Staff Accountant - Payroll Time Entry

Kelso Industries•Phoenix, AZ

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Kelso Industries is a rapidly growing, private equity-backed holding company focused on the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) industry. With operations across multiple states and continued expansion through acquisitions and organic growth, Kelso partners with leading commercial and industrial contractors to build scalable, operationally excellent businesses. We are seeking a detail-oriented and operationally focused Payroll Operations Accountant to support payroll processing, labor reporting, and job costing activities across multiple Operating Companies (OpCos). This role will partner closely with Accounting, HR, Operations, and Corporate Payroll teams to ensure payroll accuracy, labor cost integrity, and compliance with company and prevailing wage requirements. The Payroll Operations Accountant, Operations will be responsible for reviewing and validating payroll and labor data, supporting job costing accuracy, resolving payroll discrepancies, and producing operational labor reporting across assigned OpCos. This individual will serve as a key liaison between field operations and corporate payroll while helping improve payroll processes, reporting, and system functionality.

Requirements

2–3 years of construction payroll experience with strong exposure to job costing and labor reporting
Experience supporting prevailing wage and Davis Bacon compliance/reporting
Demonstrated understanding of General Ledger postings and payroll accounting processes
Advanced Excel skills including formulas, reporting, and data analysis
Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and follow-through
Ability to work effectively across departments in a fast-paced operational environment

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
Experience working within multi-entity or construction-related environments
Exposure to payroll/timekeeping systems and ERP platforms

Responsibilities

Ensure timecards from assigned Operating Companies (OpCos) are submitted by established deadlines
Review and audit timecards for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with company policy
Identify and resolve payroll discrepancies in coordination with field supervisors and employees prior to payroll submission
Submit verified payroll data to the corporate payroll team before established deadlines
Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related questions and employee support
Ensure payroll hours and labor costs are accurately posted to the General Ledger (GL) and job cost modules
Research, analyze, and resolve questions related to labor postings and project cost allocations
Monitor and reconcile labor cost allocations across active projects to ensure proper coding and reporting accuracy
Collaborate cross-functionally with Accounting, HR, Operations, and Corporate Payroll teams
Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, and process automation initiatives
Build, maintain, and distribute recurring and ad hoc labor reports including productivity, utilization, labor cost, and headcount reporting
Produce reports for Prevailing Wage and Davis Bacon projects
Track labor hours and related requirements to ensure compliance with prevailing wage and PTO regulations
Maintain confidentiality of employee compensation and payroll information at all times