Job Description
Job Description
Who we are?
Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan.
What is essential about working at our school?
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of equity and inclusion deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace diversity of ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs and seek a student body and faculty that reflect the pluralism and socio-economic diversity of metropolitan New York. We affirm both our differences and commonalities and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students’ cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives and see the world beyond the self.
We expect members of our community to engage in open dialogue about living and learning in a diverse environment inside and outside the classroom. We see this work, with its creative tensions, as a catalyst for individual and collective growth. On a daily basis, we are committed to making this vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and progressive school a reality.
Position Summary
The Associate Director of Payroll oversees payroll operations and ensures accurate and timely processing of payroll; effectively communicating policies and procedures to the ECFS community; and identifying ways to improve existing payroll processes to reflect best practices. This role will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer.
The hiring range for this position is $130,000-$150,000. When determining the salary for a position, ECFS considers factors including, but not limited to: the scope and responsibilities of the position, internal peer equity, key skills required for the role, the candidate’s work experience, education and training, as well as market and organizational considerations.
Please note that this is an onsite role and not performed remotely. Ethical Culture Fieldston School retains its right to modify job duties in accordance with changing operational needs.
Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities of the Associate Director of Payroll will include:
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Processing full-cycle semi-monthly payroll as well as implementing, maintaining, and reviewing payroll processing systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions, including salaries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, and other deductions;
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Ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations, wage and hour laws and best practices, under the direction of the CFO and in collaboration with the Controller;
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Partnering with the Human Resources Department to ensure all employees information is accurately recorded in ADP to accurately process payroll and to ensure payroll deductions and contributions (e.g. health insurance, retirement plans) are applied correctly;
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Reviewing quarterly and annual payroll-related tax filings, and conducting regular reconciliations against payroll records;
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Serving as a point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, resolving issues and explaining payroll information in a clear, customer-friendly manner;
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Coordinating with the Finance team to ensure accurate accounting and reconciliation of all payroll-related expenses in the Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT system. Assist in creating reports for School and departmental leadership to monitor payroll activity;
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May be responsible for supervising and mentoring team members, including providing training, direction, and performance feedback;
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Developing payroll training materials and provide on-going guidance to school and department administrators;
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Supporting various internal and external audits and ensuring timely implementation of proposed recommendations;
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Establishing operational protocol and analyses/recommendations of payroll system setups required for new benefits and/or new collective bargaining agreements;
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Identifying opportunities for processing improvement and partnering with HR, Finance, IT, and other stakeholders to design and implement enhancements;
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Fostering positive relationships with team members and various stakeholders; and
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Performing other related duties and related projects as needed and assigned.
Qualifications
The successful incumbent will possess:
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A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required (or equivalent work experience); CPP or FPC certification (Certified Payroll Professional or Fundamental Payroll Certification) is a plus;
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A minimum of 7 years of fiscal operations experience; prior managerial experience preferred;
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Prior experience in an education, nonprofit or unionized work environment is preferred;
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Between 5-7 years' experience working with ADP payroll systems (or similar HRIS/payroll software);
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A willingness to learn and embrace new ideas and procedures to help streamline processes and improve efficiencies; advanced Excel skills or familiarity with financial reporting tools for payroll analysis is a plus;
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Strong knowledge of New York payroll laws, wage/hour regulation, end-to-end payroll processes, best practices, and other relevant IRS regulations;
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Familiarity with benefits administration and the integration of benefit deductions (healthcare, retirement contributions, etc.) into payroll;
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Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills; and have the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, working with diplomacy and efficiency in a high-pressure, short-deadline environment;
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Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work closely and effectively with a large group of faculty and administrators;
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Must be able to work well with all levels of management, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation across the organization;
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The ability to identify issues quickly and problem solve accordingly, and to remain calm in stressful situations that may arise;
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The ability to handle confidential materials with discretion while maintaining a high level of integrity;
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A positive attitude and the ability to listen effectively and be receptive to feedback;
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The ability to work collaboratively in group settings, as well as independently, to meet project goals and team needs;
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Proficiency in utilizing and learning new technologies (i.e., Google Workspace tools);
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Reliability, punctuality, and consistent attendance; and
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The ability to cultivate a welcoming culture in which all members of our community feel valued and appreciated.
To Apply
All candidates should visit our employment page at www.ecfs.org to apply. Please send a resume and contact information for three references.
EEO
ECFS is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to be a welcoming community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to hiring practices that ensure all candidates are given fair consideration in alignment with our institutional mission and goals.