Payroll & Accounts Payable Specialist

Description

 The Opportunity

As our Payroll & Accounts Payable Specialist, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time while helping keep our financial operations running smoothly. You’ll partner with HR, Finance, and vendors to coordinate payroll, reconcile benefit and payroll expenses, and maintain strong internal controls that support compliance and organizational success. This role is perfect for a detail-driven professional who thrives on precision, values collaboration, and takes pride in delivering a seamless payroll experience that employees can count on every pay period.
 

The Company
 

Central Oregon Pediatric Associates (COPA) has been caring for kids and families in Central Oregon for over 50 years, building lifelong relationships and helping children thrive from newborns to teens. Our mission is to provide exceptional, right-fit care for kids at every age and stage, and our vision is to improve the health of all kids in our community. We do this in a welcoming, inclusive environment where collaboration, openness, play and accountability are part of how we care, not just what we do. At COPA, you’ll work alongside people who value kindness, teamwork, and earning families’ trust every single day.
 

The Job
 

This role acts as a key operational partner between Finance, HR, and external vendors, maintaining strong internal controls while delivering a reliable employee payroll experience.

Payroll Operations

· Coordinate and support end-to-end bi-weekly payroll processing, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and adherence to deadlines

· Review payroll data for accuracy, including earnings, deductions, taxes, and benefit elections

· Reconcile payroll registers to general ledger accounts and investigate variances

· Process off-cycle payrolls including final paychecks, PTO cash-outs, and manual adjustments in accordance with policy and wage laws

· Prepare and submit payroll liability payments and supporting documentation

· Maintain payroll records and filing systems, including employee and payroll vendor documentation

· Research, analyze, and resolve payroll discrepancies or employee inquiries in a timely manner

· Generate standard and ad-hoc payroll reports for Finance and HR

Benefits & Payroll-Related Reconciliations

· Reconcile benefit provider invoices (medical, dental, vision, retirement, and other deductions) to payroll deduction records

· Investigate and resolve discrepancies between vendor billings, payroll deductions, and enrollment data

· Coordinate with HR and benefit vendors to ensure accurate eligibility and deduction setup

· Support month-end and year-end reconciliations related to payroll and benefits

Accounts Payable Support

· Enter and code vendor invoices accurately and in a timely manner

· Coordinate the weekly check run, including payment preparation and documentation

· Maintain vendor records and assist with W-9 collection and 1099 support

· Respond to routine vendor inquiries related to payment status

Employee & System Support

· Assist employees with payroll self-service functions such as tax withholding updates and direct deposit changes

· Maintain confidentiality of all employee and payroll information

· Support payroll and AP system reporting and documentation

Compliance & Controls

· Ensure payroll activities comply with federal, state, and local wage and tax regulations

· Follow established internal controls and maintain accurate audit trails

· Assist with payroll audits and internal reviews

Benefits

· 401k and Profit sharing 

· HSA, HRA and FSA Enrollment 

· Medical, Life, Vision and Dental Insurance

· Supplemental insurance Options

· Pediatric Care Benefits 

· Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS
 

Education and Certification:

· High School diploma or GED Education required, Associates Degree preferred.

· Valid Oregon Driver’s License.

Experience and Qualifications:

Required

· 3+ years of payroll processing experience

· Experience reconciling payroll and benefit deductions

· Working knowledge of payroll taxes and wage and hour regulations

· Experience with payroll systems (e.g., ADP, Paylocity, or similar)

· Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Preferred

· Experience supporting AP invoice processing

· Experience with general ledger reconciliations

· Intermediate Excel skills

Physical Requirements

· Use of clear and audible speaking voice and the ability to hear normal speech level in person, over the telephone or through use of other required technology. Sitting or standing for long periods of time. Frequent repetitive motion includes computer keyboard use, reaching with hands and arms, and walking. Occasional lifting and or moving up to 30 pounds and on rare occasion up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include viewing computer monitor for long periods of time, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. 

· Must be able to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.

 Working Conditions

· Position may qualify to be located local-remote to include periodic on-site meetings and shifts in COPA clinics, business office or community partners.

· Standard medical office; may be eligible for combination of on site and home office.

· Work inside in a general medical office setting with ergonomically configured equipment. 

· The employee is subject to hazards including a variety of physical conditions such as proximity to mechanical parts and chemicals including odors. The employee has been identified as having the likelihood of occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials, therefore are included in the OSHA Exposure Control Plan with specification for preventing contact with the above materials.

Travel between COPA clinics, business office and community partners as required.