Payroll and Accounting Specialist

Compensation: $87,875 - $95,000 / year (Based on Experience) + Full Benefits Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Year-Round Job Function: Finance & Business Operations When you join Making Waves Academy (MWA), you're joining a team dedicated to moving the world forward. Making Waves Academy (MWA) is seeking a meticulous Payroll & Accounting Specialist to manage our end-to-end bi-weekly payroll operations for 160+ team members while supporting core Accounts Payable and general ledger accounting. Reporting to the Business Office, this role is critical to maintaining payroll accuracy, employee satisfaction, and clean financial records. What You'll Be Doing End-to-End Payroll Execution: Independently prepare and process bi-weekly payroll for 160+ faculty and staff using UKG. Verify timesheets, process stipends, garnishments, and teacher summer hold-backs in full compliance with CA wage and hour laws. Retirement & Benefits Administration: Manage monthly CalSTRS retirement reporting and reconciliations. Handle employee benefit plan enrollments, tracking, and contribution remittances. Accounts Payable & GL Support: Process vendor invoices, manage employee reimbursements, and post payroll journal entries to Sage Intacct. Account Reconciliations: Clear payroll-related balance sheet accounts (FSA, life insurance) and support routine month-end accruals. HR & Operations Collaboration: Partner closely with People Operations to maintain clean employee data and generate functional reporting (leave balances, overtime, headcount). What We're Looking For Experience: 3+ years of direct experience running full-cycle California payroll for 150+ employees. Technical Skills: 1-2 years of hands-on General Ledger and AP experience (Sage Intacct and UKG experience strongly preferred). Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables). Compliance Knowledge: Deep understanding of CA labor laws (overtime, meal breaks, final pay timing) and familiarity with CalSTRS or public school retirement reporting. Education: High School Diploma or GED required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Business preferred. Making Waves Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We afford equal advancement and employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, gender identity, gender expression, sex, religious creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational equity through college and career support for underserved students and their families. Education Administration Programs Health and Human Services Government Administration Company size 51-200 employees Company type Nonprofit Founded 1989 Total funding 0 Momentum Team growth Momentum Team growth 44% in 12 mo 79 employees on LinkedIn Sep 22 Feb 26 Capital Funding history Footprint Where they work #J-18808-Ljbffr Making Waves Academy