SHARON CALDWELL

Chicago,IL

Summary

Dynamic and highly analytical Payroll and Operations Professional with extensive experience in corporate environments and public school administration. Proven leader in managing large-scale compliance initiatives and driving significant financial projects, including a successful $2.2M underpayment resolution. Expertise in high-level data management using platforms such as Kronos, Oracle, and Webpay, complemented by exceptional administrative support, meticulous record-keeping, and outstanding customer service. Adaptable and detail-oriented with a collaborative spirit and a positive attitude dedicated to advancing institutional goals and enhancing organizational efficiency.

Overview

years of professional experience

Work History

School Clerk

Chicago Public Schools

Chicago, IL

08.2024 - Current

Managed inventory orders through Oracle, ensuring timely availability of supplies and materials for instructional purposes.
Achieved accurate tracking of student and staff attendance records. Streamlined issuance of tardy passes to enhance student accountability. Delivered timely updates on attendance to principal and staff to support informed decisions.
Managed payroll workflows and prepared compensation reports for school personnel through Timekeeper and Oracle software systems.
Streamlined reception functions for a school of 300 students, enhancing parent engagement through effective greeting, timely visitor badge issuance, and efficient appointment scheduling. Improved communication flow by managing reception activities for a school of 300 students, resulting in a welcoming atmosphere for parents and effective handling of visitor badges and appointment scheduling. Elevated reception experience for parents at a school of 300 students by optimizing greeting protocols, expediting visitor badge issuance, and ensuring prompt appointment scheduling and phone call management.
Coordinates the principal’s calendar to ensure her schedule runs efficiently.
Prepare presentations for staff meetings.
Coordinated student scheduling and classroom assignments to enhance educational delivery and resource allocation.
Facilitated communication between teachers, parents, and administrative staff to enhance school operations.

Sr. Payroll Specialist, Payroll Analyst /Payroll Team Lead

Chicago Public Schools CPS

08.2017 - 08.2024

Oversaw payroll operations for 40,000 school-based employees by leading a team of specialists in bi-weekly time and attendance verification.
Oversaw validation of time and attendance for 3,500 school-based employees, addressing payroll-related inquiries effectively. Managed troubleshooting of payroll issues in Kronos system. Engaged with employees through email and phone communications to resolve inquiries.
Collaborated with HR teams to ensure timely modifications to employee job records, supporting accurate payroll processing.
Manage and review time and attendance processing for 3000+ substitute employees for accurate and timely payroll processing.
Managed liaison activities between substitute services and nutrition support, effectively resolving payroll challenges faced by school staff.
Analyzed payroll discrepancies and related reports to ensure thorough investigation and resolution of issues.
Supporting new hires during on-boarding with payroll set-up assisting employees with understanding paycheck information and answering any related questions.
Working on the development of non-board hourly employee schedules with the implementation of reduction for lunch to coincide with Illinois Labor Law, effectively reducing over payment costs.
Using the time and attendance system (Kronos), E-Labor, review time-sheets and transactions for accuracy in accordance with CPS pay policy.
Directed payroll analysis initiative, ensuring accurate calculations to address underpayment issues for former and current employees.
Perform all timekeeping duties in regards to schedule setups, accrual revisions, pay rules, badge activations, setup hyperlinks and other tasks needed.

Head Payroll Processor

Paylocity

Arlington Heights, IL

05.2007 - 10.2016

Executed meticulous processing of 30,000 payroll files monthly, achieving exceptional accuracy rates.
Led nightly funds transfer operations with finance, managing $3 billion in annual payroll via ACH. Oversaw documentation and resolution tracking for payroll processing errors. Drove implementation of corrective actions and enhanced processes as required.
Managed the transitions of processing platforms from Millennium to Webpay.
Managed 9 new releases of the Webpay platform, tracking enhancements and accuracy of each new release.
Coordinated the collection or requested documents for the SASE and SAS70 audits.
Assisted in creating comprehensive training materials and manuals to enhance production floor operations.
Achieved 100% accuracy in nightly audits of file submissions through diligent oversight. Resolved delivery inquiries and challenges by partnering with couriers for effective research and communication.

Education

High School Diploma -

Queen Of Peace H.S

Burbank, IL

05-1997

Skills

Payroll & ERP Systems: Kronos , Oracle , Webpay , PeopleSoft , Paylocity , Timekeeper , E-Labor
Productivity & Tools: Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access , Google Workspace , ChatGPT

Core Competencies: Multi-Sited Payroll Processing , Team Leadership & Training , Process Improvement , Audit Compliance (SASE/SAS70) , Budgeting & Procurement , Labor Law Compliance

Timeline