Sheriff's Office Payroll Clerk

• Experience in accurately processing electronic time-keeping and payroll data within evolving deadlines
• The ability to effectively complete detailed tasks while working in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact and engage with diverse audiences, in one-on-one and group settings
• The ability to interpret and explain complicated policies, laws, and personnel agreements
• Knowledge of applicable employment regulations, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) wage and hour laws, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
• Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
• Solid organizational skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a full-time Payroll Clerk position in the Sheriff's Office. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Experience: Any combination of work experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, two years of experience in bookkeeping, statistical work, or accounting activities including the processing of payroll and personnel records, would provide such opportunity.

Education: Any combination of education and/or training which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, academic courses in business administration, legal practice, bookkeeping and/or accounting would provide this opportunity. A Certified Payroll Professional Certificate (CPP) is desirable.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Considerable knowledge of: the County's payroll and personnel records systems; salary policies and resolutions; and various terms and conditions contained in memoranda of understanding as they relate to a particular department; the County's classification plan; various types and kinds of occupations associated with a particular department; understanding of the numeric code systems utilized within the payroll system for job classes; and the master salary table; departmental policies, procedures and functions which relate to the payroll system; of general management and supervisory policies; and procedures of the various divisions within the department.

Working knowledge of: the County's overall payroll system; and the inter-relationship between a particular department, the Auditor-Controller's Office, Personnel Department and the Computer Services Department; employee benefits, insurances, allowances and related entitlements as outlined in memoranda of understanding with unions, unrepresented employees and contract employees; payroll deductions to include social security, and federal and state withholding taxes.

Ability to: understand, interpret and explain salary policies, procedures and systems to department management, supervisory and clerical employees affected by payroll activities; interpret and explain the various salary schedules, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment to departmental employees; make complex arithmetic calculations accurately and rapidly; establish and maintain cooperative and harmonious working relationships with co-workers, other department staff, and employees seeking information; function effectively as a lead worker over other clerical employees within the department working on the payroll system; ensure accuracy and processing of time worked records and related documents; effectively train new employees in the County's payroll and personnel system; instruct existing employees in new and/or revised payroll and personnel procedures; independently initiate, prioritize, and perform work assignments; analyze and solve problems related to payroll and related work activities; meet fixed or fluctuating deadlines in order to achieve work objectives; recognize and know the purpose of standardized forms related to payroll; compile and prepare periodic summaries and reports for statistical and administrative purposes such as employment inventory, cost distribution, and pay and leave entitlements and usage; operate electronic information system equipment at a speed of 40 words per minute.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

Being part of the Sheriff's Office and being expected to keep the public safe requires a thorough background investigation process. This process includes an assessment of prior work history, verifying educational experiences, court reports, public records searches, and understanding past patterns relating to drug usage, financial patterns, etc. This entails gathering a significant amount of information from job candidates and speaking to former employers, friends, family members, etc. Polygraphs, drug tests, and medical and physical examinations are also part of this process. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment. This process can take anywhere from 3-5 months. Many factors are taken into consideration and one should not assume a credit issue or prior drug use is automatically disqualifying. Candidates will be given the opportunity to present mitigating information they feel should be considered. You are encouraged to be as responsive as possible while this process is taking place to help expedite the timeline, and we encourage you to stay patient and interested in this great career opportunity while this process is taking place.

You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Please read the Sheriff's Office Pre-Employment Drug Use Guidelines (Download PDF reader) for further information.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: KK

HR Technician: VH