Payroll and Pension Division Manager - City of Birmingham

TARGET CLOSE DATE:
08/09/2024
Note: This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System.
Grade 34
The pay range for the listed pay grade varies depending on the employing agency. Click HERE and then select the desired agency to view the pay range for that employer.
JOB SUMMARY:
The City of Birmingham is looking for a well-qualified, motivated Payroll and Pension Division Manager to oversee payroll operations and employee pension systems administration. This role directs payroll processing, manages pension plans, and implements strategic plans for payroll and pensions, focusing on process enhancements aligned with organizational goals. Responsibilities also include developing and implementing auditing procedures for payroll and pensions, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws. The role encompasses preparing regulatory filings, maintaining records, and communicating financial information to management and stakeholders through financial plans and statements. The Manager collaborates closely with Finance Executive Leadership and stakeholders, applying independent judgment and decision-making skills within regulatory frameworks. Additionally, the Manager supervises division staff, ensuring accuracy, evaluating performance, providing coaching, and making disciplinary recommendations.
ABOUT THE PERSONNEL BOARD OF JEFFERSON COUNTY MERIT SYSTEM :
The Personnel Board of Jefferson County (Personnel Board) Merit System is responsible for ensuring fairness and merit in hiring and promotion, avoiding favoritism or political influence. Our goal is to attract and retain qualified and professional employees for the public sector. The Merit System includes a wonderfully diverse set of city governments, ranging from smaller, community-minded towns to vibrant, bustling cities. Our network consists of nearly 8,000 dedicated public servants, who want to make a positive impact on our communities. We offer many rewarding careers, from public safety and city management to IT, healthcare, skilled trades, engineering and more.
A CAREER WITHIN THE MERIT SYSTEM:
The Merit System is unique as an individual typically only submits one application for a position (e.g., administrative clerk) and that single application can result in employment opportunities with potentially 23 different cities and agencies within Jefferson County, Alabama. These agencies range from the City of Birmingham and 16 surrounding suburban cities to the Jefferson County Commission, Department of Health, and three additional governmental agencies. In the Merit System, you can enjoy the security and benefits of a public sector job with growth potential. Whether you're passionate about public safety, technology, or anything in between, there's a place for you in the Merit System.
About Birmingham
Adorning the name "The Magic City," Birmingham, Alabama is a vibrant place of outstanding communities and unlimited potential. Consisting of a population of over 200,000 and serving as the central hub of a metropolitan area of over 1.1 million, the Birmingham is the largest city and the economic center of the State of Alabama.
Birmingham offers an array of advantages that make it a perfect place to start or grow your career. Today's Birmingham serves as an economic, cultural, and societal leader for the Southeast. It is home to world-class universities and medical research facilities and professionals, a critically-acclaimed culinary arts scene bursting with eclectic restaurants, a thriving arts community, a diverse range of local music venues and events, national and international sports and athletic competitions, and a progressive business climate with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a devotion to social justice. Sitting in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham also provides an abundance of natural and scenic wonders, beautiful parks, hiking and biking trails, and mild weather to complement virtually any lifestyle or adventure. Birmingham provides these amenities, along with a robust, diverse and inclusive lifestyle, all while remaining as one of the most affordable cities to live in the nation.
A Career with the City of Birmingham
With the motto of Putting People First, the City of Birmingham works to ensure employees and the citizens of Birmingham are the number one priority. Employment with the City provides an opportunity to work in an environment that fosters a culture of teamwork and community, supports equity and justice, promotes employee growth and development, and encourages individualism, while also emphasizing accountability to fellow coworkers and the community. Putting People First also means that, as an employer, the City of Birmingham strives to provide and maintain a highly competitive compensation structure, excellent health and medical benefits, and a strong and secure retirement and pension plan, along with other employee wellness benefits and programs. Working with the City of Birmingham provides not only the opportunity for a productive and secure career, but also a career that provides meaning and the opportunity to truly make a difference.
Minimum Qualifications:
To be considered for employment in this position, a candidate must possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Business, or Human Resources.
  
• Experience supervising employees who perform accounting, financial reporting, and payroll and pension functions to include reviewing work, performing performance appraisals, providing coaching and feedback and making disciplinary actions.
  
• Experience developing organizational/departmental policies and procedures by researching and reviewing state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines.
  
• Experience writing reports that outline or summarize departmental activity, projects, etc., including providing outcomes, recommendations, and presentations (e.g., compliance reports, financial summary reports, departmental summary reports).
  
• Experience assisting in the conduction of payroll/pension-related audits with internal or external auditors and actuaries (e.g. supplying documentation, extracting data for reporting) to ensure regulatory compliance.
  

Preferred Qualifications:
Preferred qualifications are examples of experience and education considered to be highly desirable by hiring agencies.

