FIND_THE_RIGHTJOB.
Lead Payroll Accountant
JOB_REQUIREMENTS
Hires in
Not specified
Employment Type
Not specified
Company Location
Not specified
Salary
Not specified
Serving six counties in Northern Michigan, North Country Community Mental Health is a public behavioral health organization committed to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities in our communities. If you’re interested in joining a welcoming team and creating a rewarding career with excellent benefit package, visit our website to submit your application: http://www.norcocmh.org/careers/ *
- Once you are on our website you need to click on the position and scroll to the bottom of the job description and click apply for this position.
JOB TITLE: Lead Payroll Accountant
LOCATION: Petoskey, MI 49770
REPORTS TO: Chief Financial Officer
STATUS: Full-Time, Non-Union, Exempt
HYBRID ELIGIBLE: Yes
STARTING WAGE RANGE: $55,347 - $58,118 per year
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
QUALIFICATIONS:
The Lead Payroll Accountant is responsible for payroll and benefits processing and accounting for the organization. This includes managing and overseeing employee payroll, retirement, other benefits programs. The position serves as the primary resource for payroll and timekeeping systems, handling technical issues and providing employee training on their use.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or equivalent
Experience: Requires a minimum of five years of experience in a responsible accounting role. Must demonstrate proficiency with electronic accounting and payroll systems, including database and spreadsheets. Experience processing payroll for a high-volume workforce is essential. Experience with payroll and timekeeping software is required.
Other: Must have current knowledge of and be able to interpret state and federal payroll and tax rules and regulations. Must possess a working knowledge of billing and accounting practices. Satisfactory completion of training to meet requirements of regulating bodies and demonstrated ability to apply such training to the work environment. Lived experiences with behavioral health issues are valued. Experience with Paycor and Kronos software is preferred.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Processes and oversees all aspects of payroll and employee benefits, including updates to employee information, direct deposits, retirement plan contributions and related payroll deductions.
- Answers employee inquiries concerning payroll, benefits deductions, and the use of time entry and payroll systems.
- Serves as a point of contact with the Teamsters union for wage updates and union dues invoicing.
- Enters and tracks pay increases and longevity payments; prepares and sends benefit, longevity, and wage increase letters to employees; works with supervisors to reconcile biweekly timesheets and with Human Resources on FMLA timesheets as needed.
- Tracks time-off benefits including donations, usage and the dollar value of the paid time-off bank.
- Transmits payroll for processing and submits retirement amounts by employee to retirement benefits management entity.
- Prepares payroll reports for management, the State of Michigan, Internal Revenue Service, Michigan Employment Security Commission and other payroll requests.
- Gathers information for the workers’ compensation annual audit.
- Remains current in compensation, payroll and benefit laws and regulations.
- Prepares bi-weekly and monthly journal entries (including accruals, as needed) for payroll, distribution, retirement allocations, fringe benefits, other payables or prepaid expenses and posts to the General Ledger.
- Reviews quarterly tax reports (e.g. 941s) and reconciles them to payroll cash transfer total for the quarter.
- Codes retirement, health, life, short-term and long-term disability invoices to programs and accounts.
- Maintains and tracks employee contributions for the Section 125 (flexible spending) plans, including monthly analysis of cash and accrual balances.
- Reconciles all payroll-related balance sheet accounts to the general ledger monthly.
- Tracks staff retirement plan loans, including setting them up in payroll systems and verifying that payment start and payoff dates align with payroll processing dates.
- Computes salary and fringe benefit costs for all employees for the annual budget, including allocating costs to financial cost centers.
- Creates annual payroll schedule, specifying holiday recognition dates, timesheet due dates and pay dates.
- Leads ongoing development of payroll and timekeeping reports to support executive team and supervisors’ inquiries and maximize system use.
- Works closely with the Human Resources Department to manage benefits administration.
- Assists in the preparation for the annual finance and compliance audit.
- Invoices other entities for leased employee services, if applicable.
- Cross trains with Accountant to serve as back-up, if needed.
- Performs other related duties as assigned by the Chief Financial Officer.
- Maintains confidentiality of service recipients in accordance with HIPAA Privacy Laws and 42 C.F.R., Part 2.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to walk, bend, stand, sit, lift up to 25 pounds with or without assistance, stretch/reach, hear, see, hand/finger dexterity and drive a vehicle. Position may require physical ability to complete and maintain certification in de-escalation techniques which will be a training class provided to the job incumbent. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions in accordance with applicable laws.
OTHER JOB SPECIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES):
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to organize, prioritize and communicate effectively, at all levels of the organization.
- Strong problem solving and creative skills; ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses.
- Skilled in planning, organizing, prioritizing, delegating, and supervising.
- High level of integrity and dependability; is results-oriented.
- Able to maintain a positive attitude with work assignments and in relationships with co-workers.
- Maintains appropriate professional image; able to maintain composure and effectiveness under pressure and in changing conditions; able to accept feedback as it relates to job performance and responsibilities.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to complete and remain current in initial and ongoing training requirements.
- Have own phone for communication, reliable access to messages, and multi-factoring capabilities.
- Have reliable transportation in carrying out agency duties.
- Possess a valid Michigan driver’s license and have a satisfactory driving record.
- Ability to work within guidelines of the code of conduct, regulatory compliance plan and personnel policies.
- Supports a philosophy of service delivery that is recovery-based, person centered and culturally competent.
- Adhere to applicable policies and procedures as required by MDHHS and other pertinent regulatory agencies.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Similar jobs
Timekeeper
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KINGS COUNTY
Brooklyn, United States
5 days ago
Legal Nurse Consultant - AZ (Also open to candidates in UT and NM)
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli
United States
5 days ago
Accounting/HR Professional
Valley Farmers Supply
Worden, United States
5 days ago
Accounting Manager
Pacific Truck & Tractor
Hayward, United States
5 days ago
Payroll Processor needed
Jupylar Finance
United States
10 days ago
© 2025 Qureos. All rights reserved.