Payroll & Accounting Assistant Career Path to Business Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Grow Your Accounting Career with Abel Personnel

Abel Personnel is seeking an experienced Payroll & Accounting Assistant to join our internal team in Harrisburg, PA.

This is a hands-on payroll and accounting position with meaningful long-term growth potential. As part of Abel Personnel's succession planning, this individual will work closely with our current Business Manager, learn broader financial and administrative operations, and have the opportunity to develop toward a future Business Manager role.

We're looking for someone who brings strong ADP payroll processing and accounting experience today and has the initiative, curiosity, and ability to grow into greater responsibility over time.

About the Role

Abel Personnel processes in-house biweekly payroll for approximately 300 employees working across multiple client accounts and assignments.

Payroll information originates within our Applicant Tracking System (ATS)/timekeeping platform and is processed through ADP. With varying assignments, pay rates, schedules, and client-specific requirements, accuracy requires more than knowing how to operate payroll software.

The right person understands the process behind the numbers and can identify, research, and resolve discrepancies when information between systems doesn't match.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll

• Process biweekly payroll for approximately 300 employees using ADP
• Review time and payroll information originating from our ATS/timekeeping system
• Verify hours, pay rates, deductions, adjustments, and other payroll activity
• Compare and reconcile payroll information across systems
• Research discrepancies and make or coordinate corrections before payroll is finalized
• Assist with payroll taxes, reporting, and compliance requirements
• Maintain accurate payroll records and supporting documentation
• Manage exceptions and changing information while meeting firm payroll deadlines

Accounting & Bookkeeping

• Perform day-to-day bookkeeping and maintain financial information in QuickBooks
• Complete bank, account, and general ledger reconciliations
• Research accounting discrepancies and determine appropriate corrections
• Support accounts payable, accounts receivable, and vendor payments
• Maintain accurate general ledger and supporting financial records
• Assist with journal entries, monthly financial statements, and management reporting
• Support financial research, reporting, and special projects

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on bookkeeping or accounting experience
• Hands-on ADP payroll processing experience – required
• Experience processing or significantly supporting in-house payroll
• Experience working with payroll information across multiple systems
• Experience with an ATS, timekeeping system, HRIS, or comparable employee-data platform
• Proficiency with QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel
• Solid understanding of debits, credits, general ledger activity, and account reconciliations
• Working knowledge of payroll taxes, deductions, adjustments, and payroll reporting
• Ability to independently investigate and resolve payroll and accounting discrepancies
• Strong numerical accuracy, organization, and attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and firm deadlines
• Professional discretion when handling confidential employee and financial information

Preferred Experience

• Payroll processing for 250+ employees
• Staffing-industry payroll or accounting experience
• Experience in a fast-paced, multi-client or multi-account environment
• AP/AR, journal entry, month-end close, and financial reporting experience
• Experience reconciling information between payroll, timekeeping, ATS/HRIS, and accounting systems
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field

Relevant hands-on experience may be considered in place of a degree.

More Than a Payroll Processor

Knowing ADP and QuickBooks is important, but we're looking for someone who understands the accounting behind the transactions.

You notice when something doesn't look right. You can trace information back to its source, compare records, verify calculations, research discrepancies, and follow an issue through resolution rather than simply relying on what a system produces.

You'll also need to be comfortable in a fast-paced staffing environment where different clients and employee assignments may have different rates, requirements, and exceptions.

Career Growth & Succession Planning

We're intentionally hiring this position with the future in mind.

The successful candidate will work closely with our Business Manager and gradually develop knowledge beyond day-to-day payroll and bookkeeping, including broader financial, administrative, and business operations.

We're looking for someone interested in:

• Expanding beyond transactional payroll and accounting
• Understanding how payroll, accounting, clients, employees, and operations connect
• Taking increasing ownership of financial and administrative responsibilities
• Becoming a trusted resource to staff and leadership
• Developing the knowledge and judgment needed for broader business responsibility

For the right individual, this position offers a potential career path toward becoming Abel Personnel's future Business Manager.

Advancement will be based on demonstrated performance, professional development, business needs, and readiness for increased responsibility.

Why Abel Personnel?

For more than 55 years, Abel Personnel has provided staffing and workforce solutions throughout Central Pennsylvania and beyond.

This position offers the opportunity to combine payroll, accounting, problem-solving, and business operations while working directly with experienced leadership and building toward greater responsibility within an established organization.

Apply Today

If you have hands-on ADP payroll experience, strong accounting fundamentals, and the desire to grow into broader business responsibilities, we'd like to hear from you.

Please submit a resume highlighting your experience with ADP, payroll processing, QuickBooks, reconciliations, general ledger accounting, Excel, and multi-system payroll processing.

Abel Personnel is an Equal Opportunity Employer.