Payroll Accountant

The purpose of Zearn

The vital importance of learning math today is hard to understate, and yet today, it is common to think that only some are born to achieve in math. Math learning is often disparaged and feared (e.g. I'd rather go to the dentist than do algebra) or viewed as a special interest or luxury (e.g. if kids don't have a passion for math that is okay, maybe they have a passion for pottery). We don't look at learning to read the same way. 

Here's a bit more on the case for focusing on and improving our approach to math teaching and learning: 

• Both the dreams of young people and the reality of jobs have changed dramatically over the last thirty years and more change is ahead. These changes have moved math success from optional to a necessity for the majority of jobs in OECD countries similar to literacy. But the way we educate children has not changed. 
• Completing math courses (especially algebra) is the most important predictor of academic and career success and not completing them is a predictor of failure; yes, students who do not complete algebra have only a 20% chance of completing high school. 
• Against this backdrop, the pandemic has had a very negative impact on K-12 math preparation and achievement. According to the Nation's Report Card, the NAEP, American students lost at least 20 years of gains in math achievement during the years of disrupted learning. 

Zearn exists to help create a world where all children love learning math. 

Over the last decade, Zearn has been knocking down the dominoes needed to create a numeracy movement. 

• Domino 1:  Is a scalable solution to improve math teaching and learning even possible? We've found that adaptive software and elegant lessons can be scaled to dramatically improve math learning gains especially for students previously lowest scoring. 
• Domino 2:  Will educators see the value and adopt this? Thanks to thousands of dedicated and passionate educators, millions of students are accelerating their math learning using Zearn.
• Domino 3:  Can we create adoption at scale?  With districts and now whole states signing up for Zearn, we have shown that scaled adoption is possible.
• Domino 4:  Can we change the hearts and minds of adults that impact a child's learning to believe each and every child can achieve numeracy?  Families, educators, administrators and policy makers have to believe that all kids can love to learn math and that additional, dynamic modes of learning are the best path to get there. This is the next and we believe final domino to establish a numeracy movement. 

The purpose of the Payroll Accountant at Zearn

The purpose of the Payroll Accountant role at Zearn is to play a pivotal role in upholding the highest standards of financial operations and compliance. This role is not just about numbers; it's about empowering our team members to thrive by providing them with the financial support they’ve earned. This is achieved by:

(1) Acting as a mastermind of payroll to ensure all Zearn’s team members' hard work is rewarded accurately and timely:

• Processing semi-monthly payroll using ADP Workforce Now and through maintenance of master payroll file reconciliation
• Partnering with the People team to ensure the accuracy of payroll data as well as onboarding/offboarding information recordkeeping
• Managing the reimbursement process for employee expenses in Navan and proactively responding to team member inquiries
• Proactively and expeditiously responding to Zearner payroll inquiries, troubleshooting with ADP as needed
• Assisting with tracking leaves of absence and the active resolution of payroll, benefits and tax issues

(2) Becoming an owner of compliance for Zearn’s payroll systems. Your meticulous attention to detail will ensure Zearn’s payroll data is meticulously tracked and aligned with both regulatory requirements and Zearn’s incredibly high standards:

• Proactively maintaining accurate filing of all finance documentation in secure digital files by collaborating with People Ops to ensure information is correct
• Liasoning with ADP compliance teams to ensure timely and accurate reporting
• Creating quarterly 401k compliance reports in collaboration with the Accounting Manager
• Building processes to oversee ADP State Compliance and incoming state notices
• Supporting the Finance team with annual audits 

(3) Becoming a guru in Zearn’s payroll and finance processes and systems to ensure optimization and continuous improvement.

• Learning and participating in ongoing training on Zearn’s finance systems to become an expert in and better optimize our use of each system
• Preparing and recording all payroll/employee related bills & journal entries. 
• Contributing to the bank reconciliation & other month end close activities 
• Performing semi-monthly monitoring of grant salary allocations and reporting of grant-related expenses
• Actively sharing ideas around process improvement and best practices
• Completing periodic Payroll reconciliations and quarterly reporting in the NetSuite system and assist in ad-hoc reporting, as needed

Problems someone in this role can be expected to solve:

• How do I ensure the total accuracy of information in the Master payroll file in order to suggest process improvements? 
• How can I experiment to enhance monthly travel booking & expense reimbursement process & related monthly reporting?

Skills:

Below are the critical skills needed to thrive in this role. We seek candidates who bring with them some of these skills and are willing and able to learn the rest.

Being a team player:

• Living to team norms
• Owning your own mindset and motivation
• Building productive relationships with colleagues

Personal Organization:

• Keeping your tools and materials organized
• Proactively learning productivity software
• Managing time and commitments

Project Management Skills:

• Deadline oriented execution

Process Management Skills:

• Organizing your team’s knowledge and ideas
• Proactively learning and using team processes
• Continuously improving your team's workflows processes

Communication:

• Written Communications
• Critical Reading

• Verbal Communications
• Active and attentive listening
• Sharing your perspective productively

Applied Mathematics:

• Using math to improve decision making
• Conducting spreadsheet calculations to help with decisions
• Conducting numerical analyses to generate insight

POTENTIAL MARKERS OF THESE SKILLS:

• Successfully achieving a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and working in a professional accounting role for 3+ years, with a minimum of working with and managing all aspects of payroll processing for a minimum of 2 years at a company with 50 or more employees 
• Advanced skills obtained from hands-on usage in the following systems
• ADP WorkforceNow payroll, NetSuite (or a similar accounting software platform), MS Office (specifically Excel), and Google Suite (specifically Sheets) 

How We Work

• We aim to create a numeracy movement. This is no easy feat, and no one of us can solve this on our own.  Given that, Zearn is a transparent, collaborative, and open-to-feedback culture. 
• Our work is often collaborative in nature:
• We own our deliverables in close collaboration with others
• We maintain Factor boards for our strategies, and share early thinking and drafts of ideas/improvements often
• We act as a support team to other parts of Zearn through collaboration and frequent communication 

This role is a non-managerial role and reports to our Accounting Manager.  You are able to work remotely in any of the following states/districts: CT, FL, IL LA, MA,NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA and Washington D.C.  Team members may be asked to travel as needed for business or for team building purposes. 

Compensation and Benefits

The compensation range for this role is $70,000 - 75,000 per year.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, 401K matching, parental leave, and a flexible PTO policy. We also offer a collegial and passionate culture and the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of children.

TO APPLY: https://apply.workable.com/j/8835326045

Zearn is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.