Administrative Assistant (Payroll Clerk)

Statement of Duties:

Responsible for weekly payroll functions and preparation, analysis and maintenance of Police Department yearly personal service budget. Responsible for work related to the preparation and maintenance of Police Department payroll records, personnel payroll records, and assists daily with the budgetary process. Understands and administers contractual benefits as they relate to payroll issues for 5 different contracts and compliance with state and federal wage and overtime laws. Analyzes, manages and completes time sensitive assignments for payroll processing and contractual inquiries. Troubleshoots employee inquiries regarding payroll related matters. Performs various accounts payable functions including paying bills on assigned billrolls for all Matrons. Applies various accounting principles maintaining financial accounts. Responds to payroll questions by Police Department. . Maintenance and monitoring of grant related personnel service accounts for State reporting. Assists in the administration of police department grants. Acts as liaison with other departments or agencies (DEA, FBI, etc.) Responsible for independent exercise of administrative judgment and decision making. Performs a variety of clerical duties requiring a considerable degree of decision making in conforming with city departmental, state and federal regulations. Compiles any number of different types of statistics. Provides supervision over clerical staff as needed. Performs various duties that may be assigned by the Director of Finance and Administration and/or Chief of Police.

Qualifications:

• Must have an Associates Degree and 3-5 years’ experience with payroll and accounting or an equal equivalent combination thereof.
• Demonstrated experience in payroll preparation and audit.
• Demonstrated experience in reconciling accounts and projecting budget expenditures for personal services.
• Ability to utilize and design spreadsheets for payroll expenditures and projections.
• Must possess mid-level computer skills and demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office with emphasis on Excel.
• Ability to learn MUNIS system, experience preferred.
• Ability to make decisions independently.
• Ability to work pleasantly and efficiently with people both inside and outside of the department.

Work Environment:

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.

Physical and Mental Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills
Typically, little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with minimal stooping and standing for filing and archiving duties. There is also lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs).

Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job requires minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone system, computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, and sorting.

Visual Skills
Visual demands include constantly reading documents for general understanding and for analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time, Sunday-Thursday work schedule 

Union: SMEA B

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Salary: $1,363.67 weekly, plus benefits. 

Date Posted: January 7th, 2026

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or [email protected].

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.