Payroll Accountant

SmartTech Contracting LLC

12d • $63,000 - $76,650 • Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Controller, the Payroll Accountant is a hybrid accounting role with responsibilities divided approximately equally between payroll operations and staff accounting. The position will help administer timely and accurate payroll for a remote, multi-state workforce; maintain payroll-related compliance and records; reconcile payroll activity to the general ledger; and support month-end close, project accounting, balance sheet reconciliations, billing, and financial reporting.
The successful candidate will combine strong payroll knowledge with a solid accounting foundation, sound judgment, careful handling of confidential information, and a service-oriented approach when supporting employees, project managers, and business leaders.

Requirements

• Two to five years of progressive payroll and/or accounting experience, including hands-on payroll processing and general ledger responsibilities
• Experience supporting payroll for employees in multiple states; experience with a remote or distributed workforce is preferred
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, payroll deductions, wage-and-hour requirements, and year-end payroll reporting
• Experience preparing balance sheet reconciliations and journal entries and supporting the monthly financial close
• Understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, accrual accounting, and the relationship between payroll, project costing, the income statement, and the balance sheet
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, sorting, filtering, and data reconciliation
• Strong attention to detail, analytical ability, organization, and commitment to accuracy and deadlines
• Ability to safeguard personally identifiable information and other confidential payroll and employee data in a remote environment
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently while collaborating across Accounting, Human Resources, and Operations
• Methodical accuracy and a strong ownership mindset
• Ability to prioritize recurring payroll deadlines while advancing month-end close responsibilities
• Proactive follow-through and willingness to investigate issues through resolution
• Service-oriented communication with employees and non-accounting professionals
• Intellectual curiosity and a desire to understand the business behind payroll and accounting transactions
• Adaptability and comfort working in a growing, evolving, and fully remote organization
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience

Nice To Haves

• Experience with a remote or distributed workforce is preferred

Responsibilities

• Administer biweekly payroll processing for employees in multiple states, including review of employee changes, time records, earnings, deductions, taxes, reimbursements, and payroll exceptions
• Perform pre- and post-payroll audits to confirm completeness, accuracy, proper approvals, and timely payment; investigate and resolve discrepancies promptly
• Maintain payroll information in Rippling and support accurate data flow between Rippling and Deltek Vantagepoint, including employee profiles, labor hours, project and department coding, deductions, and tax jurisdictions
• Monitor employee work locations and assist with registrations, tax-account setup, withholding requirements, reciprocity rules, and other state and local payroll obligations as the company enters new jurisdictions
• Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll requirements, including paid family leave, state disability, unemployment, wage-and-hour, garnishment, and required remote-work programs
• Reconcile payroll registers, cash funding, tax filings, benefit deductions, labor distribution, and the general ledger; prepare and post payroll-related journal entries
• Review labor distribution and payroll coding to departments, accounts, and cost categories; coordinate corrections that affect payroll
• Respond to employee payroll questions professionally and confidentially, coordinating with Human Resources, benefit providers, and payroll vendors as needed
• Support quarterly and year-end payroll activities, including Forms W-2 and W-2c, taxable fringe benefits, third-party sick pay, payroll tax reconciliations, and calendar-year reporting
• Assist with 401(k) administration, contribution reconciliations, census preparation, compensation-code mapping, and nondiscrimination testing support
• Prepare payroll, workers' compensation, and retirement-plan audit schedules and documentation; assist with workers' compensation classifications and multi-state audits
• Maintain payroll procedures, controls, calendars, and organized supporting documentation, and identify opportunities to improve the timesheet-to-payroll process and reduce manual adjustments
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations, including payroll and benefit liabilities, cash, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, accrued expenses, and other assigned accounts
• Research and resolve reconciling items and accounting discrepancies in a timely manner
• Prepare and post recurring and nonrecurring journal entries with complete and appropriate supporting documentation
• Assist with monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes and help ensure assigned deadlines are achieved.
• Review transactions for proper coding to accounts, departments, and cost categories, and reconcile financial information to the general ledger
• Support accounts receivable monitoring, collection follow-up, cash application, accounts payable, and employee expense-report review as assigned
• Prepare audit support, ad hoc reports, and financial analyses requested by the Controller or management
• Maintain accurate accounting records, support accounting policies and internal controls, and recommend improvements to reporting accuracy, efficiency, and scalability
• Perform other accounting and administrative duties as assigned, with the mix of payroll and staff accounting work adjusted periodically to meet business-cycle requirements
• Completion of Assigned Tasks and Deliverables on Time and on Budget
• Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned

Benefits

• Choice of comprehensive medical plans (including two PPO-style plans and a HDHP w/ HSA option)
• Dental and vision plans
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits extended to spouse / domestic partner and dependent children up to age 26
• 401k with company match and self-directed brokerage account option
• PTO including additional paid time off during the last week of the year
• Company paid life insurance coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Short and long-term disability, AD&D coverage
• Professional development opportunities, tuition reimbursement and professional licensing assistance
• Paid parental leave after one year of employment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree