Assistant Payroll Manager - The Claremont Colleges Services

At a glance

Payroll professionals — this one is worth a look! Another Source is partnering with The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) to find an Assistant Payroll Manager in Claremont, CA. What makes this opportunity stand out? You won’t just be processing payroll. You’ll serve as a technical payroll expert supporting seven separate entities across The Claremont Colleges, tackling complex areas like multi-state taxation, compliance, audits, controls, regulatory reporting, and process improvement. A few highlights:• $105K–$115K salary• Hybrid schedule — just 2 days/week onsite• 10% employer retirement contribution after one year — no employee match required• Tuition remission• Paid Winter Closure + generous PTO• Opportunity to serve as the Payroll Manager’s primary backup and grow your leadership experience If you have 5+ years of payroll experience, strong payroll tax/compliance knowledge, and experience leading or supporting a payroll team, I’d love to connect. CPP and Workday experience are a plus, but not required.

Description: What you'll be doing

Another Source's client, The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), is recruiting an Assistant Payroll Manager to join their team in Claremont, California. This is a hybrid opportunity with an expectation of working on-site at least two days per week.

Here's a little about The Claremont Colleges Services:

The Claremont Colleges Services provides essential shared services that support The Claremont Colleges, a distinctive consortium of highly regarded institutions in Southern California. Through centralized expertise and collaboration, TCCS helps its member institutions operate effectively while allowing each college to maintain its own unique identity and mission.

Within TCCS, Human Resources provides services and resources that support employees across this complex, multi-entity environment. For a payroll professional, that means an opportunity to work at a scale and level of complexity that goes well beyond traditional single-employer payroll operations.

Learn more about Human Resources: https://services.claremont.edu/human-resources/

About this role:

The Assistant Payroll Manager plays a key role in the accuracy, compliance, and continuity of payroll operations supporting seven separate entities of The Claremont Colleges.

Working closely with the Payroll Manager, you will serve as a technical payroll specialist and subject matter expert across payroll taxation, regulatory reporting, multi-state compliance, international payroll requirements, audits, and system controls. You will also serve as the primary backup to the Payroll Manager, building broad knowledge of payroll operations and helping ensure continuity of service.

This is an opportunity for an experienced payroll professional who enjoys digging into complex compliance questions, strengthening processes and controls, and partnering across HR, Finance, Benefits, IT, and other stakeholders. You'll have the opportunity to influence how payroll operates while helping the team continually improve its systems, processes, and service.

How you will spend your time

• Serve as a subject matter expert on federal, state, and local payroll taxation, wage and hour requirements, regulatory reporting, and payroll compliance.

• Essential Functions: Perform payroll general ledger reconciliations, including payroll clearing, liabilities, deductions, and related accounts, to ensure accuracy and alignment with financial records.

  Experience: Experience performing or overseeing payroll general ledger reconciliations and resolving payroll-related accounting discrepancies.

• Monitor multi-state payroll requirements, including tax registrations, withholding, reciprocal agreements, and unemployment insurance reporting.

• Support payroll requirements for nonresident aliens, international employees, visiting scholars, and other foreign nationals, including tax treaty administration and Forms 1042 and 1042-S reporting.

• Audit payroll registers, tax reports, deductions, reconciliations, and employee taxation to identify discrepancies and strengthen accuracy.

• Develop and maintain payroll audit procedures, internal controls, and quality assurance practices.

• Prepare audit schedules, workpapers, and supporting documentation and respond to payroll-related audit findings and compliance inquiries.

• Help coordinate payroll processing and validate supplemental payments, retroactive adjustments, taxable fringe benefits, and other complex compensation transactions.

• Serve as the primary backup to the Payroll Manager and participate in cross-training and knowledge transfer to support business continuity.

• Provide technical guidance to payroll staff, Human Resources, and campus partners on taxation and compliance matters.

• Participate in payroll system testing, upgrades, implementations, and validation of system changes.

• Develop payroll procedures, documentation, and training materials that support consistent and compliant practices.

• Prepare and analyze compliance, tax, reconciliation, and year-end reports, including support for Forms W-2, W-2C, 1042-S, 990, and other regulatory requirements.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen payroll controls, streamline processes, improve systems, and increase operational efficiency.

• Support and mentor payroll staff through training, cross-training, and consistent payroll practices.

• Partner with the Payroll Manager on strategic initiatives designed to improve compliance, efficiency, and customer service.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Five or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in payroll administration, accounting, finance, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Experience supervising or leading the work of payroll staff.

• Experience processing payroll using an enterprise HR/payroll system.

• Experience working with computerized financial management and electronic timekeeping systems.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply payroll tax laws and payroll compliance requirements.

• Strong knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations affecting payroll, with the ability to research and apply new requirements.

• Knowledge of employer tax presence and registration requirements in multiple U.S. states.

• Working knowledge of accounting principles as they relate to payroll.

• Strong analytical, research, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with sound judgment and high ethical standards.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain complex payroll information clearly to a variety of stakeholders.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, and graphs, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office.

• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across organizational levels and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience coaching and developing staff and supporting performance management.

• Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. TCCS is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).

• Experience with Workday Payroll and Time Tracking.

• Spanish language skills are a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

The anticipated salary range for this position is $105,000–$115,000 annually ($8,750–$9,583.33 monthly).

TCCS offers an employment benefits package designed to support employees' health, financial well-being, professional growth, and time away from work, including:

• 10% retirement contributions after one year, with no employee match required.

• Tuition remission and professional development funds.

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Access to fitness facilities.

• 11 paid holidays.

• Up to 22 vacation days and 12 sick days per year.

• Paid Winter Closure.

Learn more about TCCS benefits: https://services.claremont.edu/benefits-administration/benefit-plan-information/

The regular schedule for this full-time position is 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Holiday, weekend, and/or evening work may occasionally be required, and regular hours may vary based on organizational needs.

Physical Requirements & Reasonable Accommodation

This position primarily works in an office environment and requires the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods while working at a computer, with frequent use of standard office equipment. Occasional standing, walking, bending, reaching, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling materials weighing up to 15 pounds may be required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

This job description defines the essential job duties of this position which the incumbent must be able to perform to fulfill the purpose and requirements of this position. The qualifications stated are required to perform the essential functions of this position, or the individual must demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed (with or without reasonable accommodation) using other qualifications not listed in this job description.

The Claremont Colleges Services expects that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application/interview process should contact TCCS at [email protected] or (909) 607-9603.

Equal Opportunity Employer

TCCS is an equal opportunity employer. TCCS managers make employment decisions on the basis of merit, with the aim of having the best available person in every job. TCCS prohibits discrimination based on all characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. TCCS also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of these characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of these characteristics. All such discrimination is unlawful.

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.

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