PAYROLL SPECIALIST
Non-Union Position
Status: Exempt
FTE: Full Time
As of: 1/12/2026

Founded in 1947, the United Nations International School (UNIS) is a Pre-K through Grade 12 independent school in Manhattan, serving a diverse, global community. About half of UNIS families are affiliated with the United Nations, while the rest are internationally minded New York–based parents. Guided by the ideals of the United Nations, UNIS provides an inclusive learning environment where rigorous international programs foster academic excellence, creativity, innovation, and cross-cultural communication, inspiring students to help build a peaceful, compassionate, and sustainable world.

UNIS seeks a Payroll Specialist who is a critical member of the Finance Team, responsible for the end-to-end execution of payroll and the strategic management of the payroll system, ensuring all employees are compensated accurately and timely. This role requires a systems-thinking approach to ensure data integrity across HR, Benefits, and Finance. The ideal candidate is a diagnostic problem-solver who leverages Paycom to automate manual tasks and proactively identifies process improvements.

The successful candidate will be a systems thinker who understands how changes in benefits elections ripple through to the general ledger and brings a natural curiosity to auditing payroll reports, identifying anomalies, and investigating root causes. This position reports to the CFO and Controller and works collaboratively with the broader accounting team and HR, interacting with staff across the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to successfully perform this job. A successful candidate will meet many of these requirements and have the desire and capacity to learn the rest on the job.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS
All candidates must submit an electronic application via the school website: https://www.unis.org/about-unis/employment. Supporting documentation, such as a cover letter and resume, must be uploaded to the electronic application.  Paper and emailed applications and documents will not be accepted from external candidates. Review of applications will begin immediately and will be ongoing.

In accordance with the guidelines of the International Taskforce on Child Protection, the United Nations International School adheres to a rigorous standard of recruitment practices and background checks, emphasizing the protection, safety, and welfare of our students. 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING
Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job posting describes you, then please apply for this role.
 
The United Nations International School provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, height, weight, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.