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).
  
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
  
• Defined Benefit Administration (DB-A) certification.
  
• Master's degree or higher in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field.
  

Job Duties:
Typical Payroll and Procurement Division Manager job duties include, but are not limited to:

• Develops and implements payroll and pension auditing processes and procedures by evaluating and updating current auditing processes and procedures, reviewing current legislation, and collaborating with internal and external auditors to ensure compliance with payroll and pension-related federal, state and local laws and regulations.
  
• Prepares, monitors, and administers departmental or organizational budget by reviewing spending trends, expenditure reports, analyzing financial data and ensuring expenditures are within annual budgetary limits.
  
• Enforces compliance by monitoring activities of day-to-day operations and reviewing and updating policies related to payroll and pension administration to ensure adherence to federal, state and local laws and regulations.
  
• Acts as a liaison by collaborating and communicating with other internal and external stakeholders and customers, providing information related to payroll and pension-related activities, and responding to inquiries to ensure services are adequately provided.
  
• Directs the organization's payroll activities by overseeing employee payroll processing and implementing new and existing policies and procedures to address payroll issues in compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations to support the organization's payroll execution.
  
• Directs the administration of employee pension systems by managing pension plans, coordinating with external pension plan providers, and developing and implementing pension-related policies and procedures in compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations to support the organization's pension system.
  
• Establishes and maintains departmental policies, procedures and guidelines related to payroll and pension activity by reviewing and researching state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines to ensure compliance when creating and updating new policies and guidelines, evaluating services, and establishing procedures.
  
• Prepares and maintains regulatory filings and reports by maintaining records and documentation and overseeing the preparation of financial plans and statements to communicate information with management and stakeholders.
  
• Develops and implements the organization's payroll and pension strategic plans by identifying opportunities for process improvements to maintain alignment with the organization's overall objectives.
  
• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.
  
• Oversees the implementation and maintenance of payroll and pension information management systems by collaborating with stakeholders and vendors of systems to maintain system and data security for employees within the organization.
  
• Develops and implements training and reference materials related to payroll and pension activities by providing information through briefings workshops, and targeted information sessions to engage with stakeholders (e.g. executive management, payroll and pension staff, external customers) on industry best practices and policies and procedures.
  

Compensation & Benefits
The City of Birmingham offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Salary range: $85,820 - $133,140 (starting salary is commensurate with education and experience)
  
• A City-sponsored pension retirement plan. The City of Birmingham provides a Tier 3 "defined benefit" plan where employee retirement payments are computed using a formula that considers several factors, such as length of employment and salary history.
  
• Excellent medical insurance with employee monthly contribution as low as $32.50/month
  
• Dental insurance
  
• Vision insurance
  
• Behavioral health plan
  
• Group Term Life & AD&D Insurance, Voluntary Term Life & AD&D, Whole Life Insurance, and Short-term Disability options
  
• Paid vacation and sick leave
  
• Generous holiday schedule
  
• Membership and admission benefits for City attractions such as the Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham Museum of Art, Southern Museum of Flight, and more.
  

Critical Knowledges:

• Knowledge of employee wage garnishment requirements and procedures.
  
• Knowledge of laws and policies concerning personnel requirements such as overtime pay.
  
• Knowledge of payroll principles and procedures, such as calculating timesheets, usage of overtime and compensatory time, and processing new hires and terminations.
  
• Knowledge of personnel performance standards and performance appraisal procedures.
  
• Knowledge of personnel selection procedures and practices.
  
• Knowledge of timekeeping systems and software.
  
• Knowledge of accounting software programs to perform the tasks associated with the position, such as reviewing data, monitoring payroll, reviewing accounts payable and accounts receivable, tracking inventory, creating reports, reviewing financial statements, and other similar functions as required by the job.
  
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws rules and regulations regarding employee benefits such as COBRA, USERRA, or HIPAA. and other state statutes concerning employee benefits.
  

Work Environment:
Work is conducted almost exclusively indoors in an office setting. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc.
Physical Demands:
Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods.
DISCLAIMER: This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required to do the job and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Persons requiring special conditions to accommodate a disability when completing the application should contact the Personnel Board at 205-279-3500, Option 1, prior to the target close date.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The Personnel Board of Jefferson County (Personnel Board) provides a public personnel system based on merit principles. The Personnel Board strives for the constant improvement of the public service by employing and developing the best-qualified persons available. The Personnel Board provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, political beliefs, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or genetics.
Employment decisions are made by the Merit System agency where the position exists. Each Merit System agency administers its own equal employment opportunity programs in compliance with applicable state and/or federal laws and regulations.
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DISCLAIMER:
This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required to do the job and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.
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