Auditor's Payroll Technician - Confidential

Auditors Payroll Technician - Confidential

Salary

$75,303.29 - $91,520.21 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

26/08-7384-O

Department

Auditor - Controller - Treasurer - Tax Collector Office (AUD)

Opening Date

08/21/2026

Closing Date

8/31/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit

51

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position Information

Are you a payroll professional looking to take the next step in your career?

Come join the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collectors (ACTTC) Office and grow your career with the County of Sonoma!

Starting salary up to $43.85/hour ($91,520/year), plus an additional $1.50/hour confidential premium, and a competitive total compensation package!*

The ACTTC Office supports our 30 County departments and four (4) special districts. Working as the Auditors Payroll Technician-Confidential, you will interact with various departmental payroll and/or accounting staff to perform payroll tasks accurately and efficiently. Additional responsibilities may include:

• Conducting analyses and evaluating difficult and complex payroll problems
• Auditing payroll data/transactions/accounts to ensure compliance with regulations and procedures
• Maintaining confidential employee files
• Acting as a liaison to County departments, employees, insurance carriers, and service suppliers to ensure correct administration of employee salaries and benefits
• Correctly applying a broad knowledge of state and federal tax laws and regulations and the Countys Civil Service Rules
• Providing excellent customer service to employees and other agencies
• Reading, interpreting, explaining, and implementing aspects of 11 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), the Salary Resolution, and a variety of County policies and procedures

The ideal candidate will be a payroll professional with at least two years of payroll/accounting and/or auditing experience. They will also possess many of the following:

• A passion for guiding others through the county payroll process and being comfortable presenting to departments and other Payroll Clerks
• The ability to exercise considerable discretion and judgment in resolving payroll issues
• Attention to detail to ensure accuracy for auditing incoming payroll data
• Experience performing research, data compilation, and to take corrective action as needed
• Excellent customer service skills, with the ability to communicate professionally with a wide range of customers
• Familiarity with human resources and financial data systems such as HRIS, UKG Dimensions, and EFS (Enterprise Financial Systems)

The Office

ACTTCs Office provides a broad range of quality accounting, financial reporting, auditing, collection, financing, and investing services to County departments, agencies, districts, and the public. Its mission is to provide reliable and relevant financial services in an efficient, ethical, and effective manner to the citizens of Sonoma County while promoting fiscal responsibility and accountability. The Office is composed of nine divisions, which are overseen by an executive management team that includes the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector and three Assistants. ACTTC is staffed by 107 full-time employees and has an annual budget of approximately $167 million.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing youre working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Confidential Premium - Positions designated "Confidential" receive an additional $1.50/hour premium on top of the hourly pay rate
• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay - Annual benefit allowances of up to $1250 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation - 1.9% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education
• Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill an Auditors Payroll Technician - Confidential position in the ACTTC Office. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Any combination of work experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, two years of recent payroll experience, preferably with a public agency would provide such opportunity.

Education: Any combination of education which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, academic courses in business administration, legal practices, bookkeeping, auditing and/or accounting would provide this opportunity. A Certified Payroll Professional Certificate (CPP) is desirable.

License: Possession of a valid drivers license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: legal statutes, civil procedures, federal and state taxing regulations, including liability and penalties for non compliance; memoranda of understanding with unions, unrepresented and contract employees; penalties which may be levied for failure to follow court ordered payroll deductions; principles and practices of payroll administration; modern office principles and procedures.

Working knowledge of: accounting principles and practices; research methodology and basic statistics; the operations and functions of County government, including budget methods, problem analysis and employee relations; computer programs used to process payroll; current and pending tax and benefit legislation as applied to payroll.

Ability to: investigate difficult and complex payroll problems and process correcting entries; manage and maintain complex payroll records to ensure legal requirements are met; sensitive to political issues that arise within the context of payroll, litigation and settlement determination; assist in developing effective policies and procedures to meet all payroll requirements; interpret and apply laws, regulations, ordinances and regulations within the context of payroll; plan, organize and research statistical work relating to various aspects of payroll management; establish and maintain cooperative and harmonious working relationships with co-workers, staff and other departments and employees who are seeking information; operate electronic information system equipment at a speed of 40 words per minute.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicants application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, drivers license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to candidates.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted in person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CG/JT

HR Technician: VH

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits: General*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired.

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution. For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

• Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01

Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.

• I would also like to be considered for future part-time positions
• I would also like to be considered for future extra-help positions
• I am only interested in full-time positions

02

This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English/Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions and your level of proficiency.

• Yes, I have basic (conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• Yes, I have fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• No, I do not have English/Spanish bilingual skills, and/or I do not wish to be considered for a bilingual position

03

How did you first learn about this opportunity?

• Careers in Government
• College or University
• County of Sonoma Human Resources Office
• DiversityJobs
• Employee of Sonoma County
• Facebook
• Glassdoor
• GovernmentJobs.com
• Indeed
• Instagram
• Job Fair
• Latino Service Providers
• LinkedIn
• Los Cien
• Press Democrat
• sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
• Start Here!
• X (Twitter)
• Veterans Services Office
• Womens Organization or Group
• Other Internet Site
• Other Publication

04

For this question and all subsequent questions, please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions may be reviewed by hiring managers.

Please describe your training, education, and two or more years of experience related to processing accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and personnel records transactions. Please include:

• Relevant positions, and detail your job title, employer name, dates of employment (mm/yy-mm/yy), and a description of your primary responsibilities
• Your relevant academic coursework, degrees, and/or certifications in the areas of business administration, legal practice, bookkeeping, accounting, or closely related subjects

05

Please describe a complex payroll problem you successfully addressed. Detail the situation, parties impacted, your role, and the outcome.

06

Please describe your experience interpreting contractual/legal requirements that affect employee benefits, insurance, Social Security, tax withholdings, allowances, and/or related entitlements. Provide a specific example that best exemplifies your experience and describe the situation, your approach to addressing it, and the outcome.

Required Question

Employer County of Sonoma (CA)

Address 575 Administration Drive, Suite 116B

Santa Rosa, California, 95403

Phone (707) 565-1701

Website http://www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org