Accountant I

About the role

The Accountant I position supports payroll tax compliance for USC’s highly diverse employee population and ensures that payroll tax activities are accurate, timely, and compliant with federal, state, and local requirements. This role follows a hybrid work schedule, combining on-site and remote work.

Responsibilities

• Supports payroll tax and accounting compliance activities for USC’s diverse employee population.
• Reviews and verifies accounting and payroll tax records and transactions for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate supporting documentation.
• Reconciles accounts, research discrepancies, prepares adjustments, and maintains documentation for audit purposes.
• Prepares and reviews reports, and other accounting documents in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Participates in the evaluation, user testing, and implementation of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to identify opportunities to improve process efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness.
• Supports efforts to responsibly integrate approved AI and automation solutions into existing payroll tax and accounting processes, including testing functionality, validating results, and providing feedback on potential process improvements.
• Resolves payroll tax and accounting issues while providing timely, professional, and excellent customer service to employees and university partners.
• Maintains current knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and regulatory changes and assists with implementing changes to processes, procedures, and systems.
• Aids in the development and improvement of automated systems, accounting applications, reports, procedures, and internal processes.
• Adapts to changing regulations, technologies, procedures, and operational priorities while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
• Collaborates with Payroll Services colleagues and university partners to meet payroll tax filing, reporting, and compliance deadlines.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 1 years of work experience
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles including fund accounting

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience providing excellent customer service in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment
• Experience with payroll, payroll tax, tax compliance, accounting, or related financial functions
• Experience working with large and confidential data sets, with demonstrated attention to data accuracy, integrity, and appropriate handling of sensitive information
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including experience using formulas, functions, pivot tables, lookups, and other tools to analyze, reconcile, and validate large data sets
• Experience with, exposure to, or an interest in AI, automation, or other emerging technologies used to streamline accounting, payroll, compliance, or administrative processes

Qualifications

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Minimum Experience: 1 year Minimum Field of Expertise: Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles including fund accounting

Pay and Benefits

The hourly base range for this position is $33.00 - $38.51.