Job Details

Fiscal Analyst 3 - Payroll

Position Number: 7208351
Location: Cheney, WA
Position Type: Business - Accounting

Fiscal Analyst 3 - Payroll

About Eastern Washington University:

Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. As the regions polytechnic, we are recognized for our distinctive approach to hands-on learning that leads to in-demand careers. EWUs 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washingtons second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelors and masters degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a 24-25 College of Distinction (CoD).

Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2024.

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
At Eastern Washington University, we are proud to recognize the land of the Spokane Tribe and other tribes that shared the land for fishing and trading. The Spokane Tribe, Coeur dAlene Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Kalispel Tribe, and the Nez Perce Tribe are integral to the cultural heritage and traditional ethnological knowledge of the land.

Native American heritage is woven into the fabric of our institution, enriching our community through tribal culture, historical teachings, and tribal language, and is embraced daily by students, staff, faculty, and the Eastern Washington community.

At EWU, we are committed to reflecting on and acknowledging the historical injustices of genocide and the forced removal of tribal peoples and all our relatives. EWU recognizes and honors tribal sovereignty and government to government relationships with tribes.

From here forward, EWU will remain committed to supporting, honoring, and recognizing the Native American community and the dynamic contributions that are shared with our university.

Job Summary:

We are currently seeking skilled and team-oriented applicants for the following position: Fiscal Analyst 3. This position will perform senior level specialized payroll activities under general supervision within the payroll section of the Office of Controller. This position independently plans, coordinates and conducts its assigned workload. Assigned tasks rotate among all senior level FA3 positions within the payroll office to provide adequate cross training and backup of necessary and vital payroll responsibilities.

EWU is committed to supporting and promoting a workforce that is welcoming to all and encourages applicants of all backgrounds to apply for this position.

The salary for this position is part of the State Classification (Range 55) $62,868 minimum salary (minimum) up to $84,528 top salary being offered. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 13 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits-briefing/benefits/insurance/

Applications are open and accepted until recruitment is closed. Screening of applications will begin on 6/20/2026.

Eastern Washington University provides an inclusive, equitable, and transformative learning experience, driving the pursuit of knowledge with affordable academic excellence.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelors degree which includes 18 quarter or 12 semester hours in accounting and/or auditing by start date.
Minimum two years of relevant professional experience in financial areas such as: payroll, accounting, auditing, financial transaction reconciliation, financial reporting, fiscal tracking and monitoring, governmental experience, general or higher education, tax preparation.
Detail oriented working experience with a high degree of accuracy.
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Must be self-directed and able to complete projects with limited supervision.
Advanced skills using Microsoft Office products, Excel and Word.
Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to apply a responsive and flexible approach that is supportive of the needs including universal access of our students, faculty, staff and the public.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Ellucian (Banner) or similar integrated payroll enterprise systems.
Experience working in a payroll office.

Other Skills and Abilities:

Excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to effectively problem solve and think analytically

Note: The above job description is a general outline of the duties and responsibilities typically associated with this position. Specific tasks and responsibilities may vary based on the needs of the department and institution.

Job Duties:

Payroll Processing, Reporting and Validation
This position is a key employee in payroll processing, performing the following activities:
Run the payroll processing cycle on a rotating basis with other payroll staff
Set-up deductions in the payroll system and calculate and input needed adjustments including garnishments, medical, retirement and other miscellaneous deductions
Calculate, verify and enter leave and comp-time cash-outs, retro pay and timesheet corrections
Calculate, verify, collect and input overpayments
Correspond with employees and take corrective action as needed for deduction adjustments and overpayments
Calculate shared leave hours given, received and returned for employees
Verify payroll input and calculations of other payroll staff
Prepare and verify vendor payments and journal entries. This includes electronically uploading payroll data and payments
Responsible for deduction/benefits reconciliations of payroll and vendor accounts
Serve as liaison with vendors, benefits office and information technology staff
Prepare regular and amended quarterly payroll reports for state and federal taxes
Research payroll requirements for establishing other state tax reporting
Annually assist with W2 preparation and reporting
Assist with researching rules, laws, policies and procedures using different sources, such as authoritative manuals, union contracts, IRS and State laws, in order to update and maintain the payroll system

Percent of Time: 75

Payroll System Maintenance
Assist with implementation and maintenance of the Banner HR/Payroll system, which includes interpreting regulations and applying them to system processes
Update and verify tables in the payroll system, such as deductions, earnings, and the payroll calendar
Test changes and upgrades by running test payrolls and validating outcomesPercent of Time: 10

Procedure Maintenance and Documentation
Assist in the review and implementation of changes to internal procedures for compliance with EWU, state and federal policies, procedures and regulations
Continual review of payroll processing for efficiency and improvements
Answer questions from employees and department personnel on payroll procedures and policies
Notify campus community of payroll deadlines and processing changes
Draft or suggest edits to written payroll procedures for both departmental use and outward-facing to the campus
Draft campus wide emails and send website update requests as neededPercent of Time: 10

Other
Utilize system query tools and the report writer for data validation, reporting and problem solving
Answer employee questions related to paychecks, deductions, etc.
Answer questions from university department personnel related to payroll feeds to the Finance system
Perform other duties as requiredPercent of Time: 5
Conditions of Employment:

This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value, as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa currently. Sponsorship is not available for this position at this time.

All new employees must comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.

This position is covered by the Washington Federation of State Employees Collective Bargaining Agreement:

https://in.ewu.edu/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2025/05/WFSE-EWU-CBA-Barg.-Units-1-and-2-2025-2027_2024-12-02.pdf

After starting employment, employees will complete the required training via Canvas. The Office of Employee Belonging, Development, and Leadership will reach out to you concerning Workplace Belonging training.

Note: Interviews might be conducted via Zoom (camera must be enabled). If so, candidates must be able to demonstrate competence using Zoom and other technologies.

Salary Information:

Posting Date: 06/03/2026
Open Until Further Notice: No
Closing Date: 6/19/2026
Screening to Begin: 6/20/2026

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/14806