Staff Accountant/Payroll Specialist

Sellars; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Flex Spending Account

Dental

Vision

Voluntary Supplemental insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Short-term Disability

Long-term Disability

401K (company match)

Employee Referral

On Demand Pay

Job summary

Sellars Absorbent Materials seeks a Staff Accountant/Payroll Specialist with 3–5 years of payroll processing experience for a manufacturing environment. You will handle bi-weekly payroll, payroll reconciliations, and journal entries while supporting general ledger activities and monthly close.

Ideal candidates bring strong GAAP knowledge, Excel proficiency, and a proactive mindset toward process improvements and automation. Join a growing team with broad accounting exposure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 3–5 years leading payroll processing for a manufacturing company.
• Experience using Paylocity or a similar Payroll/HRIS system.
• Strong understanding of GAAP principles.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll and maintain related records in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
• Reconcile payroll accounts and prepare journal entries for the general ledger.
• Support month-end close, including account reconciliations and resolving discrepancies.
• Assist with audits and external reporting; ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Develop understanding of key accounts and ERP system usage (MS Dynamics/ECI Max).

Skills

Payroll processing

Attention to detail

GAAP knowledge

Microsoft Excel

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Paylocity

MS Dynamics

Job description

Seeking a Staff Accountant/Payroll Specialist with 3–5 years experience who is looking for a place to grow into a broader accounting or finance leadership path. You'll get exposure across the full accounting function (GL, AR/AP, cash, payroll, tax, and audit). We’re looking for someone with an eye for details and experience in payroll processing, who can accurately manage and process a bi-weekly payroll for our growing organization.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll & Compliance

• Process payroll and maintain related records in accordance with company policies and applicable laws
• Reconcile payroll accounts and prepare journal entries for the general ledger
• Processing wages, garnishments, levies and court-ordered deductions.
• Perform other payroll-related duties and responsibilities as assigned, including special projects and miscellaneous tasks necessary to support accurate, timely, and efficient payroll.
• Work with our external auditors to file monthly and annual taxes and government agency reports to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Help prepare documentation for external audits and support internal controls
• Support month-end close, including account reconciliations, journal entries, and resolving discrepancies
• Develop a deep understanding of key accounts like prepaid expenses, fixed assets, and lease liabilities, with room to take on more ownership over time
• Help maintain the general ledger and reconcile issues in our ERP (MS Dynamics / ECI Max)

Cash & Reporting

• Help manage companywide cash reconciliations
• Interact with the bank supporting weekly and monthly borrowing base activities
• Support cash forecasting and financial statement preparation

Process Improvement & Systems

• Work with the team to improve workflows using Excel automation and AI tools
• Bring fresh ideas to the table — we want people who see a manual process and think "there's a better way"

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading payroll processing for a manufacturing company with multiple shifts
• Experience using Paylocity or a similar Payroll/HRIS system.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience — Big 4 audit, internships in audit/finance/credit/collections, or early-career accounting roles all count
• Strong understanding of GAAP principles
• Comfort with Microsoft Suite (Excel, Teams, etc)
• ERP experience (MS Dynamics or similar) a plus but not required
• Curiosity about how AI and automation can improve accounting workflows
• Strong attention to accuracy and detail
• Genuine interest in learning the "why" behind the numbers, not just the "how"
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of private and sensitive employee information
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Proficient with Microsoft office Suite or related software

How we take care of you!

We frequently seek avenues to enhance our total rewards package as we recognize that our associates are a significant asset to our success and the community! All benefits are available to you from day one!

• Medical insurance
• Flex Spending Account
• Dental
• Vision
• Voluntary Supplemental insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short-term Disability
• Long-term Disability
• 401K (100% company match on the first 4% & total company match of 5%)
• Employee Referral
• On Demand Pay

Sellars Absorbent Materials is an equal opportunity employer. Sellars Absorbent Materials does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.