Staff Accountant - AP, Payroll Specialist

The pay range above represents the minimum and maximum rate for this position in California. Factors that may be used to determine where newly hired employees will be placed in the pay range include the employee specific skills and qualifications, relevant years of experience and comparison to other employees already in this role. Most often, a newly hired employee will be placed below the midpoint of the range. Salary range will vary for remote positions outside of California.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Staff Accountant - AP, Payroll Specialist will be responsible for contributing to a company-wide accounting function and maintaining a complete financial reporting service for a County Operated Health Plan. The Staff Accountant - AP, Payroll Specialist will be responsible for assisting in the completion of the month-end and year end close; manage timely and accurate preparation of monthly analysis. As it relates to AP and Payroll.

The Staff Accountant - AP, Payroll Specialist involves full-cycle for multi-state payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees and performing accounts payable functions working closely with management, Procurement, staff, vendors and contractors. Assignments and objectives are established but work methods and resources are left to the incumbents" discretion. Assignments will consider segregation of duties. Incumbents may be assigned to work on projects in any Finance area where a need exists.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

•    Accounts Payable

o    Analyzes, investigates and reconciles invoices and statements to documents and purchase orders. Obtains appropriate approval signatures. 

o    Processes vendor, contractor and employee requests for payment.

o    Maintains and applies thorough knowledge of payment policies and procedures.

o    Aids in the development and documentation of internal controls. 

o    Assists with monthly reconciliations of accounts payable and other general ledger accounts as required. 

o    Other Accounts Payable duties, as necessary.

•    Payroll

o    Support the bi-weekly payroll process to ensure that all employees are paid promptly and accurately. 

o    Assists in resolving payroll and payroll related issues. 

o    Responds to written and verbal inquiries from employees, supervisors, HR and payroll service providers.

•    Other

o    Applies principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports. 

o    Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials, as requested. 

o    Serves as a liaison with other departments when partnering on business initiatives. 

o    Assist with audits, as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

•    Management Skills - Ability to organize and direct oneself. 

•    Business Acumen - Ability to grasp and understand business concepts and issues.

•    Decision Making - Ability to make critical decisions while following company procedures.

•    Goal Oriented - Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a pre-determined result.

•    Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals.

•    Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or job type.

•    Time Management - Ability to utilize the available time to organize and complete work within given deadlines.

•    Consensus Building - Ability to bring about group solidarity to achieve a goal.

•    Relationship Building - Ability to effectively build relationships with customers and co-workers.

•    Presentation Skills - Ability to effectively present information publicly.

•    Delegating Responsibility - Ability to allocate authority and/or task responsibility to appropriate people.

•    Leadership - Ability to influence others to perform their jobs effectively and to be responsible for making decisions.

•    Strategic Planning - Ability to develop a vision for the future and create a culture in which the long-range goals can be achieved.

•    Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.

•    Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.

•    Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.  

•    Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.  

•    Problem Solving - Ability to find a solution for or to deal proactively with work-related problems.  

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education:    

•    High School or GED: Required

•    Bachelor's Degree (four-year college or technical school) Preferred, Field of Study: Finance or related discipline. 

•    Relevant work experience can be used to substitute for Bachelor’s degree.  

Experience:    

•    2 -5 years of experience in an accounts payable environment. 

•    Knowledge of payroll processing principles and practices, automated payroll systems and strong customer service. 

Computer Skills:    Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint

Competencies:     

•    Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem. 

•    Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly. 

•    Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely. 

•    Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions. 

•    Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word. 

•    Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task. 

•    Organized - Possessing the trait of being organized or following a systematic method of performing a task. 

•    Problem-Solving – Ability to perform root cause analysis and develop recommendations with minimal supervision.

•    Time Management - Organize own work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments with a minimum of direction. 

•    Working Under Pressure - Ability to complete assigned tasks under stressful situations.