Human Resources Consultant 2 - Processing

Salary: $4,602.00 - $6,198.00 Monthly
Location : Mount Vernon, WA
Job Type: Classified
Job Number: C24-005
Department:Human Resources
Opening Date: 01/25/2024
Position Summary
The Opportunity: The Human Resource Consultant 2 works in partnership with the HR team to provide a wide range of high-volume, time-sensitive electronic and paper-based employment records processing, which serves as the primary data flow for our semi-monthly payroll cycles. This position will have primary responsibility for entering employment information into the current HRIS system known as ctcLink, other supporting databases, which may include the WA State Benefits 24/7 system and NEOGOV, and tracking systems using software tools like Excel. Daily duties include, but are not limited to transactional employment processing, which includes reviewing, entering, tracking, filing, and maintaining employee onboarding, change, termination, and job record paperwork; preparation and dissemination of employment related correspondence; routine audits; interaction with applicants, employees, managers, and guests through phone, email, online, and in-person communications; resolution of pay and time reporting discrepancies; and general HR office support. The incumbent will facilitate new hire paperwork sessions for new employees and may help manage processing for volunteers.
This position requires a high attention to detail, accurate and timely data entry into the HRIS, excellent organizational and time management skills, critical thinking aptitude, and good communication with employees, supervisors and managers, college leadership, and HR staff. Success in this position requires excellent customer service, and technical and specialized knowledge of personnel forms, Human Resource and Payroll information systems, employment requirements, pay systems, and records management.
This position is 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, and requires an on-campus presence. Remote work may be approved on an intermittent basis.
The Location: Skagit Valley College is on the traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish People's, especially on Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Samish Indian Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe. Located in a geographically diverse region between the dynamic metropolitan hubs of Seattle and Vancouver, BC, SVC is never far from world-class outdoor recreation, urban arts scenes, and local cultural events. SVC serves our local communities with a campus in Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, and centers in Friday Harbor, a Marine Technology Center in Anacortes, and a Brewing Academy in Burlington.
Mission: Skagit Valley College cultivates student learning and achievement; contributes to the educational, personal, and economic success of students; and promotes equitable and thriving communities.
Vision: The primary focus of Skagit Valley College is student-centered teaching and learning. We are committed to:

• Equitable student outcomes in access, achievement, and community;
• Our Guiding Principles;
• Decisions based on strategy and evidence;
• The development of our employees;
• A diverse and inclusive college community where everyone belongs.

Guiding Principles: Respect, Integrity, Open and Honest Communication, Collaboration, and Compassion.
About SVC:Established in 1926, Skagit Valley College is a comprehensive community college within the (SBCTC) providing associates and bachelor's degrees, as well as certificates, in high-quality academic transfer pathways, workforce training, basic education for adults, and lifelong learning opportunities. Our equity goals align with SBCTC's Vision statement: "Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities."SVC's commitment to equity and social justice drives our collective work to increase access to higher education, inspire student learning and achievement, and strengthen our diverse community. We embrace equity through our core themes of access, achievement, and community by pursuing the continuous examination and revision of norms, policies, and practices to foster the success of all.
SVC aspires to reflect the diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic demographics in the district, particularly a growing Latinx population. As an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) SVC seeks equity-minded leadership, faculty, and staff that are committed to inclusive practices and diverse environments where students from all backgrounds can thrive via multidisciplinary collaboration and the implementation of an array of services. Candidates representing all aspects of diversity are encouraged to apply. Skagit Valley College offers:

• An unrelenting focus on our mission to improve the lives of our students and to strengthen our diverse community.
• Support for innovative teaching, learning, and scholarship.
• Exciting opportunities for personal and career growth.
• Diverse cultural and environmental benefits of rural, suburban, and urban lifestyles.
• Friendly, supportive, and diverse work environments.
• Excellent benefits include competitive leave packages and an array of health, dental, vision, and retirement plans to meet your current and future needs.

Duties and Responsibilities
Employment Processing

• Manage new hire intake and assist new employees with employment forms;
• Review and input new employee information into the HRIS while following strict onboarding timelines;
• Process employee separation information ensuring final pay is correct;
• Process employee status changes, such as job changes, pay changes, supervisor changes, budget code changes;
• Process employee retirements (e.g. initiate sick leave payoff, tenure buyout processing, etc.);
• Create, maintain and disable employee records and accounts (e.g. active directory, training, email, etc.);
• Manage the student employee quarterly review and process student job status changes;
• Manage the monthly step increment process;
• May process volunteer applications, track volunteer assignments, and submit volunteer hours to payroll according to payroll timelines;
• May enter health enrollment, change and termination information into the State of Washington Benefits 24/7 system ensuring compliance with data entry timeframes, effective dates, and payroll schedule deadlines;
• Develop and integrate solutions for providing more efficient Human Resource and Payroll services such as internal office procedures and checklists, processing forms, and guidance documents as appropriate;
• Interpret and apply laws, Washington state rules, college policies, collective bargaining agreement provisions, and internal office procedures to initiate appropriate employment and payroll actions;
• Respect and maintain strict confidentiality of visual, verbal, and written information;
• Ensure employment processing and payroll timelines are met.

