Payroll and Accounting Associate

The Metropolitan Opera; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Metropolitan Opera is seeking a Payroll Specialist to process complex weekly payrolls, ensuring accuracy and regulatory compliance for diverse employee groups. You will handle data entry, respond to payroll inquiries, and support payroll-related analyses in a fast-paced, high-profile arts organization.

Ideal candidates have at least one year of payroll experience, strong math skills, and excellent communication and customer service abilities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Strong mathematical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• At least one year payroll experience.
• Experience in a union environment preferred.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Strong organization and attention to detail.
• Opera knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Process complex weekly payrolls for various employee groups, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance with collective bargaining agreements and regulations.
• Enter data for new and existing employees.
• Assist with payroll-related research and analysis.
• Assist employees with payroll-related questions and issues, demonstrating customer service excellence.
• Answer inquiries on unemployment claims, employment verifications, workers’ compensation, mortgage and loan applications.
• Maintain paid time off records for assigned employee groups.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies, in accordance with regulations.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of payroll-related regulations and familiarity with collective bargaining agreements and non-contractual pay practices.
• Provide general administrative support, including answering phones and filing as necessary.
• Participate in the preparation of Payroll and Finance mailings to employees.
• Provide accounting support for Finance Department including documentation review and financial analyses and reconciliations.
• Assist in follow-up and reissuance of uncashed checks.
• Coordinate securely gathering banking information and setting up electronic payments, and fielding questions regarding and resolving issues with returned payments.
• Assistance with other finance and accounting department tasks on a partial weekly basis.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Mathematics

Excel

Communication

Customer service

Attention to detail

Opera knowledge

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

Process complex weekly payrolls for various employee groups, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, cost effectiveness, and compliance with collective bargaining agreements and regulations. Consistently deliver top-notch internal customer service. Communicate regularly with managers and timekeepers and answer employee questions. Perform research and analysis related to labor expenses. Assist with various financial and accounting reviews and reconciliations.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Process complex weekly payrolls for various employee groups, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance with collective bargaining agreements and regulations
• Enter data for new and existing employees
• Assist with payroll-related research and analysis
• Assist employees with payroll-related questions and issues, demonstrating customer service excellence
• Answer inquiries on unemployment claims, employment verifications, workers’ compensation, mortgage and loan applications
• Maintain paid time off records for assigned employee groups
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies, in accordance with regulations
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of payroll-related regulations and high degree of familiarity with collective bargaining agreements and non-contractual pay practices
• Provide general administrative support, including answering phones, handling walk-in traffic, and filing, as necessary
• Participate in the preparation of Payroll and Finance mailings to employees
• Provide accounting support for Finance Department including documentation review and financial analyses and reconciliations
• Assist in the follow-up and reissuance of uncashed checks
• Coordinate securely gathering banking information and setting up electronic payments, and fielding questions regarding and resolving issues with returned payments
• Assistance with other finance and accounting department tasks on a partial weekly basis
• Other duties as assigned

Skills and Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent education required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Excellent mathematical skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (in particular, strong Excel skills).
• Minimum of one year payroll experience.
• Prior experience in a union environment preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Top-notch customer service skills.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
• Opera knowledge, appreciation for the arts, and language skills a plus.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to work well in a high-pressure/fast-paced environment
• Must be able to deal with a variety of personality types
• Must be able to learn and adapt to a changing work environment
• Must be able to handle confidential information with the utmost discretion
• Must be able to work successfully both independently and as part of a team
• Regularly required to sit, talk, and hear
• Frequently required to use repetitive hand motion and to stand, walk, reach, bend
• Occasionally required to lift up to 20 pounds
• Must be able to work in person at the Opera House office a minimum of four days a week