularly create, update, review, verify, audit, reconcile and maintain reports from the CPPS and BenefitSolver systems. Information contained in the reports may consist of the organization, appropriation, fund, employee name, social security number, payroll deductions, gross-net wages, exemptions, bank account numbers, health benefits, dependents and payroll status and must be handled with complete confidentiality.
• Work with the appropriate staff to ensure that deadlines are met, convey information, process paperwork and assist employees with new hire benefits sign-up, life event changes, and answer questions during the annual open enrollment period. Provide guidance, answer questions regarding benefits, deductions, refunds, garnishments and tax withholding.
• Provide information to PERA, including but not limited to, the PERA Six Month Salary Report, PERA Account Refund Request Form and the PERA Adjustment Worksheet.
• Work with teams assigned to special projects related to payroll and benefits that often result in enhancements to CPPS or BenefitSolver, including taking part in any discussions or meetings related to the project as a representative of the department.

• As the Subject Matter Expert, work with the divisional budget officers to add, delete, modify and maintain, on an ongoing basis, the templates utilized in the automated time and leave system to ensure employees’ work hours are appropriately aligned with the position’s funding source(s).
• Respond to staff or supervisor inquiries and provide guidance to resolve issues in time card and schedule management.
• Keep abreast of scheduled tasks surrounding the time and leave integration processes and ensure all tasks are completed timely and accurately.
• Review and reconcile data and work with employees and supervisors to rectify any problems around missing data, errors, discrepancies or labor allocation issues.
• Attend payroll, benefits and PERA meetings or training seminars to receive updates on payroll, benefits and the related computerized systems in order to remain current and knowledgeable in regard to any applicable rules, regulations and departmental policies related to payroll and benefits.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

• Ability to create accessible documents and technical content that follows plain language guidelines with accessibility in mind.
• Ability to work in a team environment and provide technical assistance
• Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Effective analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to prioritize and organize work to accommodate and meet the changing needs of the Department and meet deadlines
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the Google Suite
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent mathematical skills

• State of Colorado experience (as a permanent employee) using the Central Personnel Payroll System (CPPS), processing payroll for a state agency or UKG time and leave administration
• Experience reconciling payroll
• State of Colorado government experience in technical accounting
• Knowledge and experience with government accounting, cash management, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and/or federal grant accounting
• Background in payroll and benefits processing or knowledge of payroll and benefits concepts

• You MUST be a Colorado resident (at the time of application) to apply for this position.
• Pre-employment criminal and financial background checks will be conducted as part of the selection process.
• Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. DOLA uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. DOLA does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.

• A resume (this is not a substitute for the online application demonstrating work history)
• Cover letter / letter of interest
• Transcripts (if using education to meet the minimum qualifications)
• DD214 (member-4 form) from applicants that may be eligible for veteran’s preference

Supplemental Information