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Payroll Administrator
Santa Monica, California United States City of Santa Monica Full Time $116,652.00 - $144,012.00 Annually May 10, 2026
Employer:
City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a beachside city of 8.3 square miles on the westside of Los Angeles County. Offering an environment of unparalleled natural beauty, the city is home to a mix of residential communities, commercial districts, and recreational venues. Recently named by National Geographic as one of the Top "10 Beach Cities in the World" and by TIME as one of the "Best Places to Live", Santa Monica features three miles of Pacific beaches and the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica’s residential population is approximately 93,000, increasing to an estimated 250,000 during the day with tourists, shoppers, and employees. Tourism attracts over 8 million visitors annually. The City of Santa Monica was incorporated on November 30, 1886 and subsequently adopted a City Charter in 1945. In 1947, a City Council-City Manager form of government was established. The City Council consists of seven members elected by the community at large to four year terms. The City of Santa Monica is a full-service city. City departments provide police, fire, a regional transportation network, water, refuse and recycling, streets, parking, planning, building, engineering, free public wifi, a high speed fiber optic network, parks, affordable housing, economic development, library, rent control, recreational, cultural, and educational services to the community. The City-operated Big Blue Bus regional bus service provides over 16.5 million rides for customers each year, all powered by renewable natural gas. Breeze Bike Share was Southern California's first bike share system with 500 bikes at 85 locations. In 2016, the Metro Expo Line opened connecting Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles in under an hour. The City of Santa Monica is a national leader in environmental, economic and social sustainability. The City is working toward aggressive climate action goals including: water self-sufficiency by 2020, zero waste by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. The highly-rated Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves both Santa Monica and Malibu residents. Santa Monica College (SMC), one of the state's top two-year community colleges, serves over 30,000 full-time and part-time students on several campuses and offers more than 90 fields of study. Santa Monica's strong education institutions are complemented by the 5-star rated Santa Monica Public Library system. Public safety is a top priority in the City of Santa Monica. Santa Monica Fire Department continues to maintain a Class 1 ISO rating, the highest possible rating. Santa Monica has a strong and diverse economy. Known as “Silicon Beach,” local businesses are at the leading edge of the nation’s creative economy and startup scene. Sana Monica is also home to three renowned and respected health facilities, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente. Connect with the City of Santa Monica by visiting www.santamonica.gov, follow @santamonicacity on Twitter, or sign up for the City's newsletter and emergency alerts at www.smgov.net/newsletter.
Job Description
Job Summary
Administers the City’s complex payroll function, including supervision of the City’s payroll staff.
SUPERVISION
Receives administrative direction from the Financial Operations Manager who occasionally reviews work in progress and periodically reviews work upon completion. Exercises general supervision over professional and technical staff.
Representative Duties
Administers bi-weekly payroll activities in accordance with various Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)s, employment contracts and Federal and State rules and regulations, including but not limited to Public Employers Retirement Law, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, California State Franchise Tax Board, Fair Labor Standards Act, and California Government Code.
Supervises, selects, trains, and evaluates payroll staff. Prepares performance evaluations, reviews employees time records, and approves sick leave and vacation leave requests.
Identifies and troubleshoots payroll processing problems and coordinates efforts to resolve problems.
Utilizes an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to process and record payroll and to provide a multitude of reports to City staff and government agencies.
Coordinates with the City’s Information Systems Department (ISD) to prepare and maintain the ERP system. Maintains earnings and deductions tables.
Administers payroll-related banking services and acts as the fund manager for the City’s payroll clearing account. Coordinates the recordkeeping and transfer of funds for payroll related costs, pension benefit costs and deferred compensation.
Maintains records of hours worked for City employees, using both manual and electronic timekeeping systems. Works with the ERP team to transition to new software.
Oversees the preparation and implementation of the annual payroll process, including cash out of leave days.
Assists in the CalPERS reconciliation and CalPERS reporting,and administers the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payment to CalPERS.
Works with the ERP Team and interdepartmental teams to establish and forecast payroll-related costs for budgetary and planning purposes.
Maintains accrual balances for sick leave, vacation, personal leave and various other leaves in accordance with the various MOUs.
Administers processes to record changes to withholdings, savings plans, deferred compensation, deductions for donations, and other payroll transactions. Develops and implements best practices and improvements to payroll processes.
Supervises the processing of court-ordered adjustments to payroll, such as child support and non-payment of taxes.
Coordinates with Human Resources and Information Systems staff to implement retroactive and prospective payroll changes.
