Bookkeeper and Payroll Specialist

West Kern Adult Education -
Taft, CA

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Job Details

Part-time
From $35 an hour
4 days ago

Benefits

Paid holidays

Qualifications

Microsoft Word
Computer operation
Confidential information handling
Spreadsheets
Bookkeeper experience
Filing
High school diploma or GED
Math
Financial report interpretation
Data entry
Vendor communication
Accounting and finance experience
Associate's degree
Microsoft 365 proficiency

Full Job Description

WEST KERN ADULT EDUCATION NETWORK (WKAEN)

Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist

Reports To: Director/ Board

Classification: Non-Exempt

Schedule: Part-Time or Full-Time, depending on organizational needs

Location: West Kern Adult Education Network Position

Type: At-Will

POSITION SUMMARY

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, assisting with payroll administration, tracking grant and program expenditures, processing accounts payable and receivable, performing reconciliations, and preparing financial documentation for West Kern Adult Education Network (WKAEN).

Because WKAEN administers multiple federal, state, local, and grant-funded programs, this position requires strong attention to detail and the ability to accurately assign expenditures and payroll costs to the appropriate funding source, grant, program, and budget category.

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist works closely with the Director/Board and WKAEN's payroll, accounting, fiscal, and audit partners to ensure financial records are accurate, organized, timely, and supported by appropriate documentation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Payroll Administration

· Review employee timesheets for accuracy and required approvals.

· Process payroll according to WKAEN's established payroll schedule.

· Verify regular hours, overtime, holiday pay, vacation, sick leave, and other applicable paid leave.

· Maintain accurate employee payroll and leave records.

· Coordinate payroll information with WKAEN's payroll/HR provider.

· Review payroll reports for accuracy before payroll is finalized.

· Research and assist with correcting payroll discrepancies.

· Maintain payroll reports and supporting documentation.

· Track payroll expenses by employee, program, grant, and funding source.

· Maintain appropriate documentation for personnel costs charged to federal, state, local, and grant-funded programs.

· Assist with payroll-related reporting, audits, and monitoring reviews.

· Maintain confidentiality of employee payroll and personnel information.

Accounts Payable

· Receive, review, and organize invoices.

· Verify invoices against purchase orders, contracts, approvals, and supporting documentation.

· Assign expenditures to the appropriate account, grant, program, and budget category.

· Prepare payments for review and approval by authorized WKAEN personnel.

· Maintain vendor records, including W-9 documentation when required.

· Track outstanding invoices and payment deadlines.

· Reconcile vendor statements.

· Maintain complete documentation for expenditures.

· Assist with year-end vendor reporting, including 1099 information as applicable.

Grant and Program Accounting

· Maintain separate financial tracking for WKAEN grants, contracts, programs, and funding sources.

· Track grant expenditures against approved budgets.

· Monitor expenditures for personnel, benefits, supplies, equipment, contracts, transportation, supportive services, training, and administrative costs.

· Maintain documentation supporting grant expenditures and reimbursement requests.

· Monitor remaining balances within each grant and budget category.

· Notify the Director/Board of potential budget concerns, overspending, unusual expenditures, or approaching grant deadlines.

· Assist with budget modifications and grant fiscal reporting.

· Assist with grant reimbursement requests.

· Track grant start dates, end dates, and expenditure periods.

· Assist with fiscal grant closeouts.

· Maintain financial documentation for grant monitoring visits and audits.

· Assist in ensuring expenditures are charged to the appropriate funding source and are consistent with approved budgets.

Accounts Receivable and Revenue

· Record deposits and incoming revenue.

· Track grant payments, reimbursements, contracts, and other funding expected by WKAEN.

· Maintain accounts receivable records.

· Track outstanding reimbursements and payments.

· Reconcile funds received against expected funding.

· Maintain supporting documentation for deposits and revenue.

· Notify the Director/Board of delayed or missing payments.

Bank and Credit Card Reconciliation

· Reconcile WKAEN bank accounts monthly.

· Reconcile organizational credit cards monthly.

· Match receipts and supporting documentation to credit-card transactions.

· Follow up on missing receipts or documentation.

· Identify and report unusual or questionable transactions.

· Prepare monthly reconciliation reports for review by the Director/Board.

· Maintain organized bank, credit-card, and reconciliation records.

Monthly Financial Reporting

Prepare a monthly financial packet for the Director/Board that may include:

· Beginning and ending cash balances.

· Revenue received.

· Expenditures paid.

· Accounts payable.

· Accounts receivable.

· Payroll expenditures.

· Budget-to-actual reports.

· Grant-by-grant expenditure reports.

· Remaining balances by grant and funding source.

· Outstanding reimbursements.

· Projected upcoming expenses.

