Senior Academic Payroll Analyst

ACAD HR ANL 3 (007715)

UCPath Position ID: TBD_189888

Position Description History/Status

Approved Date:

12/1/2025 9:41:57 PM

Date Last Edited:

12/1/2025 9:41:53 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

1300O

Organization:

LETTERS AND SCIENCE

Division Code:

1330D

Division:

L&S LIFE SCIENCES

Department:

088800 - LIFE SCIENCES ADMINISTRATION

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

TBD_189888

Position Description ID

245656

UC Payroll Title:

ACAD HR ANL 3 (007715)

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

Grade 22

Job Code FLSA:

Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

99: Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Relations Code:

E: All Others - Not Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

2 - Staff: Career

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

1

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

40972168

Reports to Payroll Title:

PROJECT POLICY ANL 5

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40043455

Department Head Payroll Title:

DEAN

DIRECTION - Indicates that the incumbent establishes procedures for attaining specific goals and objectives in a broad area of work. Only the final results of work done are typically reviewed. Incumbent typically develops procedures within the limits of established policy guidelines.

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Research Administration (EDRA), the Senior Academic Payroll Analyst independently manages all personnel and payroll actions for faculty and academic appointees across the biology units within the Division of Life Sciences, which includes seven departments, seven interdepartmental degree programs, three institutes, and nine centers. The role involves analyzing transactions, prioritizing workload, and ensuring accurate processing using systems such as UCPath, CDW, QDB, and OPUS. The position is based in the Life Sciences Dean's Office.

Key responsibilities include: coordinating payroll and personnel actions; maintaining electronic personnel records; tracking sabbatical accruals and histories; managing leaves of absence; processing special compensation actions (e.g., NSP, summer ninths, summer sessions); submitting funding entries and direct retros; resolving payroll and benefits issues; and serving as the departmental subject matter expert for UCPath and Tracker I-9 administration. The analyst ensures compliance with university and school academic policies and completes special projects as assigned.

The Senior Academic Payroll Analyst also serves as a liaison to central academic and administrative units, including the College Dean's Office, Academic Personnel Office, Academic Planning and Budget, CRU, UCPath, Campus HR, and the Dashew Center, to coordinate personnel and payroll actions. The role involves tracking faculty sabbatical credits, leaves, fellowships, academic commitments, and outside activities; interpreting academic personnel policies; and advising Department Chairs, Interdepartmental Program and Center Directors, faculty, CAOs, and departmental academic personnel analysts on proper implementation. Additionally, the analyst provides analytical support to department leadership, preparing reports and data to inform strategic decision-making related to academic personnel policies and procedures.

UCLA Life Sciences Division is one of the largest and most dynamic academic divisions on campus, comprising seven academic departments, seven interdepartmental degree programs, three institutes, and nine research centers dedicated to advancing knowledge of living systems. With more than 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students, nearly 380 faculty, over 250 teaching assistants, and 40 lecturers, the division fosters a vibrant academic and research community. Supported by hundreds of millions of dollars in annual research funding, UCLA Life Sciences drives scientific discovery and innovation that address some of the world’s most pressing biological and environmental challenges.

Academic Payroll

A1. Perform all payroll activities for academic year full- and part-time faculty, including NSP, additional/special pay, summer research employment, and compensation for Life Sciences biology unit departments. Serve as backup payroll administrator for lecturers and teaching assistants. (E)

A2. Manage and verify summer salary requests to ensure compliance with University policies; coordinate faculty research compensation with department CAOs, academic personnel analysts and fund managers across Life Sciences biology unit departments to guarantee accurate and timely payment. In collaboration with the EDRA, review faculty payroll to ensure correct and on-time compensation. (E)

A3. Process specialized faculty compensation, including administrative payments for Deans, Chairs, Directors, and Interdepartmental Program and Center Directors; one- time payments for faculty and academic appointees; inter-campus transfers; and miscellaneous academic services. Enter Special Pay for faculty (e.g., recruitment/retention allowances) as directed. (E)

A4. Interpret and validate compensation details from UC sources and forms, ensuring all components of academic and faculty pay are entered accurately and timely into UCPath. Serve as the primary liaison with the UCPath Center, Central Resource Unit, and other offices regarding academic personnel and payroll actions. (E)

