Job Description

The Position
The City of Oakland is an equal-opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city's historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.
Why join the City of Oakland Finance Department?
As a Senior Payroll Operations Technician, you will be an integral member of the Finance Department's Payroll Team. You will be key in handling day-to-day payroll processes, developing innovative processes and procedures, creating user documentation, and implementing payroll solutions. The Finance Department provides quality government financial services to the City of Oakland. We manage the City's financial affairs with the highest degree of customer service, honesty, and integrity. We value teamwork, trust, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.
We are looking for someone who is:

• Customer service oriented. You will assist City employees daily, and work closely with City department staff and individual employees.
• A strong relationship builder with excellent communication skills. You will be conveying payroll information to employees; therefore, strong communication skills are crucial.
• Organized and detail-oriented. Due to a large volume of work with overlapping deadlines, we are looking for someone with strong organizational skills and an eye for detail.
• Able to work as part of a team or independently. You will be expected to work on projects that require collaboration with many different team members in your unit and other departments that will require you to use sound judgment and work independently at times.
• Dependable and results-driven. You will be supporting payroll operations for the entire City, so you will need to work well under pressure and balance multiple tasks.
• A strong critical thinker. You will be expected to break down complex payroll-related issues.
• Skilled in decision-making. You will need to choose the best course of action for payroll-related issues in a timely manner.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Entering payroll data.
• Running payroll for the entire City.
• Running retiree payroll for City retirees.
• Resolving complicated payroll issues.
• Reviewing and entering retroactive pay adjustments.
• Operating major system functions, including mass change, time and attendance, and retiree payroll.
• Running test jobs in Oracle for the systems team.
• Conducting complex pay-related research, such as investigating employee pay history.

Read the complete job description by clicking this link:

• Click on the link below to see a video on what it's like to work for the City of Oakland!

A few reasons you might love this job:

• Your work will directly impact City of Oakland employees, and the City's ability to provide important public services.
• You will be part of a great team who has fun and works hard.
• There are many opportunities for future growth and upward mobility.
• You will be working in Downtown Oakland with easy access to BART and other transportation.
• You will have excellent opportunities to develop your skills and abilities in a complex setting.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will work in a fast-paced environment, so you will need to multi-task and work on many projects simultaneously that have time-sensitive deadlines.
• You will need to assist City employees who need more in-depth education regarding pay, policies, and regulations.
• There are system limitations and a lack of training documentation.
• There are time-sensitive deadlines that affect individual employees who are highly invested in the outcome.
• You will need to learn the City ordinances, policies, MOUs, and materials quickly.

Competencies Required:

• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Handling Stress: Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity
• Mathematical Facility: Performing computations and solving mathematical problems
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing

Minimum Requirements for Application
The following qualifications are guidelines, as the appointing authority has broad discretion in filling positions in this classification.
Education:
Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade and college level coursework in data processing and accounting.
Experience:
Three years of progressively responsible experience in the operation of an automated payroll/personnel system.
Desirable Qualifications:

• Payroll experience in a public agency and experience processing fire and/or police payroll.
• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
• Proficiency in Oracle E-Business version R12 Payroll, or similar systems.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, data validation, retro calculations, etc.)
• Knowledge of timekeeping systems and their integration with payroll.
• Understanding of payroll laws, including FLSA, FRMLA, IRS regulations, and retirement system rules (e.g. CalPERS).
• Ability to create user guides and document payroll processes.

Supplemental Information
The Recruitment Process:
Exempt Limited Duration Employee (ELDE): This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules (per Charter Section 902f). Exempt Limited Duration positions may not exceed a period of one year.
All applications received will be forwarded to the Finance Department for further consideration.
Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration, only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.
What's in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.
Disaster Service Workers
All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
How to Apply
Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user on the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:
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If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Ellaine Reyes at .
The City of Oakland is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and offers comprehensive health and wellness services along with an array of other benefits for most positions. Benefits may include*:

• CalPERS Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Medical Waiver Plan - Cash-In-Lieu
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Benefits
• Group & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)
• Pension Benefits
• Deferred Compensation

• Specific benefits may vary depending on the assigned specific bargaining unit. Information regarding most benefits can be reviewed here: Current MOUs may be reviewed here:

Skills Required