CAVA - Payroll Analyst (Virtual)

CALIFORNIA VIRTUAL ACADEMY AT LOS ANGELES•Simi Valley, CA

20h•Remote

About The Position

The California Virtual Academies (a network of 9 public charter schools) delivers online/virtual home based instruction to students in grades TK-12 in California. We use K12, inc. as our curriculum provider for the basis of instruction and teachers provide live instruction via the Engageli platform. While our schools do offer some scheduling flexibility, students are still required to log into the online school daily, complete coursework, and attend instructional sessions. The Payroll Analyst supports payroll and compensation functions by ensuring the accuracy, compliance, and integrity of employee pay, deductions, and related data across the organization. This role assists with end-to-end payroll processing, performs reconciliations and audits, and partners with the Payroll Manager to support retirement plan reporting (CALSTRS, CALPERS, 403(b)). Additionally, the Payroll Analyst provides data and reporting support to the Director of Human Resources, helping to monitor pay equity, salary structures, and total rewards programs. This dual-focus role combines technical payroll expertise with analytical insight to enhance accuracy, compliance, and strategic decision-making across the People function.

Requirements

AA degree or equivalent experience
2–4 years of payroll, accounting, or HR data experience required.
Strong working knowledge of ADP Workforce Now or similar HRIS/payroll platforms.
Knowledge of CALSTRS, CALPERS, and 403(b) plan administration and reporting requirements strongly preferred.
Basic understanding of compensation principles and pay equity practices.
Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills, with ability to analyze and present data.
High attention to detail, accuracy, and confidentiality.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication and collaboration skills across HR, Finance, and employee groups.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of CALSTRS, CALPERS, and 403(b) plan administration and reporting requirements strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Support accurate payroll processing through auditing, reconciliations, and data validation in ADP.
Provide reporting and analysis to Payroll Manager and Director of Human Resources on payroll accuracy, pay trends, and compensation programs.
Assist with retirement plan administration (CALSTRS, CALPERS, 403(b)) by preparing files, reports, and reconciliations.
Perform a variety of complex, advanced-level accounting duties to evaluate and ensure compliance with District, state, and federal requirements
Partner with HR, Finance, and Benefits teams to ensure compliance with union agreements, wage and hour laws, and compensation policies.
Maintain payroll and compensation data integrity for audits, compliance reporting, and employee inquiries.
Prepare, audit, reconcile, and maintain a variety of financial and statistical records, reports and statements in support of assigned activities.
Act as a resource for employees regarding payroll and compensation questions, supporting a service-oriented approach.
Assist in processing biweekly/monthly payroll runs, including off-cycle adjustments.
Audit employee data, deductions, hours, and pay codes for accuracy.
Support payroll issue resolution, acting as a liaison with HR and employees.
Partner with Payroll Manager to ensure compliance with federal, state, and union requirements.
Assist with reporting and reconciliation of garnishments, taxes, and benefit deductions (including, but not limited to, medical, dental, and vision benefits).
Prepare and review CALSTRS, CALPERS, and 403(b) contribution files.
Support monthly reconciliations, eligibility tracking, and adjustments.
Maintain accurate records for audits and regulatory reporting.
Generate reports on compensation trends, pay equity, overtime, and labor costs.
Support salary benchmarking, market analysis, and annual merit cycle reporting.
Provide data to inform compensation structure design and total rewards initiatives.
Ensure compliance with District, state, and federal funding requirements for specified departments, positions, and personnel
Assist with internal and external audits, providing payroll and compensation data as needed.
Maintain thorough documentation of payroll and compensation processes.
Track key KPIs (payroll accuracy, timeliness, compensation trends) and report findings to leadership.
Support ADP configuration updates, testing, and process improvements.
Develop and maintain SOPs, job aids, and reporting templates.
Recommend process enhancements to improve accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience.