Payroll: Unit Administrator 1

The University of New Mexico, Office of the University Controller, also known as Financial Services, located on Main Campus is responsible for all central accounting functions for the University.

It is the responsibility of the Controller's Office aka Financial Services to ensure compliance with all financial policies, rules, and regulations adopted by the University or imposed by external agencies, including state and federal audit requirements, following generally accepted accounting practices. Additionally, the Controller's Office oversees the maintenance of the official financial records of the University.

Within Financial Services is the Payroll Department which has an exciting opportunity for a Unit Administrator 1. The Payroll Department is the sole department responsible for processing payroll, distributing salary, and wage payments to all UNM faculty, staff, and student employees.

Join Our Team and Make an Impact!
We're on the lookout for a collaborative and enthusiastic individual eager to dive into the exciting world of supporting UNM's Payroll Department. If you thrive in a team environment, love learning new skills, and are ready to contribute to meaningful initiatives, we invite you to apply.

What We're Seeking!
The ideal candidate is a proactive self-starter with exceptional interpersonal skills and outstanding organizational abilities. You should be adept at juggling multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a sharp eye for detail. Strong verbal and written communication skills, a commitment to excellent customer service, flexibility, and the ability to work independently are essential for success in this role.

The Unit Administrator 1 will provide primary administrative support for the Payroll Department, handling front-line customer service, managing communications, and assisting with clerical and accounting tasks to support accurate payroll processing. This individual will oversee internal operations such as purchasing, travel, and records management, while contributing to departmental planning and compliance efforts. This position supports both customer service and payroll operations, requiring a detail-oriented, organized, and approachable individual skilled in managing administrative tasks within a financial and university setting. This role is ideal for someone interested in office coordination with exposure to financial, purchasing, travel arrangements, and payroll processes in a university setting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serves as the front-line representative for all walk-in visitors, phone calls, and emails sent to the general Payroll department inbox; triages and responds to inquiries or routes them to the appropriate staff member.
• Provides administrative support to the Payroll Accounting office, including scheduling, filing, record keeping, mail distribution, and supply ordering.
• Assists payroll accounting staff with basic accounting functions such as data entry, preparing forms, document verification, and logging transactions for processing.
• Monitors and maintains payroll records to ensure accuracy and completeness, following up on missing or incomplete data as needed.
• Responds to questions from university employees regarding payroll dates, paycheck distribution, timesheet submissions, tax forms, and direct deposit setup.
• Collaborates with payroll staff to troubleshoot basic payroll issues and route more complex concerns to the appropriate personnel. Coordinates internal communication regarding deadlines, procedural changes, or documentation requirements.
• Supports special projects such as annual reporting, fiscal year-end processes, or audit preparation by organizing files, compiling data, or proofreading documents.
• Updates departmental procedures and maintains accurate records of internal workflows and standard operating procedures.
• Assists in identifying opportunities for process improvements related to customer service or data handling within the payroll office.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned to support the overall efficiency and goals of the department.

If you're ready to step into a role where your contributions will support accurate payroll processing and ensure timely, compliant compensation at UNM, we invite you to apply.

UNM is one of the top employers in New Mexico and offers great benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, discounts for sporting and other events, retirement plans, as well as generous leave allowances including paid parental leave.

Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications

See the Position Description for additional information.

• If this position is assigned to the Athletics Department, either administratively or functionally, compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations is required.

High school diploma or GED; at least 2 years of experience managing at least one of the following functional areas: fiscal services, administration and/or human resources AND 1 year of additional experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Preferences should be supported in the resume.

• Bachelor's degree and successful completion of at least 9 credit hours of university-level accounting through intermediate accounting.
• Knowledge of UNM payroll processes is a plus
• Experience working with UNM financial applications such as MyReports and Banner
• Effective time management skills to prioritize multiple ongoing work tasks to meet deadlines
• Experience communicating effectively at different levels of organization, both verbally and in writing
• Experience effectively researching and analyzing to investigate discrepancies or questions
• Experience with Microsoft Suite; Outlook and Excel preferred

Only applications submitted through
the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job
advertisement on a 3rd party site, please
visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.