Communications

• Meet with new hires, and interact daily with employee customers by responding to inquiries (in person, via phone and e-mail) from College staff and the public regarding employment, personnel, and payroll matters while assuring that employees are appropriately escalated for answers to non-routine employment, pay, retirement, and benefit questions;
• Provide consultation to supervisors and managers regarding employment actions;
• Prepare and send new hire intake, onboarding, job change, and employment separation correspondence;
• Send new employee and employment separation announcements to appropriate College personnel;
• Follow up with employees, supervisors, and departments as needed to assure accurate and timely completion of required employment documents;
• Coordinate and consult with the Human Resources Manager, Director, and/or Associate Vice President on issues that have an impact, that may be precedent setting, or that have unique or unusual circumstances, including potential liabilities to the College;
• May help prepare and send benefits enrollment and termination correspondence;
• May participate in new employee Meet & Greet sessions.

Audits, Compensation and Reporting

• Work with employees to resolve pay issues such as repayment of overpayments and correction of underpayments;
• Retrieve queries and create informational reports; perform regular data audits of HRIS data.

Record Keeping

• Establish and maintain appropriate tracking systems (temporary and non-permanent assignments, temporary reclassifications, Step M eligibility, etc.)
• Create and maintain documentation related to personnel and payroll matters;
• Oversee maintenance of employment records, taking responsibility for the integrity of personnel files;
• Provide training and direction for part-time processing and file room support staff;
• Prepare files for archiving in compliance with appropriate record retention rules.

HR Department Support
In the absence of front desk support:

• Oversee the department's two general email inboxes, and distribute/escalate inquiries or respond as appropriate;
• Provide back-up support to the primary HR office phone line as needed;
• Respond to requests for verifications of employment;
• Respond to requests for information (e.g. copies of W-2s) following department data security procedures;
• Process and respond to unemployment insurance claims;
• Serve as liaison between employee and payroll by assisting employees with the lost and stolen check process and troubleshooting timesheet and absence issues;
• Receive, sort, and distribute office mail;
• Receive, process, route, mail and/or file paper forms, documents, and correspondence according to department procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Must have ability to:

• Develop positive relationships and effectively interact within all levels of the organization and with external customers by being highly responsive, non-judgmental, and supportive;
• Maintain a professional, positive service attitude under sometimes stressful situations;
• Communicate both orally and in writing to respond to and initiate communication with applicants, employees, and staff, other educational institutions, and outside agencies;
• Demonstrate ownership of the work while taking responsibility for resolving errors;
• Work productively in a team environment while taking the initiative to complete tasks independently;
• Adapt easily to changing business needs, conditions, and work responsibilities;
• Demonstrate a good sense of humor;
• Contribute to equity and inclusion by fostering a climate of multicultural appreciation and awareness, and work effectively with populations representing diverse backgrounds, cultures, life experiences and various learning and working styles;
• Apply analytic and problem-solving capabilities to accomplish work tasks and perform detailed work with accuracy;
• Work with and maintain the security of highly confidential data;
• Prioritize and manage time effectively to process a high volume of time-sensitive transactions often with interruptions, and adjusting priorities quickly in response to urgent needs;
• Interpret policies, procedures, collective bargaining contract provisions, laws, rules, and work directions provided in verbal and written form;
• Arrive to work at the scheduled time and be reliable in attendance;

Must be skilled in:

• Computer use for written communication, data entry, spreadsheets, and report creation;
• Microsoft Excel, and be able to create, maintain and use formulas and functions to track, calculate, and analyze information;
• Microsoft Word, and be able to create, revise, and maintain correspondence, forms, templates, and documentation;
• Microsoft Outlook, and be able to compose and send emails, and manage calendars;

Must have knowledge or understanding of:

• Federal and State employment laws and regulations;
• Human resource management practices and procedures, including employment, compensation, payroll processing, and reporting practices, preferably in a public sector environment;
• HRIS, related databases, and related reporting;
• Collective bargaining contract provisions;
• Business and office technology.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• One (1) year of professional level Human Resources, Payroll, or closely related administrative support experience;
  
• Strong technological and data entry skills attained by extensive experience with data processing, payroll processing, spreadsheet management, or similar data entry work with information systems.

Desired Qualifications:

• Human resource or payroll experience in a higher education or government setting.
• HRMS, PPMS, or PeopleSoft experience.
• Understanding of employment classifications, payroll processing, and wage and hour laws.
• Knowledge of human resource office practices and procedures, State and Federal employment rules and laws, and provisions of negotiated agreements.
• Experience working in a union environment.

Salary, Benefits, Conditions of Employment, Application Procedure

• Salary is based on Range 53, Step A, $4,602 per month with periodic increments to $6,198 per month. Salary placement is typically made at the starting salary for the range. Placement higher in the range may be considered for qualifications and experience. Salary and benefits are subject to change in accordance with legislative mandates and collective bargaining agreements.
• This position is eligible for overtime pay in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• This is a confidential classified position and is not included in the classified staff non-supervisory bargaining unit represented by the Washington Public Employees Association, WP...