Accounting & Backup Payroll Clerk

South Shore Line; Michigan City (IN); On-site; USD 36,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Disability insurance

Vision insurance

Pension plan

Railroad retirement

Personal days

Job summary

NICTD in Michigan City, IN is seeking an Accounting & Backup Payroll Clerk to perform accounts payable and receivable, payroll backup, ticket revenue auditing, and other finance duties in the finance department.

Hours are Mon-Fri, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with lunch; occasional overtime may occur. New clerks start at 90% of the full hourly rate and rise to the full rate, with benefits including health, dental, disability, vision, and pension plans.

Qualifications

• HS diploma; associates or higher preferred in accounting/finance or business admin.
• 12+ college hours in accounting or relevant experience.
• Touch typist at 30 WPM.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or financial software.
• Pass post‑offer drug/alcohol screening; able to perform essential functions.
• Post‑offer driving, credit, and criminal checks as per policy.
• Good interpersonal skills with supervisors, coworkers, customers.
• Attention to detail, planning and organizing, initiative.
• Ability to schedule, meet deadlines, and work in a team.

Responsibilities

• Perform accounts payable/receivable tasks and payroll backup.
• Prepare invoices, monitor aging reports, and reconcile accounts.
• Prepare journal entries and reports; maintain Excel spreadsheets.
• Contribute to biweekly payroll preparation.
• Support other finance and accounting duties as assigned.

Skills

Accounts payable

Accounts receivable

Payroll backup

Microsoft Excel

Data entry

Administrative tasks

Reconciliations

Education

High school diploma

Associates or bachelor’s in accounting/finance

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Financial software

Job description

Accounting & Backup Payroll Clerk

Position Summary: This is a skilled clerical railroad position that performs, or serves as back‑up, for accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, ticket revenue auditing, and other miscellaneous financial, administrative, and customer service tasks within the finance and accounting department in Michigan City, Indiana. The accounting and backup payroll clerk prepares accounts receivable billing invoices, monitors and follows‑up on aging reports, prepares journal entries and other reports, creates and maintains Excel spreadsheets, performs reconciliations to ensure accuracy, contributes to biweekly payroll preparation, and performs other finance and accounting department duties as assigned.

Days and hours of work

The days assigned are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a half hour unpaid lunch. Hours may vary slightly when assigned to or filling in on other positions. Rarely, mandatory overtime on weekends or holidays may be necessary.

Position Requirements

• High school diploma. NICTD prefers candidates with associates, bachelor, or graduate degrees with majors in accounting, finance, marketing, or other business administration specialties.
• Twelve (12) or more semester hours of college level academic study with grade of “C” or better in accounting or equivalent relevant accounting experience.
• Touch typist with a thirty (30) words per minute proficiency as scored in a standardized keyboarding examination administered by the District.
• Described proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or relevant financial software.
• Pass a post‑offer physical examination, including drug and alcohol tests. Must be able to fulfill the position’s essential functions. Hired applicants are also subject to on‑duty drug and alcohol testing per NICTD policy.
• As this work involves entrustment with public funds, all offers are subject to satisfactory post‑offer driving, credit, and criminal record evaluations.
• Good interpersonal skills for interacting with supervisors, fellow employees, passengers, and customers.
• Attention to detail and accuracy, planning and organizing and taking initiative.
• Ability to schedule, monitor, meet deadlines, and to work as part of a team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Customer service and cash handling experiences.
• Payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and/or auditing experience.
• Demonstrated work history of flexibility in handling unexpected changes in work assignments or priorities.

Environmental Conditions

Work is primarily indoors. Levels of activity vary from moderate to intense. Stressful situations may occur.

Salary & Benefits

New accounting clerks start at 90% of the full hourly rate and increase 5% per year until eligible for the full hourly rate of $28.44 for accounting work and $30.84 when performing work as back up to the Payroll Accountant. Excellent health, dental, disability, vision, Railroad Retirement, and pension benefit plans. Personal days after 120 days of employment.

Applicant Note

This application form is intended for use in evaluating your qualifications for employment. It is not an employment contract. Please answer all questions completely and to the best of your ability. False or misleading statements are grounds for refusal or termination of employment and benefits.

NICTD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. It is our policy to fill vacant positions with qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class, assuming the individual can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations.

NICTD’s complete EEO Policy Statement is available upon request to the District’s EEO Officer, Ms. Melissa Jones, at [phone], ext. 289; e-mail: [e-mail].

Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law in all employment decisions.