Payroll Accountant (Finance)

Position Summary:

The Payroll Accountant is responsible for processing and managing payroll operations, ensuring accuracy compliance and timely payment of employee wages. The role maintains payroll records, handles tax withholding, resolves discrepancies and ensures adherence to the federal, state and local payroll regulations.

In addition, the position is responsible to generate and interpret financial records and statements for management. Maintain records of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within the organization. Analyze financial data in order to prepare financial reports. Utilize accounting principles to report employee earnings, such as salaries, wages, bonuses, and overtime and payroll taxes as well as employer paid benefits, such as vacation and holidays, various insurance and retirement plans.

Essential Functions:

Time and Expense:

• Reviews electronic timekeeping for completeness and accuracy.

• Prepares and inputs semi-monthly payroll; verifies accuracy of payroll reports and payments issued from ADP.
• Maintains the setup of the Time and Expense systems. This includes employee records, payroll schedules and project code updates.
• Prepares semi-monthly payroll related journal entries for SAGE.

• Oversees maintenance of payroll records and files including but limited to sick time, vacation and any other accrued leave.

• Create ad hoc reports as needed leveraging the payroll system.
• Maintain current knowledge of wage and hour regulations.

Benefits:

• Ensures that ADP benefit balance is up to date and accurate.
• Prepares and reconciles 401k retirement plan contributions and submits required reports, accurately and timely.
• Prepares and reconciles Flexible Spending Accounts withholdings and submits required reports, accurately and timely.
• Prepares and reconciles Health Savings Accounts withholdings and submits required reports, accurately and timely.
• Makes semi-monthly funding request for HSA and FSA accounts.

Audit and Close:

• Supports audit testing related to payroll for end of year audit and for Worker's compensation and 401k annual audit.
• Performs internal audit reviews for State and Federal compliance. Ensures compliance with all applicable state and federal wage and hour laws.
• Reviews W-2 and year end closing procedures.

Tax Reconciliation:

• Prepares and reconciles Payroll related tax filings with ADP.
• Maintain current knowledge of IRS regulations.
• Investigate inquiries from and respond to taxing agencies (e.g. state tax departments, unemployment insurance departments, etc.).

Training:

• Provides onboarding training about ADP and timesheet reporting.
• Training on an ad hoc basis as needed.

Customer Service:

• Provides excellent customer service to employees through prompt and complete responses to inquiries and questions.
• Works collaboratively with Human Resources, Sponsored Projects Office and Accounting and Finance.

General Ledger Support:

• Works closely with the Sponsored Projects Office to enter Cost Transfers related to Payroll.
• Makes monthly calculations for salaries over the Cap.
• Prepares semi-monthly payroll related journal entries.
• Prepares payroll related reports for Sponsored Project Office, Principal Investigators and Senior Management upon request.
• Reconciles Payroll related accounts monthly.

Prerequisites:

• Bachelor's degree Preferred.
• 10 + years of experience working with Payroll and Human Resources.
• Software experience required: ADP software. Desired experience in SAGE INTACCT accounting system.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality. Ability to appropriately handle critical and sensitive information.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle a variety of tasks and shift priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to effectively interact with all levels of staff and external contacts and be an integral and effective team member. Strong customer service orientation. With high level of initiative and ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic)
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to, stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard, reach, stoop, and kneel to install computer equipment
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
• Light to moderate lifting is required

J. Craig Venter Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.