What if your next job wasn’t just a role, but a place where you truly felt valued, inspired, and empowered? Imagine working for a company that’s dedicated to educating, inspiring, and empowering others, while fostering a family-like atmosphere that genuinely respects and appreciates every team member. Now, imagine that this company also offers:

• A flexible hybrid work schedule
• Strong, guiding values that drive everything we do
• Outstanding benefits to support your well-being
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day

Does that sound like a place where you’d thrive? If so, keep reading, because this is exactly what Westcliff University is all about.

Here’s a glimpse of what makes our culture amazing: At Westcliff, we strive to be the best in all we do, celebrating and supporting each team member as we grow and succeed together. As a global leader in innovative education, we’re known for our transformative, tech-driven programs and our unwavering commitment to excellence and social responsibility.

Our tagline – Educate. Inspire. Empower. – perfectly sums up our mission: to create opportunities for students and employees to achieve success through hard work and empowerment.

By joining the Westcliff team, you’ll have the chance to leave your personal mark on a growing institution, helping us shape the future of education while being part of a supportive and innovative community. Ready to feel inspired and appreciated while making a real difference?

Apply now, and let’s grow and succeed together!

HR Business Partner - Payroll

The HR Business Partner/Payroll Coordinator serves as a hands-on HR partner to assigned leaders and employees while also

supporting the accurate and timely administration of bi-weekly payroll and related payroll activities. The position provides day-to-day HR guidance on employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, organizational needs, and the employee

lifecycle, escalating complex or high-risk matters as appropriate. In addition, this position provides backup support for payroll processing, assists with employee payroll inquiries and time-sensitive issue resolution, and supports benefit deductions, new hire benefit enrollments, year-end payroll activities, and payroll compliance requirements. The role works closely with the Sr. Director of HR, Payroll Manager, Payroll Administrator, organizational leaders, Human Resources, and Finance to provide responsive HR support, maintain accurate payroll records, and contribute to departmental and cross-functional initiatives.

HR BUSINESS PARTNER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a first HR point of contact for assigned leaders and employees, building trusted partnerships and providing timely,
• practical HR guidance.
• Partner with leaders on employee relations matters, including workplace concerns, conflict resolution, attendance, conduct, and
• performance issues; escalate complex or high-risk matters as appropriate.
• Coach and support managers in the consistent application of policies, performance expectations, corrective action, and employee
• communication.
• Support employee relations reviews and workplace investigations by gathering information, maintaining appropriate
• documentation, and partnering with HR leadership on recommended next steps.
• Partner with leaders on performance management, including goal setting, performance evaluations, performance improvement
• plans, and ongoing feedback and accountability.
• Provide guidance on HR policies, procedures, and employment practices and support consistent application across assigned
• departments.
• Support employee lifecycle activities, including onboarding, employee changes, transfers, promotions, leaves, accommodations,
• and separations in partnership with appropriate HR team members.
• Partner with leaders to identify workforce needs, organizational challenges, retention concerns, and opportunities to strengthen
• employee engagement and team effectiveness.
• Review HR trends and employee data within assigned areas to identify themes, risks, and opportunities and communicate insights
• to HR leadership.
• Support HR initiatives, programs, and change efforts, including employee engagement, retention, talent development, and
• organizational projects.
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee relations documentation and HR records in accordance with established practices
• and legal requirements.
• Stay current on applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and HR best practices and partner with HR leadership to
• support compliance.

PAYROLL COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist with the accurate and timely processing of bi-weekly payroll in accordance with established procedures, policies, and deadlines.
• Provide backup support for payroll processing and coverage as needed to maintain continuity of payroll operations.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries and provide timely assistance regarding pay, deductions, benefits, and other payroll related matters.
• Research, investigate, and resolve time-sensitive payroll issues and discrepancies, escalating complex matters as appropriate.
• Assist with year-end payroll activities and audits, including W-2s, 1095-Cs, and other required payroll and tax documentation.
• Coordinate the accurate entry of new hire benefit enrollments into payroll when benefits become effective.
• Review and verify benefit deductions for accuracy and proper payroll withholding.
• Generate and provide benefit premium invoices for employees on leave.
• Stay current on applicable federal, state, and local payroll and employment laws and regulations and support compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Assist with payroll-related reconciliations, audits, reporting, and recordkeeping.
• Maintain accurate and confidential payroll and employee records.
• Identify and communicate opportunities to improve payroll processes, procedures, and employee support.
• Collaborate with Human Resources and Finance on payroll-related matters and cross-functional initiatives.
• Assist with special projects within the department and across the organization as assigned.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities related to the position as assigned.

Key Relationships & Leadership

• Payroll Administrator: Works closely with the Payroll Administrator to support bi-weekly payroll processing, provide backup
• coverage, resolve payroll issues, and coordinate payroll-related activities.
• Human Resources: Partners with HR to support employee payroll inquiries, new hire benefit enrollments, benefit deductions,
• employee changes, and other payroll-related HR processes.
• Finance: Collaborates with Finance on payroll-related reconciliations, reporting, audits, and other cross-functional activities. Employees: Provides timely and professional assistance with payroll, pay, deductions, benefits, and other payroll-related inquiries.
• Benefits/HR Partners: Coordinates payroll-related benefit enrollment and deduction information and supports benefit premium
• invoicing for employees on leave.
• External Payroll or Benefit Vendors: Communicates as needed to research and resolve payroll or benefit-related issues and obtain
• required information.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in payroll, HR, accounting, or a related administrative function, with direct experience supporting payroll
• preferred.
• Experience supporting employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, and manager coaching in an HR
• generalist or HR business partner capacity.
• Working knowledge of federal and California employment laws and the ability to recognize matters requiring escalation to senior
• HR leadership.
• Ability to build credibility and effective working relationships with leaders and employees while balancing employee support,
• organizational needs, consistency, and confidentiality.
• Working knowledge of payroll processes, including wage calculations, deductions, benefits, and payroll deadlines.
• Experience working with HRIS, payroll, or timekeeping systems.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify and resolve discrepancies accurately.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet time-sensitive deadlines.
• Ability to handle confidential employee, payroll, compensation, benefits, and tax information with discretion.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to research issues and determine appropriate resolutions.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to provide professional and responsive employee support.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, and other internal teams.
• Ability to stay current with applicable federal, state, and local payroll and employment laws and regulations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, and the ability to learn and effectively use payroll and HRIS systems.