Manager, Payroll

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles' Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

ROLE SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director, Payroll, the Manager, Payroll implements key payroll functions for Alliance's schools and the Home Office. The Payroll Manager is responsible for day-to-day operations, full-cycle payroll processing, maintaining accurate payroll records, pension reporting and inquiries, special projects, running monthly reports and audits for both home office and school payroll processing, and calculating and maintaining payroll records. This is a rewarding and critical back-office role that ensures the smooth operation of our 26 schools and Home Office. This is an ideal opportunity for a high level attention to detail, critical thinking, thorough, collaborative and customer service-oriented professional to support a mission-driven network of schools.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as a first point-of-contact for school managers, principals, and Home Office staff regarding day-to-day payroll processing operations.
• Responsible for full-cycle payroll processing from start to finish, including but not limited to:
  
  • Prepare, process, and review payroll task reports for accuracy, completeness, and compliance;
  • Ensure accurate and timely processing of payroll changes, adjustments, and terminations;
  • Review payroll registers to verify wages and deductions are correct for every employee's paycheck per pay period;
  • Send Accounting liability and month-end reports;
• Ensure wire transfer and manual payroll check requests are issued and calculated correctly.
• Establish and maintain all payroll records including payroll reports, check vouchers, quarterly and annual reports, and tax returns. Archive and safeguard all payroll-related files by each fiscal year.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to address and resolve payroll discrepancies and develop effective strategies.
• Support and develop the Associate with ticket management, efficient payroll processing, and relationship-building with school and Home Office staff.
• Oversee ticket management system (Freshdesk) by reviewing, researching, and resolving escalated tickets in an accurate and timely manner. Collaborate with School and Home Office teams for resolutions.
• Review and submit monthly CalSTRS and CalPERS reports by the specified due dates. Stay up to date with STRS and PERS compliance. Conduct STRS and PERS research and submit corrections as needed.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices.
• Perform special projects and other duties, such audit requests and pension inquiries, as requested by the Director, Payroll; Vice President, Fiscal Strategy; and Chief Financial Officer.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Commitment to Alliance's core beliefs and educational philosophy
• Possess a strong characteristic for attention to detail, accuracy, and organization
• Strong organizational skills
• Solutions-oriented team player
• Problem-solver who can organize and prioritize work demands in order to meet critical deadlines
• Experience with the following:
  
  • Workday
  • ADP SmartCompliance
  • Google Suite (Gmail, Google Meet, Google Hangouts, Google Chat, and Google Calendar)
  • Google Drive (sharing/editing documents and folders, access permissions, creating and sharing spreadsheets)
  • Microsoft Office (Excel macros, vlookup, pivot table, password protect files)
  • Adobe (PDFing word/excel files, password protect, signature inserts)
• Familiarity with projected and reconciled payrolls, CalSTRS/CalPERS pension reporting, Freshdesk (TMS), accounting journal entries, accrual accounting principles and procedures, and CA wage compliance.
• Resourceful and critical thinker with the ability to work independently with manager guidance.
• Entrepreneurial spirit to thrive in a fast-paced, achievement-oriented, and customer service-focused environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships.
• Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 3 years of experience with processing full-cycle payroll and a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• At least 5 years of experience with processing full-cycle payroll work experience and a HS Diploma or equivalent (e.g. G.E.D.)

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners.
• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.
• Retirement: Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.
• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.
• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION
$79,200.00 - $115,500.00

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance's Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance's mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate "college-ready" with pride in who they are.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.
• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply. If you have questions contact the Staffing Team at JoinUs@laalliance.org.