Accountant-Payroll

City of Lake Stevens; Lake Stevens (WA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan with state system

Deferred compensation match

Excellent healthcare options

Job summary

City of Lake Stevens is seeking a Payroll Accountant to manage the city’s payroll operations, deductions, and related records. The role requires coordinating with Human Resources and ensuring accurate processing in line with applicable laws and city policies.

The ideal candidate will have 2+ years in accounting/payroll, strong analytical skills, and experience with payroll and timekeeping systems. Hybrid work options are available after onboarding, with on-site presence recommended initially.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field.
• Two (2) years increasingly responsible experience in accounting or business environment, preferably public sector.
• Knowledge of payroll, accounting, and timekeeping systems; ability to analyze financial data.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and database management software.

Responsibilities

• Plans, administers, and reconciles the City’s payroll activities and payroll taxes.
• Inputs and maintains employee information in payroll and timekeeping systems; coordinates with HR.
• Prepares payroll documentation, schedules, and corrections; ensures compliance with laws and city policies.
• Produces monthly/quarterly reports and assists with year-end payroll processes.

Skills

Payroll processing

Timekeeping systems

Financial analysis

Internal controls

Education

Associate’s degree in accounting/finance/business administration

Tools

Payroll system

QuickBooks

Job description

NOW HIRING-ACCOUNTANT PAYROLL

This recruitment will remain open until filled. The first review of applicants will take place on September 14, 2026. To be considered in this review you must apply prior to this date.

Under the general direction of the Accounting Manager, performs a variety of intermediate level professional accounting work involved in preparing, maintaining, analyzing, verifying, and reconciling financial transactions, statements, records, reports and annual audit; assists in the preparation of assigned budgets, annual audit, and month/year-end closing; and provides highly responsible staff assistance to assigned management staff.

The incumbent must be highly motivated and capable of working independently or within a team environment interpreting complex rules, regulations, and financial data in order to maintain financial systems.

Payroll Accountant is responsible for the City’s payroll operations and performs highly responsible duties in the preparation, administration and maintenance of payroll transactions and records. The incumbent is accountable for ensuring the payroll function is performed in strict adherence with relevant laws and codes, City policies and procedures, and in accordance with sound financial management principles and practices. Duties and responsibilities are carried out with considerable independence within the framework of established policies, procedures and guidelines and performs related duties as assigned.

About City of Lake Stevens

Lake Stevens is a vibrant and growing community with a population of over 42,000 residents.

Lake Stevens is generally a residential community with access to numerous commercial, retail and recreational opportunities. Of course, the crown jewel of the community is the lake itself, which boasts some of the greatest water recreational opportunities in the county. Lake Stevens is also uniquely situated, being close to the lake, ocean, and Cascade mountains, to take advantage of many outdoor activities. The Lake Stevens Schools are excellent and coupled with a city priority of parks and increased walkability, makes Lake Stevens an ideal place to raise a family.

The City of Lake Stevens operates under the mayor-council system. The city’s motto, “One Community Around the Lake”, embodies our quality of life, top-ranked school district, and the City Council’s commitment to providing excellent services and amenities for its residents.

Why City of Lake Stevens?

• Work-Life Balance - We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individual's lifestyle.
• Flexible Work Schedules - The City offers a variety of work schedules, including potential hybrid or remote options, depending on business needs and supervisor approval. Employees should expect to work on-site for the first 90 days, or until they are sufficiently trained to perform their duties independently.
• Work Where you Live!

The City of Lake Stevens offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Retirement- through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems.
• Deferred Compensation- with city match.
• Excellent healthcare options- including medical, dental, vision insurance, city-paid life insurance and long-term disability, health savings accounts (HSA), and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA/VEBA).
• Paid leave- including paid sick leave, paid vacation, flexible holidays, paid holidays, and bereavement leave.
• Tuition reimbursement!
• See our benefits page for a complete list of all the benefits available to the City of Lake Stevens employees.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL ACCOUNTANTS-

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional of different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Participates in the strategic planning, decision making, goal setting, and problem solving of the Finance Department; recommends changes to internal control policy/procedures to ensure proper accounting, financial reporting, compliance with local and state laws.
• Assures financial system integrity through monitoring and analysis of a full range of accounting activities; assists in the oversight of the general ledger accounting functions; reviews and/or prepares adjusting journal entries and cash receipts; analyzes accounts and performs account reconciliations.
• Maintains and monitors city accounting records in accordance with the WA State Auditor’s Office proscribed Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS).
• Participates and assists in the preparation of the annual budget; prepares a variety of studies, reports, and related information for decision making; provides financial information and graphics for budget documentation.
• Participates in the year-end audit under supervision of the Accounting Manager; compiles and prepares supporting schedules, workpapers, and financial reports as requested by the auditors.
• Provides analytical and administrative support to special projects; researches, compiles, and reports data for special projects including those assigned by the Department Director.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; provides confidential support to the organization; maintains awareness of new trends and developments in the field of financial services, public administration, and related fields; recommends incorporation of new developments as appropriate.
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance.

