Payroll and AP Specialist

Making Waves Academy•Richmond, CA

1d•$38 - $41•Onsite

About The Position

At Making Waves Academy (MWA), we are committed to helping historically underrepresented students reach their full potential and navigate the path to college and career success. We believe that a strong mission requires an equally strong operational backbone. We are seeking a meticulous, proactive, and collaborative Payroll and AP Specialist to manage the full lifecycle of our fiscal operations. If you are a numbers person who wants your work to have a direct, positive impact on a vibrant school community of dedicated educators and staff, we want to hear from you.

Requirements

Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field, OR equivalent practical experience.
3+ years of combined hands-on experience running payroll and managing accounts payable.
Deep knowledge of CA wage and hour laws, payroll taxes, and GAAP principles.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Experience with standard accounting platforms (such as Sage Intacct).

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a business-related discipline.
Prior experience working within a California Public Charter School or School District.
Direct, hands-on experience with CalSTRS reporting.
Familiarity with Rippling and Concur systems.
Strong, patient communication skills for resolving staff payroll questions or vendor inquiries.

Responsibilities

Manage independent, bi-weekly payroll processing for diverse employees (certificated teachers, classified staff, and stipended personnel).
Handle teacher summer hold-back payments, longevity bonuses, and retirement contributions.
Remit reports to CalSTRS and manage employee retirement enrollments.
Reconcile Federal Quarterly Form 941 expenses, submit annual Government California Compensation Reports, and pull documentation for annual workers' comp audits.
Partner closely with People Operations to maintain clean employee data (leave balances, overtime, sick banks).
Code, allocate, and issue checks using the Sage Intacct system, ensuring proper approvals are met.
Manage the Concur system for employee reimbursements and reconcile monthly business credit card statements.
Maintain clean vendor files (W9s, contracts), handle the annual filing of 1099-MISC forms, and smoothly resolve vendor payment inquiries.
Coordinate travel logistics (flights and hotels) for MWA employee conferences roughly 10 times a year.