TXCC - Payroll & Travel Specialist (Accountant V)

Agency Information

The Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) is the states front line of cyber defense, established by the 89th Texas Legislature to protect Texans, critical infrastructure, and government systems from evolving cyber threats. Headquartered in San Antonio (a national hub of cybersecurity talent), TXCC unites threat detection, incident response, and statewide cyber readiness under one mission-driven agency to establish Texas as the most cyber-resilient state in the nation. At TXCC, your work doesnt just sit in a queue - it actively secures, protects, defends, and educates over 31 million Texans every day. Position reports to San Antonio office.

Job Description

Performs highly complex (senior-level) payroll and travel accounting work. Work involves overseeing and performing the agency¿s payroll and travel accounting functions; developing and maintaining payroll and travel procedures and internal controls; reconciling and analyzing payroll expenditures; reviewing payroll and travel transactions for accuracy and compliance; and analyzing and recommending improvements to payroll and travel processes in compliance with the General Appropriations Act, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts¿ rules and regulations, and applicable state and federal laws. Serves as the agency¿s subject matter expert for payroll and travel. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Payroll and travel transactions are subject to final supervisory review and approval in accordance with agency internal control procedures.

Essential Job Duties

• Oversees and prepares monthly and supplemental payrolls in the Centralized Accounting Payroll Personnel System (CAPPS) HR/Payroll, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with state and federal laws, regulations, and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts¿ requirements.

• Develops, documents, and maintains payroll and travel procedures, desk manuals, and internal controls over payroll and travel disbursements.

• Analyzes payroll and travel processes and recommends improvements, adaptations, or revisions to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and internal control.

• Reviews payroll, travel, and related transactions and documentation prepared by others as part of the agency¿s internal control process; identifies, researches, and resolves discrepancies and errors.

• Reconciles payroll and payroll-related expenditures, deductions, and adjustments to CAPPS and the Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS) monthly and at fiscal and calendar year end; researches discrepancies and coordinates corrections with the Comptroller.

• Develops, coordinates, and produces complex reports and analyses of payroll expenditures, including employee salaries, Benefit Replacement Pay, longevity, and related changes, for monitoring and reporting agency financial information.

• Maintains payroll records and coordinates data compilation for required federal and state reports, including year-end and annual financial reporting.

• Interprets and applies the General Appropriations Act, Texas Government Code, state travel rules, and federal regulations to complex payroll and travel issues; provides technical guidance to management and agency employees.

• Audits travel and meal reimbursement vouchers for compliance with state rules and regulations prior to final approval.

• Oversees the travel advance fund, including auditing vouchers, processing advances, verifying repayments and reimbursements, and reconciling fund balances.

• Serves as the agency¿s primary point of contact for payroll and travel audits, including Comptroller post-payment audits and internal and external audit requests; prepares responses and implements corrective actions.

• Develops and delivers training to agency employees on payroll and travel rules, regulations, and procedures, in person or virtually.

• Performs related work as assigned.

Qualifications

Must meet applicable U.S. citizenship requirements, successfully complete required background screening, and maintain eligibility to access the systems, facilities, and information necessary to perform assigned duties. Must successfully complete and maintain applicable operational-readiness, incident-management, and other required training within established timeframes.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in:

• Payroll processing using CAPPS HR/Payroll

• Travel Claim processing using CAPPS Financials claims.

The minimum years of required experience may be gained concurrently through overlapping roles or responsibilities.

Acceptable Substitutions:

Additional related work experience may be used to substitute the formal education requirement on a year-for-year basis. Candidates must possess a high school diploma or equivalent certificate.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

Experience developing or maintaining payroll or travel procedures and internal controls.

Experience responding to Texas Comptroller post-payment audits or other financial audits.

Experience developing or delivering training on payroll or travel rules and procedures.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Governmental accounting, financial administration, and fiscal accounting principles and practices.

• State and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing payroll, travel, and financial operations, including the General Appropriations Act and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts¿ rules.

• Internal control and audit principles as applied to payroll and travel disbursements.

Skill in:

• Use of CAPPS HR/Payroll, CAPPS Financials, and USAS.

• Microsoft Excel, including advanced skills in formulas, pivot tables, and lookup functions, to analyze and reconcile large data sets.

• Use of remote meeting applications (Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom, etc.).

• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with management, co-workers, the public, and staff of other state agencies.

Ability to:

• Independently manage payroll and travel accounting functions and meet recurring deadlines.

• Develop procedures and internal controls, and to analyze and recommend process improvements.

• Analyze, consolidate, and interpret complex accounting data and to prepare clear, accurate reports.

• Audit payroll and travel documents for compliance with state rules and regulations.

• Perform complex accounting entries and reconciliations.

• Interpret and apply complex state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

• Review the work of others for accuracy and compliance.

• Train others and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

• Work accurately with numerical detail.

Working Conditions

• Frequent use of computers, copiers, printers, and telephones.
• Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening, and talking.
• Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others.
• Occasional bending, stooping, lifting, and climbing.

Military/Veteran Information

Military Occupation Specialty Code

The Military Occupation Specialty Codes applicable to this position can be found at this link.

Selective Service Registration

Section 651.005 of the Government Code requires males, ages 18 through 25 years, to provide proof of their Selective Service registration or proof of their exemption from the requirement as a condition of state employment.

Additional Information

H-1B Visa Sponsorship

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. Texas Cyber Command employees must be a citizen of the United States.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Texas Cyber Command does not exclude anyone from consideration for recruitment, selection, appointment, training, promotion, retention, or any other personnel action, or deny any benefits or participation in programs or activities, which it sponsors on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability. Please call 512-463-5920 to request reasonable accommodation.

How to Apply

Application Requirements

Every application must reflect a full employment history for each job held. You may provide this either directly in the Work History section of your application or as an attached résumé, but either way, each position listed must include:

• Job title
• Name of employer
• Employment start and end dates (month and year)
• A summary of the duties and responsibilities you held

If a listed position was part-time, please note that in the work history section or on your résumé.

Applicants must also answer the supplemental questions in the job application. Applications missing this information may be treated as incomplete and will not move forward in the review process.

Additional Application Information

• Fields that dont apply to you should be marked "N/A."
• If youre relying on education (rather than experience) to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, please attach a copy of your college transcript to your application.
• Leaving out required information could result in your application being disqualified from consideration.

Applying Through Work In Texas (WIT)

If youre applying via Work In Texas, youll also need to complete the set of supplemental questions before your application can be considered. These questions are only in CAPPS Recruit, so youll need to register for or sign in to your candidate profile: Access CAPPS Candidate Gateway

Need some help putting together a résumé? Work In Texas offers a "Create a Résumé" tool for job seekers on their website.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, please reach out to TXCC Human Resources at careers@txcc.texas.gov.