School Payroll & Finance Specialist

Richmond, CA

Full Time

Mid Level

Compensation: $38.00 - $45.00 / hour (DOE)

Status: Full-time, Non-exempt, Year-round

Location: Richmond, CA

Are you a confident, detail-oriented professional who loves mastering complex systems, building checklists, and getting things done?

We are seeking an "all-hands-on-deck," highly execution-focused School Payroll & Finance Specialist to own our day-to-day business office operations. This is an "in-the-trenches" role where you will run bi-weekly payroll for 160+ employees, manage Accounts Payable, and execute core public school fund compliance tasks.

You will work closely alongside an experienced team member—but you must possess the confidence and skills to take the reins quickly. If you are a strict rule-follower who loves a fast-paced environment and isn’t afraid of a heavy, rewarding workload, this role is for you.

Core Requirements

3+ years of hands-on experience running end-to-end payroll for 160+ employees (CA public or charter school experience is a massive plus).
The "Grit" Factor: Confident, proactive, and ready to learn. You don't wait to be told what to do; you look at the data, use the checklists, and execute.
Advanced Excel Proficiency: High competence with Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, and data manipulation.
Tech-Forward Mindset: Highly comfortable learning enterprise software (Sage Intacct or equivalent school ERPs).

Essential Functions

Payroll & Benefits Ownership

End-to-End Payroll: Prepare, verify, and process bi-weekly payroll for 160+ employees; thoroughly review for absolute accuracy.
Complex Deductions: Track and calculate stipends, longevity bonuses, and specialized teacher summer hold-back payments.
Compliance & Offboarding: Calculate final paychecks and PTO payouts in strict compliance with CA labor timelines.
Benefits & Retirement: Manage employee enrollment and contributions into retirement and benefits plans; remit contributions accurately to providers.

Accounts Payable & Core Accounting Support

Accounts Payable: Review, code, and process vendor invoices and employee reimbursements to ensure perfect alignment with approved budget allocations.
Journal Entries: Prepare and post bi-weekly payroll journals to Sage Intacct.
Reconciliations: Perform month-end close tasks, post basic journal entries, and clear payroll-related balance sheet accounts (FSA, life insurance, etc.).

Fund Compliance & Mandatory Reporting

SACS Coding: Monitor restricted revenue and expenditures using the California Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS) (Resource, Goal, and Function coding).
Grant Compliance: Collect and maintain federal "Time and Effort" documentation (Personnel Activity Reports) for grant-funded staff.
State/Federal Submissions: Reconcile Federal Quarterly Payroll expenses (Form 941), assist with monthly CalSTRS retirement reporting, and upload data to the CDE’s GMART portal (Title I–IV, ELOP, Prop 28).

Qualifications & Skills

Experience over Degrees: A Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance is great, but direct, heavy-volume experience running payroll and AP in a fast-paced environment is what truly matters to us.
Collaborative & Teachable: Confident in your abilities, yet eager to learn and to master our specific school systems and state compliance guidelines.

Why Apply?

This isn't a passive desk job—it’s an active, vital role where you will see the direct impact of your hard work every single day. If you want a competitive hourly wage, a stable year-round schedule, and a supportive team environment where you can put your head down and execute, apply today!

Equal Employment Opportunity Is Our Policy

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Welcome to the career page for Making Waves Academy (MWA), a free, public charter school in Richmond, California.

We are more than a school; we are a powerful system committed to rigorously preparing students with the education, career skills, and financial freedom needed to meet their goals and thrive.

If you are mission-driven and dedicated to closing the achievement gap, you belong on our team.

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Life-Changing Impact: Work directly with students who achieve phenomenal results. We boast a 100% A-G completion rate and a college graduation rate of 76% (far surpassing national peers).

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Ready to make a lasting difference in the lives of our Wave-Makers? Explore our open positions below!