Senior Staff Accountant

UNITED MECHANICAL; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

UNITED MECHANICAL is seeking a Senior Staff Accountant to handle payroll accounting, general ledger reconciliations, labor cost accounting, and internal controls. You will work closely with Accounting, Payroll, HR, and Operations to ensure accurate recording, reconciliation, and reporting of payroll-related financial activity.

The role supports month-end close, financial reporting, and process improvements across accounting initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including general ledger reconciliations and financial reporting.
• Public accounting or CPA firm experience preferred.
• Construction accounting and labor cost accounting experience preferred.
• Knowledge of payroll accounting, payroll liabilities, and internal controls.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with accounting software.
• Sage 300 experience is a plus.
• Strong analytical, problemsolving, organizational, and communicationskills.
• Ability to work independently, investigate discrepancies, and recommend process improvements.
• CPA certification preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts, including wages, payroll taxes, benefits, deductions, union contributions, and payroll liabilities.
• Prepare and review payroll journal entries, accruals, and supporting documentation.
• Research and resolve discrepancies between payroll records, general ledger accounts, and financial reports.
• Support month-end and year-end closing activities.
• Assist with financial reporting and other accounting responsibilities as needed.
• Review labor cost allocations and reconcile payroll expenses to job cost records.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies related to labor costing and payroll expenses.
• Partner with Accounting and Operations to improve labor cost reporting and accuracy.
• Support analysis of labor-related financial data.
• Review and strengthen internal controls related to payroll accounting.
• Support internal and external audits, including preparation of reconciliations and supporting documentation.
• Reconcile payroll tax liabilities, benefit deductions, and union contributions in coordination with Payroll.
• Identify financial risks, reporting discrepancies, and opportunities to improve accounting procedures.
• Evaluate payroll accounting processes and recommend improvements to accuracy, efficiency, and reporting.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual work and improve reconciliations.
• Support payroll and accounting system improvements, integrations, and reporting enhancements.
• Develop and maintain documented accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Serve as an accounting liaison between Payroll and Accounting.
• Work closely with Payroll to investigate and resolve accounting discrepancies.
• Partner with Human Resources on benefit-related reconciliations and other payroll accounting matters.
• Support Accounting leadership with special projects, financial analysis, and additional accounting responsibilities.

Skills

Payroll accounting

Payroll liabilities

Internal controls

Excel skills

Accounting software

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Independent work

Sage 300

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Sage 300

Job description

TheSeniorStaffAccountantisresponsibleforpayrollaccounting,generalledgerreconciliations,laborcostaccounting,financialreporting,andinternalcontrols.ThispositionservesasakeyconnectionbetweenAccountingandPayroll,ensuringpayrollrelatedfinancialactivityisaccuratelyrecorded,reconciled,andreported.TheroleworkscloselywithAccounting,Payroll,HumanResources,andOperationstoidentifydiscrepancies,improveprocesses,strengthenfinancialcontrols,andsupportaccuratereporting.Thepositionalsosupportsbroaderaccountinginitiatives,monthendcloseactivities,andprocessimprovements.

Responsibilities

PayrollAccountingandGeneralLedger

• Prepareandreconcilepayrollrelatedgeneralledgeraccounts,includingwages,payrolltaxes,benefits,deductions,unioncontributions,andpayrollliabilities.
• Prepareandreviewpayrolljournalentries,accruals,andsupportingdocumentation.
• Researchandresolvediscrepanciesbetweenpayrollrecords,generalledgeraccounts,andfinancialreports.
• Supportmonthendandyearendclosingactivities.
• Assistwithfinancialreportingandotheraccountingresponsibilitiesasneeded.

LaborCostAccounting

• Reviewlaborcostallocationsandreconcilepayrollexpensestojobcostrecords.
• Identifyandresolvediscrepanciesrelatedtolaborcostingandpayrollexpenses.
• PartnerwithAccountingandOperationstoimprovelaborcostreportingandaccuracy.
• Supportanalysisoflaborrelatedfinancialdata.

InternalControlsandCompliance

• Reviewandstrengtheninternalcontrolsrelatedtopayrollaccounting.
• Supportinternalandexternalaudits,includingpreparationofreconciliationsandsupportingdocumentation.
• Reconcilepayrolltaxliabilities,benefitdeductions,andunioncontributionsincoordinationwithPayroll.
• Identifyfinancialrisks,reportingdiscrepancies,andopportunitiestoimproveaccountingprocedures.

ProcessImprovementandSystems

• Evaluatepayrollaccountingprocessesandrecommendimprovementstoaccuracy,efficiency,andreporting.
• Identifyopportunitiestoreducemanualworkandimprovereconciliations.
• Supportpayrollandaccountingsystemimprovements,integrations,andreportingenhancements.
• Developandmaintaindocumentedaccountingproceduresandinternalcontrols.

CrossFunctionalCollaboration

• ServeasanaccountingliaisonbetweenPayrollandAccounting.
• WorkcloselywithPayrolltoinvestigateandresolveaccountingdiscrepancies.
• PartnerwithHumanResourcesonbenefitrelatedreconciliationsandotherpayrollaccountingmatters.
• SupportAccountingleadershipwithspecialprojects,financialanalysis,andadditionalaccountingresponsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor'sdegreeinAccounting,Finance,orarelatedfield.
• 5+yearsofprogressiveaccountingexperience,includinggeneralledgerreconciliationsandfinancialreporting.
• PublicaccountingorCPAfirmexperiencepreferred.
• Constructionaccountingandlaborcostaccountingexperiencepreferred.
• Knowledgeofpayrollaccounting,payrollliabilities,andinternalcontrols.
• StrongExcelskillsandexperiencewithaccountingsoftware.
• Sage300experienceisaplus.
• Stronganalytical,problemsolving,organizational,andcommunicationskills.
• Abilitytoworkindependently,investigatediscrepancies,andrecommendprocessimprovements.
• CPAcertificationpreferredbutnotrequired.

UnitedMechanicalisanEqualOpportunityEmployerandembracesdiversityinouremployeepopulation.Weprovideequalopportunitytoallqualifiedapplicantsandemployeeswithoutregardtorace,color,religion,sex,sexualorientation,genderidentity,nationalorigin,age,disability,protectedveteranstatusorspecialdisabledveteran,maritalstatus,pregnancy,geneticinformation,oranyotherlegallyprotectedstatus.