Assistant Manager, BFS Payroll Office

Position Number: 40035496

Payroll Title: PAYROLL SUPV 1 (006940)

Job Code: 006940

Job Open Date: 2/17/2026

Application Review Begins: 3/4/2026

Department Code (Name): CTLR (CONTROLLER)

Percentage of Time: 100%

Union Code (Name): 99

Employee Class (Appointment Type): Staff: Career

FLSA Status: Exempt

Classified Indicator Description (Personnel Program): PSS

Salary Grade: Grade 21

Pay Rate/Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $71,600 to $85,550/year. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable, and consistent pay practices at the University. The full salary range for this position is $71,600 to $127,400/year.

Work Location: Student Affairs & Admin Svs - 3201B

Working Days and Hours: M-F;8-5pm

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Type of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangement, if applicable: Other
BFS supports a hybrid agreement for this position and will continue to do so as long as it makes sense for the position and meets the campus policies.

Special Instructions:

For full consideration, please include a resume and a cover letter as part of your application.

Department Marketing Statement:

In support of the UCSB Mission and UC Statement of Ethical Values, Business & Financial Services is an integral campus and community partner, providing sustainable value-added services and solutions to ensure responsible compliance and stewardship.

Benefits of Belonging

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health are just one of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC

Brief Summary of Job Duties:

The Assistant Payroll Manager supports the Payroll Manager in overseeing campus-wide payroll operations and ensuring accurate, compliant processing for all employee groups. This position supervises payroll staff, provides expert guidance on UCPath processes, and manages complex payroll and tax compliance activities, including nonresident alien tax regulations and GLACIER administration. The Assistant Payroll Manager acts as a primary resource to departments, resolves escalated payroll issues, and ensures timely completion of high-volume payroll transactions and corrections. This role requires strong leadership skills, technical expertise, and the ability to interpret and apply University policies, labor contracts, IRS regulations, and federal and state payroll requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, human resources, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• 4-6 years Increasing responsibility and work experience in payroll, HR operations, accounting, or related administrative work.
• 4-6 years Experience supervising or leading staff, including performance management and workflow oversight, and training staff.
• 4-6 years Strong understanding of payroll processes, labor contracts, compensation rules, and HR policies.
• 4-6 years Ability to analyze complex data, identify discrepancies, and resolve issues with accuracy and timeliness.
• 4-6 years Strong communication and customer service skills; ability to explain payroll policies to staff, departments, and employees.
• 4-6 years Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive payroll and personnel information.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education or a large, complex organization.
• Experience working with payroll systems (e.g., UCPath, Glacier, FinHub, AWS, Tioga, Oracle Finanacial, Student Information System).
• Knowledge of nonresident alien tax rules, IRS regulations, and tax treaty eligibility.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employee sponsorship
• Satisfactory criminal history background check
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement:

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Job Functions and Percentages of Time:

• 50% Supervision & Team Management - Provides direct supervision to four full-time career staff in accordance with University personnel policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements. Oversees staffing activities including hiring, reclassifications, promotions, performance evaluations, goal setting, and ongoing progress monitoring. Establishes and enforces productivity, quality, and timeliness standards. Interprets and enforces payroll policy, and works with Employee & Labor Relations on disciplinary actions, grievances, and complaint resolution. Assigns and prioritizes work, manages employee relations, and ensures clear communication within the team. Directly manages and oversees the work of Payroll Assistants, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely completion of tasks. Meets regularly with staff to address questions, resolve issues, provide coaching, offer recognition, and adjust work schedules as needed. Monitors attendance, work habits, and adherence to work expectations.
• 20% Glacier Tax Compliance (Nonresident Alien Tax) - Monitors the GLACIER Tax Compliance system and assists nonresident alien employees with tax issues, residency determinations, and tax treaty eligibility. Applies expert knowledge of IRS regulations and federal tax requirements related to nonresident aliens. Advises departments and employees on visa types, allowable exemptions, required tax forms, withholding rates, and documentation requirements. Coordinates residency and tax compliance processes using GLACIER; establishes records and communicates instructions to new hires. Reviews tax documentation for accuracy and completeness; follows up with individuals who have not completed required steps. Supports the UCSB-UCPath business process for NRA compliance, serving as a liaison with the UCPath Center to resolve cases and system issues. Reviews and analyzes non-payroll payments to nonresident aliens to ensure immigration and tax compliance. Works with SalesForce ticketing system to manage and resolve GLACIER and NRA tax-related cases. Assists the Tax Analyst with annual tax treaty renewals for 200+ nonresident alien employees.
• 20% Payroll Operations & UCPath Support - Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for UCPath payroll processes on behalf of UCSB. Collaborates with the Payroll Manager to design, refine, and document local payroll business processes. Manages accrual processing for career, limited, and academic staff in UCPath. Acts as a central point of contact between departments and the UCPath Center to troubleshoot issues, escalate cases, and recommend solutions. Applies knowledge of HR, payroll, compensation, and personnel policies to ensure correct processing. Approves overpayments and serves as backup approver for final pay and missed pay transactions. Reviews payroll error reports (e.g., >80 hours, zero-net checks, pay group changes, active employees with no pay), ensuring all employees are paid accurately and on time through on-cycle or off-cycle processing. Supports mass upload file submissions for campus units (e.g., NEXUS, Housing & Dining, Recreation, DSP, Family Vacation Center, Extension, Guest House, Summer Sessions). Prepares template files, reviews for accuracy, submits uploads, and monitors I618 files to ensure successful processing. Resolves data errors prior to deadlines and collaborates with departments on corrections. Performs additional payroll duties such as benefit cost transfers, accrual management, and overpayment reclassifications. Coordinate with the UCSB Office of the Registrar, Summer Sessions, and UCPath to prepare the FICA schedule, ensuring the timely and accurate upload of the Student FICA Interface File (I-156) to UCPath. Verify academic terms, sessions, and add/drop periods, and review and audit I-156 inbound files against registration records. Collaborate with employees and UCPath to resolve cases where FICA was withheld in error. Conduct verification checks in Glacier for immigration status, the Student Information System for enrolled units, and UCPath for payroll accuracy. Provide campus-wide support for the Tracker I-9.
• 10% Labor Ledger Support - Assists departments with payroll and general ledger issues, researching discrepancies and preparing payroll adjustments or journal entries. Interprets payroll policies and procedures and provides guidance to campus units.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy:

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs.
As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information, please visit University of California Policy on Vaccinations - https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy

*Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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