Title: Coordinator of Payroll and Human Resources

Position Type: Professional Tech Full time, 12 month 261 work days per year

College: Otero College

Division: Office of the President

Department: OC Human Resources

Campus: Otero College

Location: La Junta

Salary Range: $40,000- $43,000

Who We Are:

At Otero College, we are more than a college, we are a community dedicated to students’ personal and professional growth through high-quality education and workforce training. With more than 30 academic and workforce programs, a student-centered culture, and a commitment to supporting employee growth, Otero College provides an opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day.
Our faculty and staff are passionate about student success and work to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where students feel a sense of belonging. Through meaningful connections and personalized support, Otero employees help students build confidence, stay engaged, and achieve success both in and out of the classroom.
Otero College offers the opportunity to contribute to student success while enjoying the benefits of living and working in a rural community. Join the Rattler family and help shape the future of our students.

Job Summary:

Provides comprehensive administrative support for Human Resources and Payroll operations, with primary responsibility for payroll processing, timesheet and leave administration, compliance, and records management. Ensures accuracy and compliance with payroll and employment processes, coordinates recruitment and selection activities, supports employees and supervisors with HR and payroll inquiries, and maintains required employment documentation. Provides customer-focused support to the HR team and cross-trains with HR staff to ensure continuity of departmental operations.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Manage, monitor, review, and finalize biweekly and monthly timesheets and leave requests/reports. Communicate with employees and supervisors regarding timesheet questions and issues.
2. Ensuring the Human Resources office adheres to biweekly and monthly payroll deadlines
3. Update the reconciliation documents and run payroll reports before, during and after payroll to ensure accuracy
4. Review all payroll and new hire entry to ensure accuracy and compliance
5. Completes and reconciles work-study awards and balances and the Work Study payroll match for each biweekly pay period.
6. Provide support, both general and customer service based, for HR and Payroll as needed including assisting employees on completing forms, timesheets, etc., answer questions pertaining to HR and Payroll forms
7. Responsible for monitoring and processing compliance for Commercial Driver License Holders in alliance with Federal Department of Transportation regulations i.e. clearing house, random drug screening, and pre-employment drug screening.
8. Coordinates and schedules internal committee selection and interviews and communicates process as needed
9. Schedules selection interviews with candidates and communicates with the Human Resources Director for distribution process
10. Enter background checks to be processed for potential new employees
11. Make and update new employee packets both full-time and part-time and on the electronic onboarding system. Ensure compliance with required policies and forms
12. Completes new hire orientation for part-time employees including work study and student hourly employees
13. Responsible for all scanning, indexing and filing for the HR/Payroll documents as required by the system office. Completes bi-annual audits of the filing system
14. Responsible for I-9 review for new hires, I-9 retention, and a yearly I-9 audit.
15. Assists the Human Resources Assistant Director in preparing various documents for fiscal year changes, payroll audits, and employment verifications.
16. Cross-train with HR staff to provide backup when appropriate.
17. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience may substitute year-for-year for the degree.
Strong computer skills, proficient in keying data into Microsoft Word and Excel

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with and knowledge of payroll processing
Experience with automated business support systems such as Banner
Customer service experience
Strong attention to detail

Selection Process:

Position will remain open until filled with a priority date of September 8, 2026

Application Instructions: 

The search will be conducted through a competitive, merit-based evaluation of all qualified applicants. Final candidates will be invited to travel to the College, at their own expense, to interview.
For consideration, an applicant file must contain:
1. Cover letter that addresses the minimum and preferred qualifications
2. Resume
3. Copies of transcripts (A.A., B.A., and M.A.) (Official transcripts requested upon hire) - As part of our commitment to a fair hiring process, we invite you to redact any information from your transcripts that may be confidential/protected under law, including your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance/graduation.
4. Names, addresses, and phone numbers of 3 professional references

Additional Information/Benefits:

At Otero, we value and uphold a commitment to a workplace that focuses on employees. In addition to rewarding and meaningful work, we offer a comprehensive selection of benefits to support our employees, including:
• Flexible retirement benefits including Colorado PERA’s Defined Benefit Plan or Defined Contribution Plan. Otero contributes 21.61% of your salary on your behalf. Supplemental retirement plans including 401(k) and 457 plans are also available.
• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and flexible savings benefits.
• Employee assistance services such as counseling, professional coaching, financial planning, and more, are available to you and members of your household at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP).
• Generous paid time off benefits including up to 15 hours of annual leave and 10 hours sick leave per month, 10 paid holidays per year, and up to 18 hours for academic and volunteer activities.
• Tuition assistance for employees and their eligible dependents at any community college within the Colorado Community College System or CCCOnline.
• State employees are eligible to participate in BenefitHub which offers discounts for retailers and services and other benefits resources.
• Employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Additional information about this program can be found on the Colorado Division of Human Resources website.