Data, Payroll & Compliance Specialist
The Ocean Township School District, located in Ocean County, is accepting applications for an opening for a full-time 12-month position assisting the Business Administrator. The Ocean Township School District is a two building PreK-6 district with a send/receive agreement for grades 7-12 with the Southern Regional School District.
Responsibilities for the position include planning and managing the district budget, oversight of the food service program, building and grounds department and technology department as well as the district’s insurance programs.
Key Responsibilities & Performance Duties
- Grant Management & Compliance Monitoring
- Grant Oversight: Assist the Business Administrator in tracking, monitoring, and managing allocations for federal and state grants (e.g., PEA, ESEA/ESSA, IDEA, Perkins, or state entitlement/discretionary grants).
- Compliance & Reporting: Ensure all grant-funded activities, payroll allocations, and expenditures strictly align with state and federal guidelines, maintaining clear audit trails.
- Data Alignment: Coordinate with program directors to compile data for interim and final grant performance reports and reimbursement requests.
- Payroll & Benefits Administration
- Payroll Preparation: Prepare, verify, and process semi-monthly payroll accurately for approximately 120 district employees, including tracking complex grant-funded staff allocations.
- Payroll Reporting: Maintain payroll records, balance payroll accounts, and generate necessary internal and external financial/statutory reports.
- Benefits Management: Coordinate employee health benefits updates, enrollment windows, and onboarding/offboarding changes. Serve as the primary point of contact for staff regarding payroll and benefit inquiries.
- State & Federal Data Reporting
- Manage, compile, and submit required state and federal Department of Education reports accurately and within strict deadlines.
- Oversee SEMI (Special Education Medicaid Initiative) data collection, tracking, and compliance reporting.
- Process, verify, and manage Department of Agriculture documentation and student food service (free/reduced lunch) applications.
- OPRA & Public Records Data Compilation
- Act as a key resource in researching, compiling, and organizing extensive data sets in response to OPRA requests.
- Assist to ensure all data provided aligns perfectly with legal requirements and district policies.
- Operations & Risk Management Support
- Conduct internal data investigations and compile necessary documentation for insurance claims.
- Provide direct administrative and operational support to the Business Administrator for day-to-day needs.
Qualifications & Requirements
Technical Proficiency
- Advanced Software Skills: Proficiency in both Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive) and Microsoft Office Suite (specifically intermediate-to-advanced Excel for payroll tracking and grant budgeting).
- Software Preference: Direct experience utilizing Genesis / SchoolFi for payroll processing and data management is highly preferred and considered a strong plus.
- Adaptability: Proven ability to quickly adapt to and navigate various proprietary payroll systems, state/federal portals (e.g., Homeroom, EWEG), and third-party software platforms.
Required Experience & Education
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in Payroll processing, Accounting, Business Administration, Data Management, or a related field.
- Experience: Prior experience handling payroll preparation, grant tracking/compliance, and working in a school district business office or public administration environment is highly preferred.
Core Competencies
- Extreme Organization: Exceptional attention to detail with zero tolerance for errors in payroll, grant allocations, or reporting timelines.
- Independent Problem-Solving: A self-starter who can manage recurring deadlines and shifting grant compliance guidelines with minimal supervision.
- Discretion & Ethics: Absolute integrity when handling confidential student, staff, financial, and legal data.
Starting Salary at $68,000.00.
Mail letter of interest, resume and references to:
Ariane Phillips, Superintendent
Ocean Township School District
64 Railroad Avenue
Waretown, NJ 08758
by Tuesday, June 30 2026
EOE