Administers the preparation of annual and quarterly employer tax returns and W-2s.
Responds to inquiries related to retirement final compensation, retroactive adjustments, and miscellaneous payroll inquiries.
Performs other related duties, as assigned.
Requirements
Knowledge of:
Principles, methods, and practices of California local government payroll operations
Applicable federal, State and local laws and regulations pertaining to payroll administration
Public Employee Retirement Law
CalPERS rules and regulations
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Government accounting and reporting practices
Principles of supervision
Quantitative and management analysis techniques
Report writing techniques
Principles of effective customer service
Ability to:
Understand and support best practices and the role of technology in payroll processing
Select, supervise, train and evaluate staff
Facilitate the work of a team
Analyze, interpret, and communicate payroll-related financial data
Analyze, interpret, and explain laws, rules, regulations, memoranda of understanding, and employment contracts
Recommend, develop, and implement goals and objectives for payroll operations
Meet deadlines and respond to competing needs of City departments, making optimal use of resources
Create, prepare, and maintain accurate records and reports
Follow written and oral instructions
Maintain confidentiality
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with City employees, various businesses and agencies, and the general public
Provide effective customer service
Skill in:
Using a personal computer and applicable software applications
Work with persons from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds as well as a variety of work styles, personalities, and approaches
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.
Experience: Four years of recent, paid and progressively responsible work experience performing professional-level payroll operations duties, including two years of leading and coordinating the work of others. One year of leading and coordinating the work of others and successful completion of the City of Santa Monica’s Pre-Supervisory Academy may substitute for the two years of leading and coordinating experience. Public agency experience is desirable.
Licenses and Certificates:
Possession of a valid Class C driver license or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
Supplemental Information
HOW TO APPLY: All applicants must submit an online City application and required supplemental questions to be considered for this position. Please note , applications may be rejected if incomplete. Résumés, CVs and cover letters are not reviewed as part of the application screening process and should not be submitted.
NOTE: You must submit a copy of your college diploma/transcript with your application. Applicants who indicated receipt of degree from a foreign institution must provide United States degree and credential equivalency verification along with a copy of your college diploma/transcript. All materials must be received in the Human Resources Department no later than close of business on the application closing date. Failure to do so will result in your application being disqualified. You must upload and attach a scanned copy of your transcripts or diploma to your on-line application.
SELECTION PROCESS :
All applicants must submit clear, concise and complete information regarding their qualifications for the position. All applicants will be reviewed and only those candidates determined to be most qualified on the basis of experience and education, as submitted, will be invited to participate further in the selection process.
Testing may consist of the following and is subject to change as needs dictate:
Training & Experience Evaluation - Qualifying
Oral Interview - 100%
NOTE: If three or more qualified City employees apply and pass the examination, a promotional list will be established in addition to an open-competitive list. If fewer than three qualified City employees pass the examination, the appointing authority, in accordance with the City's civil service rules and regulations, can decline to use a promotional list, in which case a promotional list will not be established for this position.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS :
Candidates who have successfully completed all prior phases of the selection process will be subject to a thorough background investigation. The City of Santa Monica is a progressive, inclusive and culturally-rich community. As leaders in public service, we strive to be an employer of choice by attracting and retaining a highly-talented workforce where people of diverse races, religions, cultures and lifestyles thrive. Our goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where our staff are empowered to perform at their highest level and where their differences make a positive impact.
The City is an equal opportunity employer and strives to build balanced teams from all walks of life without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state and/or local law. We aim to create a workplace that celebrates and embraces the diversity of our employees. Join us!
Special assistance with the application and examination process is available, upon request, for persons with disabilities. Call (310) 458-8246, TDD (310) 458-8696 (Hearing Impaired Only).
Please note the request for reasonable accommodations must be made to Human Resources at least three work days prior to the examination.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Work is primarily performed indoors in a busy office environment with frequent interruptions. Must be able to handle a high volume of work and meet deadlines. Physical demands also include frequent sitting, standing, reaching, bending and lifting.
The City's liberal fringe benefits for full-time employment include sick leave, holiday and vacation pay, the Public Employees Retirement System, medical, dental and vision insurance, credit union, deferred compensation, tuition reimbursement, Dependent Care Assistance Plan and priority enrollment consideration at Hill & Dale Family Learning Center, Marine Park Child Development Center, and Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School.
Closing Date/Time: 5/29/2026 5:30 PM PacificSpecial Instructions
Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board.Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board.
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