Accountant I

Salary Range: $56,307.00 To $83,191.00 Annually

SCLARC offers: Medical/Dental/Vision, Life Insurance, 401K match, 457 CalPERS Savings Plan, CalPERS Pension Plan, Employee Assistance Program Hotline, Parking, 11 Paid Holidays, Vacation, Sick, and Personal Days.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The position is responsible for providing accounting and administrative support to the General Accounting Division, with a primary focus on payroll processing, accounts payable, and general ledger activities. Key responsibilities include reviewing employee timecards, preparing journal entries, reconciling payroll deductions and benefit contributions, processing vendor payments, and assisting with month-end and year-end closing procedures. The role also supports financial reporting, audits, and compliance requirements while ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to established accounting policies and procedures. This position works closely with accounting staff, management, employees, and vendors to ensure efficient and accurate financial operations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review employee timecards for accuracy and completeness in accordance with established schedules and procedures.
• Prepare payroll and accounts payable journal entries and assist with general ledger reconciliations and payroll reporting.
• Reconcile payroll-related deductions and benefit contributions, including 401(k) contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and other employee benefits.
• Respond to inquiries from employees, supervisors, and vendors regarding payroll, timecards, payment status, invoice processing, deadlines, and corrections.
• Assist senior accounting staff and the Controller with month-end and year-end closing activities, account reconciliations, accruals, and financial statement preparation.
• Assist with audits, payroll reporting, and other accounting-related compliance requirements.
• Assist the Accounts Payable Specialist with processing vendor invoices, employee reimbursements, and other accounts payable transactions, ensuring proper approvals, accurate account coding, and timely payments.
• Provide general administrative and accounting support to the General Accounting Division and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EXPERIENCES

• Two to three years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, payroll processing, or a relatedfield.
• Experience using payroll software and automated payroll systems, with proficiency in payroll data entry,reporting, and reconciliation.
• Hands-on experience with payroll processing, including timecard review, payroll reconciliations, payroll deductions, and employee benefit contributions is highly desirable.
• Experience with ADP payroll systems is highly desirable.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including the use of formulas, PivotTables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and data analysis for payroll and accounting.

WORK SCHEDULE

The employee must be available to work a partial day every other Saturday, with equivalent time off during a weekday in the same workweek to accommodate the Saturday schedule.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described below are representative of those required for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers to handle or operate objects, and communicate verbally and audibly. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. Occasionally, the employee may be required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move objects weighing up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required for this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.