Senior Payroll Accountant

West Coast Children’s Clinic, located in Oakland, California, is a non-profit community psychology clinic that provides mental health services to Bay Area children, youth and families.
Working at West Coast Children’s Clinic means being part of an organization that is client-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative, and committed to justice and equity.

Title
:
Senior Payroll Accountant

Classification
:
Regular Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Exempt

Location
:
Oakland, CA

Regular Work Schedule
:
Full-Time, Monday-Friday

Compensation:

• Salary range: $95,000-$105,000 per year, depending on experience.

We are seeking a detail-oriented Senior Payroll Accountant to oversee payroll accounting operations, employee benefits reconciliation, and retirement plan compliance. In this role, you will be responsible for preparing payroll journal entries, reconciling gross-to-net payroll runs to the general ledger, and performing reconciliations for 403(b) retirement accounts and benefit plans. Additionally, you will serve as a cross-trained operational backup for primary payroll processing to ensure continuous, seamless pay cycles.

Payroll Accounting and General Ledger Review

• Prepare, review, and post bi-weekly/monthly payroll journal entries into the General Ledger (GL), including salaries, with holdings, employer taxes, and benefit accruals.
• Perform routine payroll reconciliations comparing payroll register totals, bank disbursements, and GL accounts to identify and resolve variance discrepancies.
• Audit pre- and post-payroll processing reports for accuracy, ensuring compliance with internal controls, company policies, and statutory regulations.
• Maintain balance sheet account reconciliations for payroll-related accounts, including accrued payroll, payroll tax liabilities, PTO accruals, and garnishments.
• Review the Form 941’s, W-2’s and state tax filings to guarantee accuracy.
• Work with the Payroll Processor and Accounting Manager to process amendments.

403(b) Retirement Plan Reconciliation and Administration

• Reconcile employee 403(b) elective deferrals, employer matching contributions, and active loan repayment deductions after each pay cycle.
• Compare payroll deduction files against recordkeeper funding reports to verify exact funding transmission and compliance with IRS deposit timelines.
• Resolve deduction discrepancies with HR and plan administrators regarding contribution limits, loan setup adjustments, or participant election changes.
• Assist with annual 403(b) plan audits, Form 5500 filings, and non-discrimination testing documentation.

Benefits Reconciliation

• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations for all health and welfare benefit accounts (medical, dental, vision, life, disability).
• Conduct monthly billing statement reconciliations by cross-referencing carrier invoices against payroll deduction reports and HR enrollment data.
• Identify and correct premium overages, retroactive adjustments, and uncollected employee contributions.

Operational Backup and Support

• Serve as the primary operational backup for full-cycle payroll execution (timecard review, rate adjustments, direct deposit setups, off-cycle disbursements).
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, including year-end W-2 reconciliations.
• Partner with HR to continuously improve payroll workflows and integration between HRIS and ERP platforms.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience: At least 2-4 years of general accounting experience, with at least 3 years explicitly focused on payroll journal entries, GL reconciliations, and benefit account oversight.
• Hands-on experience with major HRIS/Payroll platforms (e.g., ADP Workforce Now)
• Strong understanding of payroll tax…