· Financial concerns requiring management attention.

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist should be able to provide management with a clear picture of WKAEN's current financial position and the remaining available balance within each major funding source.

Audit and Fiscal Compliance

· Maintain accurate and organized fiscal records.

· Maintain invoices, receipts, purchase orders, contracts, payroll records, bank statements, reconciliations, and other supporting documentation.

· Assist with WKAEN's annual financial audit.

· Respond to auditor requests for supporting documentation under the direction of the Director/Board.

· Assist with grant monitoring and fiscal reviews.

· Maintain financial records according to applicable record-retention requirements.

· Assist with year-end financial schedules and fiscal closeout.

· Follow WKAEN fiscal policies, procedures, internal controls, and applicable grant requirements.

Budget Monitoring

· Assist the Director/Board with developing and monitoring annual and grant budgets.

· Enter approved budgets into WKAEN's accounting system.

· Compare actual expenditures to approved budgets.

· Identify significant budget variances.

· Provide regular updates regarding available balances.

· Assist with financial projections.

· Help determine whether sufficient funding remains before major purchases or commitments are made.

Internal Controls

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist prepares and processes financial information but does not have sole authority over WKAEN financial transactions.

The position shall follow WKAEN's established separation of duties, including:

Bookkeeper prepares → Director/authorized official reviews and approves → Bookkeeper processes → Monthly reconciliation and reporting → Management/Board oversight.

The Bookkeeper shall not independently authorize their own payroll, purchases, reimbursements, or other transactions in which they have a personal financial interest.

Confidentiality

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist will have access to confidential financial, payroll, employee, vendor, and organizational information.

The employee is expected to:

· Maintain strict confidentiality.

· Protect employee payroll information.

· Protect banking and financial information.

· Maintain secure financial records.

· Follow WKAEN policies regarding access to confidential information.

· Immediately report suspected financial irregularities, fraud, unauthorized transactions, or data breaches to the Director/Board.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

· High school diploma or equivalent required.

· Associate degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred.

· Previous bookkeeping, payroll, accounting, or fiscal office experience.

· Experience with accounting or bookkeeping software.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, email, and electronic recordkeeping.

· Ability to prepare and understand financial reports.

· Ability to maintain accurate records and meet deadlines.

· Strong organizational and mathematical skills.

· Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.

· Ability to communicate effectively with employees, vendors, auditors, funding agencies, and management.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Experience working in education, adult education, nonprofit, governmental, or public-agency accounting.

· Experience with federal or state grant accounting.

· Experience tracking restricted funding.

· Experience with payroll administration.

· Experience preparing documentation for audits or monitoring reviews.

· Knowledge of accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, payroll, and bank reconciliation.

· Advanced Excel skills.

· Experience working with multiple grants and funding sources simultaneously.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

· Exceptional attention to detail.

· Accuracy in financial data entry and reporting.

· Strong organizational skills.

· Ability to prioritize multiple deadlines.

· Ability to identify financial discrepancies.

· Ability to maintain organized supporting documentation.

· Professional communication skills.

· Sound judgment when handling confidential information.

· Ability to work independently while maintaining appropriate management oversight.

· Commitment to accountability, transparency, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Successful performance will be demonstrated by:

· Accurate and timely payroll.

· Monthly bank and credit-card reconciliations completed on schedule.

· Accurate grant expenditure tracking.

· Complete supporting documentation for expenditures.

· Timely accounts payable processing.

· Accurate accounts receivable tracking.

· Monthly financial reports provided to the Director/Board.

· Minimal audit findings related to bookkeeping and documentation.

· Prompt identification and reporting of financial discrepancies.

· Organized fiscal records that are audit-ready.

SUPERVISION

The Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist works under the direct supervision of the WKAEN Director/Board.

The Director/Board retains approval authority for expenditures, payroll, budget changes, contracts, and other financial commitments according to WKAEN policy and delegated authority.

COMPENSATION

Compensation should be based on education, bookkeeping and payroll experience, grant-accounting knowledge, and the scope of responsibilities assigned to the position.

Because this position includes payroll, grant accounting, reconciliations, financial reporting, and audit preparation, compensation should reflect a higher level of responsibility than a basic clerical bookkeeping position.

PHYSICAL AND WORK REQUIREMENTS

· Ability to work at a computer for extended periods.

· Ability to maintain electronic and paper financial records.

· Ability to communicate by telephone, email, and in person.

· Ability to occasionally lift and move office files and materials.

· Regular and reliable attendance is required.

OTHER DUTIES

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It is not intended to contain a complete listing of every responsibility or duty. WKAEN may assign additional related duties consistent with the needs of the organization.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $35.00 per hour

Education:

High school or equivalent (Required)

Work Location: In person

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