STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Payroll Coordinator

Recruitment #260421-1317AR-001

Introduction


Looking to take your career to the next level at the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP)? If so, check out the unique opportunity below!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) is recruiting to fill multiple Payroll Coordinator positions in the Payroll Unit. In this role, you will play a vital part in supporting payroll and benefits operations for approximately 1,600 employees across a 24/7 agency. This includes both managerial staff and employees from various bargaining units. Are you detail-oriented, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and have a solid background in payroll? If so, DESPP is looking for you!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
• Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
• Telework is available after completion of your working test period
• 13 paid State holidays and monthly accrual of paid sick and vacation leave
• Opportunities for in-service training with Connecticut Community Colleges
• Union negotiated benefits including but not limited to Alternate Work Schedule, Tuition Reimbursement and Sick Leave Bank
• Centrally located in Connecticut, exit 20 off I-91

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 
• Audit payroll and benefit reports containing primarily 24/7 law enforcement personnel;
• Audit attendance records related to various types of leave (FMLA, Worker's Compensation, Military, etc.);
• Identify attendance issues in Time and Attendance software and Payroll software and work with supervisors for resolution;
• Calculate payments related to payouts, stipulated agreements, retro, etc;
• Apply specific bargaining unit contract requirements as related to payroll including stipends, shift differential, stipulated agreements, etc.
• Prepare and process biweekly payroll for assigned employee groups

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:
• Has a strong background in the full cycle of payroll processing
• Collaborates with team members to ensure accuracy and timeliness
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
• Demonstrates attention to detail and organizational skills
• Is comfortable working within a large, diverse agency

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information

 

Join us in supporting the dedicated professionals who keep Connecticut safe and secure. Apply today and make a meaningful impact!

A Message from our Commissioner:
DESPP is committed to protecting and improving the quality of life for all by providing a broad range of public safety services, training, regulatory guidance, and scientific services utilizing enforcement, prevention, education and state of the art science and technology. DESPP is structured on three key Strategic Pillars created by Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.

1. Operational Efficiency, Efficacy and Excellence • Making decisions through the thoughtful and informed use of data • Challenging the "that's the way it's always been done" construct—i.e., thinking outside the box as to how we can improve • Constantly seeking better results

2. Shared Fiscal Responsibility • Recognizing our collective responsibility to steward the agency's resources • Realigning planned budgetary actions to ensure that they are in taxpayers' interests • Preparing together for potential budget stresses and fiscal challenges

3. Ethics and Accountability • Critically and constantly measuring our practices against our policies • Performing quarterly performance evaluations agency-wide to measure success and flag areas needing improvement • Regularly engaging external partners for feedback and assessments • Opening our doors to Connecticut students and workers for apprenticeships, internships, and career pathways.

Selection Plan

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS RECRUITMENT

Candidate selected for an interview must provide the following at the time of interview:

  • State Employees: Two (2) most recent performance evaluations and a completed CT-HR-13 form.
  • Non-State Employees: Two (2) professional references contact information (Name, Email and Phone Number) and a completed CT-HR-13 form.

We will also ask all candidates to bring a copy of their unofficial transcript(s). 

 

Candidates who have been selected for employment with the Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection are subject to a detailed background investigation, including a fingerprint supported state and federal criminal history record check along with reference checks. Selection for employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the background investigation. Click here to complete the Criminal Convictions addendum.

Also considered in this selection process: Any pending or disciplinary history within the past 2 years and review of attendance records. Failure to provide the required documents listed above or submit your application accurately and on time, will eliminate you from the recruitment process.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING: 

Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources?  Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process. 

 

BEFORE YOU APPLY: 

  • Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.  
  • Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting. 
  • Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency. 
  • Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift. 
  • Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State.  Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov
  • Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other. 
  • Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

 

AFTER YOU APPLY: 

  • Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).   
  • Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression! 
  • Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.  
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.  
  • Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

 

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP: 

Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Rachel Allsop via email, Rachel.Allsop@ct.gov.


Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency, facility or institution this class is accountable for performing a combination of basic paraprofessional work, and highly complex clerical work in fiscal and administrative functions.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Performs paraprofessional level work in fiscal and administrative activities; 
  • Independently performs bookkeeping and basic accounting activities such as maintaining, balancing, and reconciling an interrelated group of accounts; 
  • Independently accountable for an accounts receivable or accounts payable process including varied and complex procedures and activities; 
  • Prepares simple financial statements and assists in preparation of complex financial statements; 
  • Calculates rates involving complex arithmetical formulas; 
  • Gathers and consolidates payroll and expenditure data for budget preparation; 
  • Ensures that expenditures plus encumbrances are within appropriation limits; 
  • Reviews routine expenditures for compliance with itemized budgets; 
  • Utilizes EDP systems for financial records and reports; 
  • Independently performs purchasing functions including preparing and processing purchase orders and requisitions, authorizing routine purchase orders, and preparing requests for proposals; 
  • Independently prepares renewal or new contracts based on awards; 
  • Ensures that routine payments are in compliance with contract provisions; 
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Knowledge of
    • bookkeeping, financial record keeping and basic governmental accounting principles and practices; 
    • basic procedures of budget preparation and control; 
    • payroll procedures, purchasing procedures and contract preparation; 
  • Skills
    • interpersonal skills; 
    • oral and written communication skills; 
  • Considerable ability in arithmetic computations; 
  • Ability to
    • audit financial documents; 
    • understand and apply statutes and regulations; 
    • utilize EDP systems for financial management.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Four (4) years of experience in complex clerical work in one or more fiscal/administrative functions such as accounting, accounts examining, budget management, grant administration, payroll, or purchasing.

NOTE: Complex clerical work is defined as generally routine fiscal/ administrative work, such as financial record keeping or examining, bookkeeping, requisitioning or payroll preparation at or above the level of Financial Clerk. Descriptions of these fiscal/administrative functions are attached

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  • College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of two (2) years.
  • One (1) year as a Pre-Professional Trainee in fiscal/administrative work may be substituted for the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience in payroll preparation for a 24/7 operation.
  • Experience utilizing Time and Attendance software to research and analyze employee timesheet entries.
  • Experience monitoring and auditing attendance records for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Military Leave, and Workers Comp.
  • Experience analyzing and auditing payroll reports for additional pay entries, reimbursements, rotating schedules, and overtime assignments.
  • Experience manually calculating payments for stipulated agreements, retroactive pay, termination, retirement payouts, and manual checks.
  • Experience processing payroll in a unionized setting with multiple (more than one) collective bargaining unit contracts.
  • Experience with Microsoft Excel to create financial reports using functions such as pivot tables, VLOOKUP, or formulas.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Persons having responsibility for supervising or observing the behavior of inmates or custodial individuals will be required to possess a high school diploma or General Educational Development (G.E.D.) certification by the time of permanent appointment.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.


Click on a link below to apply for this position:

Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet.