Payroll Accounting Specialist

Your Essential Skills Help Our Accounting Operations Run Smoothly.

At Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), we create partnerships - connecting people, dogs, and communities – to transform the lives of individuals with visual impairments. We are seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Payroll/Accounting Specialist to join our Finance team. In this role, you’ll manage full-cycle, multi-state payroll and support key accounting and compliance functions that ensure our employees are paid accurately, on time, and in accordance with federal and state regulations.

This position plays a critical role in supporting staff across our campuses and remote locations while upholding GDB’s standards for accuracy, confidentiality, and service.

• Prepare and process bi-weekly payroll for a complex, multi-state workforce (primarily CA and OR), verifying timesheets, pay calculations, and compliance with wage and hour laws and GDB pay policies; assist employees with timekeeping questions and resolve discrepancies
• Reconcile bi-weekly payroll uploads to the accounting system and prepare uploads and payments for 403(b), FSA/HSA, and garnishments
• Generate, customize, and analyze payroll reports for regulatory agencies, month-end close, audits, and internal payroll expense analysis using Kronos/UKG reporting tools
• Maintain accurate payroll, tax, and benefit records, including multi-state employer documentation; manage payroll calendars and continuously update the timekeeping employee self-service guide to improve clarity and reduce recurring inquiries
• Support employee lifecycle payroll activities including new hires, promotions, terminations, employee training, benefit deduction updates, leave-of-absence pay guidance, and resolution of paycheck-related questions with clear explanations and corrections as needed
• Perform month-end accounting functions such as preparing journal entries, reconciling accounts, supporting annual audits (Workers’ Compensation and 403(b)), partnering with HR on benefit deductions, and assisting with additional accounting and operational analyses while adhering to safety policies and reporting procedures

• Contributing to a mission-driven organization that creates independence and mobility
• Playing a key role in keeping our organization running efficiently behind the scenes
• Collaborating with supportive teams across Finance, HR, and Operations
• Working for a respected nonprofit with a long-standing national impact

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience processing complex, multi-state payroll (primarily CA and OR)
• Strong knowledge of federal and state wage and hour laws and payroll compliance with experience supporting accounting, tax reporting, and audits
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (advanced Excel), accounting systems, and Kronos/UKG payroll software
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities independently, meet deadlines, and maintain strict confidentiality
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused approach
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) highly desirable;
  Accounting or Business degree

Guide Dogs for the Blind

At Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), we believe that everyone deserves to move through the world safely and confidently – to live the life they want to live. As the largest guide dog school in North America, we have graduated more than 16,000 guide dog teams from across the U.S. and Canada since our founding in 1942. GDB not only improves mobility for our clients, we further inclusion.

Join our team of more than 300 employees and share your passion for our mission.

At Guide Dogs for the Blind, we respect, value, and appreciate all differences. We welcome all qualified candidates irrespective of your race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Individuals with disabilities, especially those who are blind or visually impaired, are encouraged to apply. If you have a disability and need assistance and/or accommodation with applying for a job, please feel free to contact our Human Resources department.

Pay Range: $40 - $48/hour