Senior Accountant

Overview

On Site
45 - 60
Contract - W2
Contract - 6 Month(s)
No Travel Required
Unable to Provide Sponsorship

Skills

Payroll accounting
Payroll GL reconciliations
Payroll liability accounting
Benefit and tax reconciliations
General ledger accounting
Journal entries
Accruals and adjustments
Month-end close
Year-end close
Financial reconciliations
Bank reconciliations
GAAP
Internal controls
Audit support
Payroll reporting
Financial reporting
Grant accounting
Project accounting
Fixed assets
Accounts payable
Accounts receivable
Advanced Excel
Pivot tables
VLOOKUP
Financial analysis
Variance analysis
Oracle Financials
PeopleSoft Financials
Oracle Cloud
Compliance reporting
GASB familiarity
Public sector accounting
Higher education accounting
Process improvement
Detail orientation
Deadline management
Cross-functional collaboration
On-site work

Job Details

Senior Accountant – Payroll Focus

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Work Setting: On-Site
Employment Type: Contract

Pay Rate: $45.00 - $60.00

 

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Accountant with a strong focus on Payroll Accounting to support their Payroll and Accounting operations. This role is primarily responsible for full-cycle payroll accounting, reconciliations, reporting, and general ledger integration, while also supporting additional accounting functions such as General Ledger, Financial Reporting, Fixed Assets, AP, AR, and Grants/Project Accounting as needed. The ideal professional is detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and comfortable working in a compliance-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities (Primary Payroll Focus)

• Manage full-cycle payroll accounting, including GL interfaces and reconciliations
• Reconcile payroll liability, benefit, and tax accounts, resolving variances as needed
• Ensure accurate posting of wages, deductions, employer taxes, and benefit allocations
• Support payroll reporting, audits, and compliance filings
• Prepare payroll-related journal entries, accruals, adjustments, and worksheets
• Reconcile and analyze general ledger and bank activity
• Support month-end and year-end close processes
• Assist with project/grant and financial reporting as needed
• Support internal and external payroll and financial audits
• Utilize Excel and financial systems to prepare reporting and analysis

Minimum Qualifications (Non-Negotiable Requirements)

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field
• Minimum 3+ years of hands-on Payroll Accounting experience (beyond payroll processing)
• Demonstrated experience reconciling payroll GL and liability accounts
• Strong understanding of GAAP and internal controls
• Experience preparing journal entries and performing financial reconciliations
• Proficiency with advanced Excel (pivot tables, lookups, formulas)
• Ability to work on-site daily in Los Angeles

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA or CMA preferred, not required
• Experience with Oracle-based financial systems (e.g., PeopleSoft or Oracle FIS)
• Experience within public-sector, grant-funded, or higher-education environments
• Familiarity with GASB or public-sector financial reporting
• Experience supporting payroll and financial audits

 

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