Payroll Coordinator

Title: Payroll Coordinator Series

Pay Grade: Grade 15-16

Starting Pay: $71,687.72

Departmental Mission Statement: As the financial center for the Trial Court, the Fiscal Affairs Department prepares and receives budget requests, oversees and processes all financial transactions from funds appropriated by the legislature and available through grants, trusts, and capital allocations for 119 court divisions, the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, the Administrative Offices of the seven Trial Court departments, the Sentencing Commission, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, and the Office of the Jury Commissioner.

Trial Court Fiscal Affairs Department Profile

Notes:

• Prior experience with Workers’ Compensation cases is preferred.
• The successful candidate will be expected to travel to court locations throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as per business needs.
• Effective January 25, 2026, the Trial Court will transition to a new Classification and Compensation Plan which will result in new job descriptions and pay bands. The finalist for this position will be provided with further details regarding this transition prior to an offer being extended.
• This position is designated as a union position and is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement with O.P.E.I.U., Local 6.

Position Summary: Working within the Fiscal Affairs Department of the Office of Court Management, the Payroll Coordinator is involved in all aspects of the payroll process for the Trial Court. Payroll Coordinators are responsible for reviewing and processing payrolls for the Trial Court departments, divisions, and offices, including the entry of data into the Human Resource/Compensation Management System (HR/CMS). Payroll Coordinators also perform duties on the HR/CMS help desk and special projects. The position title above the entry level performs more complex duties, including providing technical assistance and training to court personnel on payroll procedures, software application support and group insurance issues. Employees are hired at the entry level position title and are eligible for reclassification to the position title within this series consistent with the specifications for the higher-level position title. The position title reverts to the entry level when there is a vacancy.

Payroll Coordinator I - This is the entry level position title within this series. Employees are expected to perform the full range of entry level duties and to train for the next higher level.

Payroll Coordinator II - This is the second level position title within this series. Employees at this level are expected to perform higher level duties which require more knowledge of policies and procedures, and to exercise more independent judgment.

Supervision Received: Receives general direction from the Manager of Fiscal Affairs - Payroll in performing duties in accordance with established guidelines.

Major Duties:

Payroll Coordinator I

• Prepares and maintains payroll forms and files for assigned court or office payrolls and for administrative payrolls.
• Reviews and enters time and attendance and payroll information for all assigned court, office and administrative payrolls through the use of the
• Human Resource/Compensation Management System (HR/CMS) 
• Distributes bi-weekly information as necessary for assigned court, office and administrative payrolls.
• Provides EOTC/OCM Directors, courts and offices with bi-weekly payroll reports including time and attendance reports, as needed.
• Works with the Fiscal Affairs Payroll Manager on addressing payroll/insurance issues with representatives from the State Comptroller’s Office, the State
• Treasurer’s Office and the Group Insurance Commission.
• Performs calculations for various payroll processes, including insurance, tax and retirement deductions.
• Provides technical assistance and training to local court personnel.
• Provides assistance by working on the HR/CMS help desk.
• Prepares various expenditure and payroll related reports as required.
• Performs related duties and special projects as required.

Payroll Coordinator II Additional Duties

• Responsible for generating, retrieving, and analyzing data and developing reports from the Commonwealth’s Information Warehouse System.
• Responds to inquiries from the Office of the State Comptroller, State Treasurer regarding complex tax issues for all Trial Court employees.
• Provides direct assistance to employees of the Trial Court and EMPOWER (current provider) on deferred compensation issues.
• Responsible for communications for daily email to courts/divisions and offices.
• Assists in the update of HR/CMS job aids.
• Assists in maintaining the tracking issues log for HR/CMS help desk and resolving open issues. 
• Assists in providing training to court personnel on payroll procedures and guidelines.
• May prepare statistical reports for help desk.
• Performs all of the duties of the lower-level position title within this series as required.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Payroll Coordinator:

Payroll Coordinator I Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Knowledge of administrative, clerical and office procedures.
• Knowledge of Trial Court and State fiscal procedures and systems, including HR/CMS, MMARS and the Commonwealth Information Warehouse.
• A minimum of four years of experience processing payroll or accounting.
• Knowledge of basic English, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment including photocopier, fax machine, calculator, and a personal computer, including MS Excel.
• Ability to work professionally and communicate effectively with judges, court officials, court employees, and the general public.
• Ability to set up and maintain filing system.
• Ability to work independently and follow oral and written instructions.

Payroll Coordinator II Additional Requirements

• A minimum of three years of experience as a Payroll Coordinator I.
• Considerable knowledge of Trial Court and State fiscal procedures.
• Advanced knowledge of and ability to use personal computers and related software, including MS
• Excel spreadsheet and MS Access.
• Demonstrated ability to research issues and to recommend feasible solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical assistance and to assist in providing training to court personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to independently complete assignments and to handle multiple assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate the work of subordinate clerical employees.
• Ability to travel to courts throughout the Commonwealth.