POSITION SPECIFIC ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plans, organizes and administers the City’s payroll activities, including the reconciliation of payroll, payroll deductions, and the payment of payroll taxes, vendor accounts and retirement benefits; enters and maintains employee information in the payroll and timekeeping systems; updates direct deposit information; establishes payroll schedules and calendars to meet processing requirements; reviews, audits and approves payroll documents, schedules and correspondence; inputs withholding exemptions, employee/employer deductions and pay rate changes; prepares documentation to process corrections and adjustments; coordinates with Human Resources to ensure compliance with city policy, state and federal benefit laws; communicates payroll activities and information with other departments; responds to employee questions regarding payroll issues; provides training to new employees and supervisors on timekeeping and payroll systems; designs payroll related procedures and forms.

• Demonstrates a full understanding of applicable wage policies, procedures, and work methods associated with assigned duties; identifies and resolves problems and inconsistencies relative to the maintenance of payroll accounting controls; evaluates and recommends changes in policies and procedures related to their duties.

• Imports employee work hours and absences from the timekeeping system into the payroll system, verifying correct pay rates, differentials, premium pay hours and adequacy of leave time; runs payroll system functions and verifies the accuracy of pre- and post-tax deductions; generates and audits payroll registers; analyzes and resolves payroll exception reports; generates checks and direct deposit advices; transmits electronic direct deposits to banking institutions; enters data and generates special off-cycle payrolls as needed; calculates wage garnishments and assigns in accordance with legal requirements.

• Processes accounts payable checks for payroll liability accounts, including employee benefits, pension, deferred compensation, union dues and other deductions; calculates federal and state payroll tax deposits and submits payments electronically; maintains spreadsheets and reconciles payroll liability accounts with benefit provider invoices and City records; prepares adjusting journal entries.

• Mants spreadsheets and prepares monthly pension plan reports, including hours and wages by employee by pay period; researches past reporting errors and makes corrections to reports; assists employees with issues regarding correct pensionable hours for pension purposes.

• Prepares accurate and timely reporting of City quarterly and annual wages and payroll taxes; prepares federal and state tax forms and reports.

• Performs the annual payroll reconciliation and generates W-2 forms for employees, ensuring correct calculation of imputed income for applicable employee benefits, including No Tax on Overtime federal requirements.

• Assists with the maintenance of electronic/paper payroll files in accordance with the Local Government Common Records Retention Schedules, and department specific records management procedures; responds/assists with payroll related public records requests.

PERIPHERAL DUTIES

• Assists Human Resources with calculation and processing of vacation and sick leave balance buy-back requests.
• Completes verification of employment and a variety of other forms and notifications.
• Develops cost projections and analyses for “what if” scenarios for use in budget development and labor negotiations; calculates salary and benefits costs for budget purposes.
• Maintains City’s account receivables, including invoicing and recording balances due in QuickBooks, assigning and reporting delinquent accounts to collections.
• Provides back up for administering and/or reviewing accounts payables.
• Provides back up for cashiering and office administration as needed.
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here and in the attached questionnaire are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk; and hear. The incumbent frequently is required to sit for extended periods of time and type on a keyboard for extended periods of time. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, color, and peripheral vision; depth perception; and the ability to adjust focus.

Work is performed in a typical office environment subject to working outside of normal working hours to meet critical timelines or to provide support in department emergency response events. While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is subject to multiple interruptions by telephones and walk-ins by employees and citizens; may be exposed to individuals who are irate or hostile. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Typical business office machinery and equipment include, but not limited to, personal computer including database program, spreadsheet and word processing software, printer, telephone, scanning equipment, fax machine, copy machine, calculator and projector.

Education, Training and Experience Guidelines

EDUCATION: Associate’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field; and

EXPERIENCE: Two (2) years increasingly responsible experience in accounting or business environment, preferably in the public sector; advanced skills in word processing, spreadsheet and database management software required;

OR: Any combination of education and experience, which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the job, may be substituted for these qualifications. Examples include:

Knowledge of:

• Governmental accounting and auditing practices, procedures, and principles with a strong understanding of Cash Basis governmental accounting.
• Principles and practices of the Washington State Auditor’s Office proscribed Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS).
• Internal controls, debt management, procurement, and municipal budget preparation.
• Proficient computer operation skills and experience with a variety of software programs.
• Lean Management System or Six Sigma principles.
• Municipal government policies, procedures, and, structure; and applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances.
• Payroll/accounting/timekeeping systems.

Skilled in:

• Effective, professional and positive interactions with difficult individuals.
• Being organized, detail orientated and efficient with daily work.
• Reviewing interrelated financial and technical records; assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks, projects, and demands; meeting critical time deadlines.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships; communicating effectively verbally and in writing.
• Skills in solving mathematical equations.
• Strong customer service skills.

Ability to:

• Be a good role model, exhibit leadership and good decision-making.
• Analyze, post, balance and reconcile financial data, transactions, ledgers and accounts.
• Perform mathematical calculations and complex data processing tasks rapidly and accurately.
• Analyze and interpret information in a concise manner and make recommendations on strategies to resolve issues and ensure compliance with laws, regulations and policies.
• Work independently with little direction and remain a contributing member of a service-oriented team.
• Plan and organize work to manage multiple projects and meet changing priorities and deadlines.
• Apply lean or six sigma principles to continuously improve processes, procedures and implement change management.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and concise technical, administrative and financial reports.
• Communicate detailed