Payroll Supervisor

What's the Role and What You'll Do The City of Mountain View is looking for a Payroll Supervisor who's ready to lead, roll up their sleeves, and help shape a high-performing, service-driven payroll team.

In this role, you won't just supervise-you'll be hands-on in making sure our employees are paid accurately, timely, and in full compliance with some of the most complex payroll requirements in the public sector.

If you're fueled by precision, love partnering with people and technology, and get a little spark of joy from balancing every last decimal, this is your moment!

This is an open continuous recruitment, and the first review date is Monday, August 18, 2025.

Why This Role Stands Out: * Lead AND Do: We're looking for a working supervisor - someone who can inspire a team, while also personally tackling the intricate tasks that keep payroll running smoothly.

You'll model what great looks like while helping your team grow and thrive.

* Bring Your Tech Game: This isn't old-school payroll.

You'll flex your advanced Excel skills, navigate payroll systems with fluency, and help streamline processes that ensure we stay agile and efficient.

* Stay Sharp on the Details: You'll oversee and complete complex tasks such as FMLA compliance from a payroll lens, processing tax forms, and handling critical reports like the State Controller's Report.

Accuracy, compliance, and careful follow-through are key.

* Navigate Nuance Like a Pro: From interpreting MOUs and labor contracts to understanding the finer points of tax codes and specialty pay, you'll handle the nuanced complexities of working in a labor union environment with confidence and ease.

* Collaborate and Own It: We need someone who's not just collaborative-but also highly independent when the job calls for it.

If you can follow instructions carefully and see them through with pride, you'll thrive and make a meaningful impact here.

The Essentials Experience and Training Guidelines: To thrive in this role, you should have a combination of relevant experience, education, and training that satisfies the required minimum qualifications.

Ideally, you bring: * Three years of increasingly responsible payroll experience, including at least one year in a lead or supervisory role.

* A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, human resources, or a related field is highly desirable.

Are We a Match?

What You'll Bring: * Advanced Excel Skills: You're the person who actually enjoys pivot tables, formulas, and spreadsheets-and you use them to make processes smarter.

* Payroll Technology Fluency: You know how to navigate, troubleshoot, and optimize payroll systems like a pro.

* Labor Union & MOU Knowledge: Experience working with collective bargaining agreements, tax codes, and payroll intricacies tied to MOUs is highly desirable.

* Regulatory Expertise: A clear understanding of FMLA, tax reporting requirements, and payroll compliance expectations-plus the ability to apply them correctly.

* Detail-Obsessed Accuracy: You double-check (and maybe even triple-check) your work, because you know in payroll, the little things matter.

* Independent Follow-Through: You take direction well and run with it-delivering top-quality work without needing a lot of hand-holding.

* Leadership With Heart: You mentor and support your team members, creating an environment that's inclusive, collaborative, and growth-oriented.

That's why this role isn't fully remote, but don't worry, we understand flexibility matters too, and there is flexibility once you've had time to settle into your role.

After successful completion of your probationary period, you may be eligible for a hybrid schedule and 9/80 schedule.

The control point for this position is $160,711.46.

The full salary range is $128,569.22 to $192,853.50 (posted to comply with California law). Successful candidates can expect a starting offer between $128,569.22-$192,853.50, depending on experience and qualifications, with room to grow over time.

Who You Are: You know that payroll isn't just about pushing buttons-it's about trust, service, compliance, and making sure employees feel confident and cared for.

You thrive in a fast-paced environment, stay calm under pressure, and take pride in doing things right the first time.

For this role, experience matters.

We are specifically looking for someone with strong public sector payroll expertise, including processing payroll across multiple bargaining groups (including Police and Fire with shift-based schedules) and navigating the complexities of CalPERS Classic and PEPRA membership reporting.

Handling nuanced labor agreements, tax rules, and pension structures will be a core part of your success here.

We still believe the best candidates aren't just those who check every single box-they're the ones who bring their authentic selves to the table, ready to collaborate, innovate, and lead.

But for this critical role, prior experience managing these types of payroll complexities isn't just preferred-it's essential.

Ready to put your skills, passion for payroll and leadership into action?

Get your applications in by the first review date of Monday, August 18, 2025 and let's build something great together!

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

To learn more, visit our Benefit Comparison Chart and/or the applicable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on our website.

01 How many years of full-time payroll experience do you have that included increasingly responsible duties?

Examples: resolving complex payroll issues, applying MOU language, processing CalPERS, leading audits or projects, or mentoring others.

* 5 or more years of experience * 3 to 4 years of experience * 1 to 2 years of experience * Less than 1 year of experience * I do not have payroll experience 02 Which best describes your experience supervising or leading payroll or finance staff?

* I have 1+ years in a formal supervisory role * I have lead/senior-level experience (training others, reviewing work, project lead) * I do not have supervisory or lead experience 03 Which best describes your experience working with payroll governed by labor contracts, MOUs, or shift-based schedules?

* Extensive experience (5+ years) * Moderate experience (2-4 years) * Limited experience * No experience 04 Which best describes your direct experience processing CalPERS Classic and/or PEPRA member payrolls?

* Extensive experience (5+ years) * Moderate experience (2-4 years) * Limited experience (<2 years) * No experience 05 Please rate your level of experience in In-House Payroll processing (payroll cycle, pay accuracy). * Extensive * Moderate * Limited * None 06 Please rate your level of experience in Payroll tax filings (IRS, State Controller reports). * Extensive * Moderate * Limited * None 07 Please rate your level of experience in Pension payroll reporting (CalPERS Classic/PEPRA). * Extensive * Moderate * Limited * None 08 Please rate your level of experience in Benefits deductions (health, retirement contributions). * Extensive * Moderate * Limited * None 09 Please describe a time when you identified and resolved a complex payroll or timekeeping system issue.

What was the situation, what steps did you take, and what was the outcome?

Required Question Employer City of Mountain View (CA) Address 500 Castro Street Mountain View, California, 94041 Website