A5. Collaborate with department fund managers to identify appropriate funding sources for faculty summer salary and NSP. Process and update funding entries, including complex transactions using the MCOP worksheet, and submit direct retros as needed to ensure payroll expenses are charged to the correct funding sources in compliance with University and extramural sponsor guidelines. (E)

A6. Generate and monitor monthly personnel and payroll reports using CDW and QDB; produce ad-hoc reports and reconcile academic payroll as needed or requested. Identify and resolve personnel, benefits, or payroll issues by auditing records, reconciling discrepancies, and correcting pay or accrual errors in collaboration with employees, department leadership, UCPath Center, UCLA CRU, and occasionally Extramural Fund Management when effort reporting is affected. (E)

50%

Academic Personnel

B1. Partner with Life Sciences biology unit departments, multiple centers, and other central offices, analyze, coordinate, and process to completion all academic personnel transactions in UCPath including new hires, reappointments, promotions, merit increases, transfers, separations, and any other related actions. (E)

B2. Advise Department Chairs, Directors, CAOs and academic personnel analysts on salary levels and appropriate academic titles. Provide guidance on academic appointment and visa limitations and connect with appropriate offices to resolve any problems. (E)

B3. Verify employment eligibility for faculty and academic appointees in accordance with University policy (e.g. I-9 process, Oath/Patent form). (E)

30%

Leave Management and Benefits Administration

C1. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of campus benefits policies and procedures to advise eligible academic appointments on their options. Serve as liaison for problems pertaining to academic and benefit programs. Trouble shoot and problem resolution for faculty and academic appointees. (E)

C2. Manage UCPath transactions for Leaves of Absence, including Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), paid and unpaid disability leave, Sabbatical Leave, Academic Sick Leave Banks, and Personal Leaves. Process faculty sabbatical/leave forms by entering in UCPath and maintain credit and usage log. Advise on eligibility and duration, track leave accurately, and apply relevant policies. (E)

15%

Training and Special Projects

D1. Assist the EDRA in developing tools and resources to streamline internal processes within Life Sciences biology unit departments, including creating standard operating procedures, job aids, tracking systems, training materials, website content, and other reference materials for internal and external use. (E)

5%

•

Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree

in a related field and/or equivalent experience/training.

Required

4-6 years

Working in an administrative department with Academic personnel and payroll responsibilities within the University.

Required

And

Advanced knowledge of University Academic Personnel and Payroll policies, procedures, and organizational structure. Demonstrated working knowledge of the academic personnel process related to faculty appointments, promotions, advancements, and reviews.

Required

Detailed working knowledge of on-line personnel and payroll system and personnel forms; University on-line Payroll system; ability to process on-line entries and forms required to accomplish various academic personnel transactions.

Required

Detail working knowledge of University of California academic personnel policies and procedures contained in the UCLA CALL and Academic Personnel Manual (APM). Working knowledge of University of California hiring and payroll procedures for faculty.

Preferred

Demonstrated working knowledge of, and proficiency in using UCPath, QDB, OPUS, Academic UC Recruit, Interfolio, Tracker I-9 and other campus personnel and fiscal tools.

Preferred

Ability to analyze task requirements and to coordinate and manage a number of projects simultaneously and to prioritize work in order to meet deadlines. Analytical ability to resolve conflict and implement new procedures for department chairs, vice chairs, and CAOs.

Required

Demonstrated ability to work independently, accepting challenging circumstances and taking initiative to solve problems where solutions are not always readily apparent.

Required

Advance organizational skills to maintain materials and information in a systematic way. Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and acute attention to detail.

Required

Demonstrated ability to work independently, accepting challenging circumstances and taking initiative to solve problems where solutions are not always readily apparent.

Required

Working knowledge of University health plans, FML, Leave of Absence, retirement plans, and other employee benefits.

Required

Advanced mathematical and quantitative skills to calculate salaries, payroll documents, formulas, expense transfers, leave accruals, payroll changes, and the creation of financial analysis. Intermediate to advanced excel skills

Required

Superior writing and editing skills sufficient to compose and edit correspondence and emails that are professional, clear, concise, and grammatically correct. Ability to make oral, group, and one-on-one presentations to provide information, explain policies and procedures, and answer questions.

Required

Ability to prioritize and adjust a heavy workload to meet deadlines. Demonstrate the ability to determine the relative importance of job responsibilities to meet these deadlines.

Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

Hershey Hall

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

X

Communication skills

X

X

Numerical skills

X

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.