Payroll Accountant

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Execute designated payroll cycles for both exempt and non-exempt personnel, encompassing overtime, standard rate premiums, bonuses, commissions, off-cycle payments, and corrections.

• Manage pay rates, worksite allocations, deductions, and direct deposits within CoAdvantage.

• Handle onboarding, terminations, and payroll adjustments in collaboration with HR.

• Review timecards and secure supervisor approvals on a timely basis.

• Recognize when a new hire's state mandates a fresh pay schedule or tax configuration.

• Verify and monitor retroactive payments, ensuring hours are not previously compensated, and identify underlying causes of recurring inquiries.

• Prepare payroll journal entries allocated to the appropriate entity, program, and account.

• Reconcile wages payable, tax deductions, benefit contributions, accrued PTO, and clearing accounts.

• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between payroll and the general ledger.

• Manage payroll accruals for month-end closing activities.

• Implement federal, state, and local withholding, taxable wage, pay-frequency, and final-pay regulations.

• Assist with multi-state tax submissions and address state tax correspondence.

• Process wage garnishments and support orders.

• Maintain documentation that is audit-ready, from timecard through to approval, payment, and journal entry.

• Prepare reconciliations, schedules, and sample documentation for financial statement and benefit plan audits.

• Document procedures, keep supervisor FAQs and decision guides, and utilize AI and automation to minimize manual tasks and errors.

• Report directly to the Head of Finance.

• Independently manage assigned payroll cycles and reconciliations, support the Accounting Manager's cycles, oversee payroll's month-end responsibilities, adapt to new Claude Corps cycles, and spearhead scalable process enhancements.

⛳️ Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• Over 3 years of comprehensive payroll processing experience, including multi-state payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees, overtime, regular rates, bonuses, commissions, off-cycle payments, wage garnishments, child support orders, and benefit deductions.

• Proficient understanding of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage-and-hour compliance, including withholding, SUI/SDI, state pay-frequency and final-pay rules, as well as taxable treatment of earnings and pre- and post-tax deductions.

• Direct experience in payroll reconciliation, including payroll registers to GL, payroll liabilities, clearing accounts, tax withholdings, benefit deductions, and accruals.

• Proven history of resolving discrepancies and maintaining audit-ready documentation tracing from timecard to payment to journal entry.

• Foundational knowledge of GAAP principles, such as debits and credits, accrual accounting, and preparing payroll journal entries.

• Familiarity with Sage Intacct or a comparable general ledger system; experience beyond QuickBooks is a requirement.

• Strong proficiency in Google Sheets or Excel, including lookups and pivot tables.

• Ability to maintain precision under recurring deadlines.

• Flexibility in a rapidly scaling environment.

• Emotional intelligence to address sensitive payroll inquiries from employees and managers.

• Current FPC or CPP certification is preferred.

• Practical experience with ADP, UKG, Paychex, or a PEO such as CoAdvantage is preferred.

• Experience managing payroll for salaried exempt, hourly non-exempt, part-time, seasonal, and program fellows is preferred.

• Background in multi-entity, fund, or grant-funded accounting is preferred.

• Month-end payroll closure experience is preferred.

• Experience supporting financial statement or benefit plan audits is preferred.

• Familiarity with AI or automation tools is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (90% employer-covered for employees and their dependents).

• Employer-funded healthcare reimbursement.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

• Employee Assistance Program.

• 401(k) plan.

• Employer-paid life and disability insurance.

• Identity theft protection.

• Generous paid time off (PTO).

• Paid holidays.

• Ten weeks of fully paid parental leave.

• Annual year-end company closure (December 24 – January 2).

• $1,000 annual professional development stipend.

• Support for home office setup.

• Employer qualified for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

• Pet wellness plans.

• Legal services.

• Discounts on home and auto insurance.

• Exclusive marketplace savings.

• Fully remote work arrangement.