Payroll & Senior Accounting Specialist at Making Waves Academy
About the Employer
When You Join Making Waves Academy You Commit to Intergenerational Change. You will join a team dedicated to rigorously and holistically preparing students from the 5th grade to their ultimate career success. Our bold mission is to interrupt inequity by supporting every Wave-Maker's journey to a rewarding life dream. As an employee, you will uphold high expectations for academics and behavior within a close-knit, supportive community. You will be instrumental in fostering essential durable skills like critical thinking and self-advocacy, crucial for any field. This is more than a job; it’s a commitment to empowering students to lead fulfilling lives, have rewarding careers and give back to their respective communities to recycle their success. We are looking for leaders and advocates ready to make a lasting impact.
Job Summary
Job Summary
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
Job Description / Essential Elements:
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Position Summary
The role of the Payroll/Accounts Payable Associate at Making Waves Academy (MWA), under the direction of the Controller, is to process payroll information in accordance with charter management organization policy, Federal and State laws. This person will also support the Controller on special projects to ensure payroll procedures are adequate for network expansion and to improve efficiency in systems and reporting.
Our Story
Making Waves Foundation was founded in 1989 as a mentoring program to address the disparity in educational opportunities for low-income students in Richmond, CA. For decades, through comprehensive programming and services, Making Waves has helped prepare and support first-generation college students to graduate from competitive institutions across the country.
In 2007, the foundation opened the Making Waves Academy Middle School, a charter school offering a rigorous fifth to eighth grade academic program and comprehensive services for students and families. The Making Waves Academy Upper School was launched in 2011 and provides rich academic course offerings, career exploration and extensive college advisement. The Upper School graduated its first class of 12th graders this year, 96% of which completed the SAT exams and 100% of which applied to college.
The Team
Making Waves Academy (MWA) aims to prepare students to apply to and be competitive for admission to a variety of public, private and selective colleges and universities. Making Waves students are not only prepared to enter and graduate from college through rigorous academic instruction but also through social-emotional instruction and coaching. Our teachers promote literacy across disciplines and collaborate to assess student work, design curriculum, and improve their personal practice.
Primary Responsibilities
Payroll
- Responsible for the preparation and processing of biweekly payroll for over 110+ employees; review and ensure accuracy of approved timesheets; track and deduct all garnishments and other special payroll deductions (such as teacher hold-back payments, stipends, longevity bonuses); create systems to make these tasks efficient
- Manage employee enrollment and contributions into retirement plans and remit contributions
- Calculate final paychecks and severance pay for separating employees
- Reconcile Federal Quarterly Payroll expenses Form 941
- Prepare and post bi-weekly payroll journals to QuickBook
- Review and clear payroll accounts (such as employees' flexible spending accounts, life insurance, payroll advances)
- Review budget vs. actual variance analysis for payroll
- Responsible for the coordination efforts between payroll and human resources departments to ensure proper flow and maintenance of employee data (including preparation/distribution of detailed reports, e.g., overtime, leave balances, head count, Personnel Action Forms, salary reduction agreement)
- Train new staff on Paychex payroll systems (such as completing and approving timesheets)
- Reconcile payroll prior to transmission and validate data before payroll is finalized
- Responsible and submit documents for annual workers compensation audit
Accounts Payable
- Ensure all payables have proper approvals and account code allocations prior to payment
- Match credit card receipts to statements; post and reconcile credit card expenses
- Maintain files for vendors (such as contracts, W9 and paid invoices)
- Train staff on procedures relating to coding expenses
- Prepare annual filing of Form 1099MISC for both vendors and IRS
- Assist in annual audit fieldwork, such as document retrievals
- Assist with budget preparation work
Qualifications
Experience
- 2-3 years minimum of Payroll, Accounts Payable and General Accounting experience preferred, but not required
Skills
- Knowledge of Paychex payroll system and QuickBooks desired
- Proficiency in MS Office software applications
- Demonstrated experience leading self-directed tasks and projects
- Excellent problem solving/judgment skills, and high level of attention to detail and accuracy
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to work under pressure
- Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree required, with a major in Business/Finance, or related field preferred
Salary and Benefits
Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included.
Requirements / Qualifications
For more information on Requirements/Qualifications, please contact the employer.
Comments and Other Information
For more information on Comments and Other Information, please contact the employer.
Application Deadline
8/31/2026 11:55 PM Pacific
Date Posted
6/29/2026
Contact
Jody Fortney
510-779-1368
510-779-1368
Number of Openings
1
Salary
Pay Range
$42.25 - $45.68 Per Hour
$42.25 - $45.68 Per Hour
Length of Work Year
12 months
Employment Type
Full Time