A thriving future for California’s environment and communities requires bold vision, creative problem-solving, and relentless determination. This is a critical decade for action and River Partners is growing our team of talented, tenacious change-makers to meet the challenge head on. Join us!
Who We Are
River Partners brings life back to California rivers. We’ve revitalized more habitat along impaired California rivers than any other entity in the western U.S., having led hundreds of projects across nearly 20,000 acres throughout California. We restore thriving native forests and ecosystems that support imperiled wildlife, improve flood safety, boost the state’s climate resilience, replenish and improve freshwater resources, create open space for communities, and build stronger local economies. Since 1998, we have pioneered an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to conservation, combining modern farming, cutting-edge science, and diverse partnerships.
We are meeting the urgent need this decade to restore our riverways and seek passionate team members to help us grow our restoration footprint at an unprecedented pace and scale.
Why You Should Join Us
River Partners offers competitive salaries and benefits, including comprehensive health care insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with immediate employer matching, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance programs, and other well-being benefits. We’re proud of our supportive culture and focus on work-life balance. We strive to create an environment that brings fulfilment to our team members’ personal lives by offering paid time off, an alternative work schedule, and flexible hours.
Position Description
The Payroll and Project Accountant reports to the Senior Administrator and works with the River Partners’ accounting department, other project management staff, and the Heritage Growers seed farm team on a variety of payroll and accounting tasks including timesheets, ADP payroll services, invoicing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, database management, grants and contract management, seed and plant sales and other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
(40%) Payroll Support
- Maintains, and reviews payroll processing and accounting systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, and other deductions
- Provides support processing timesheets using Deltek Vantagepoint and uploading payroll data to ADP
- Ensures accurate and timely processing of payroll updates including new hires, terminations, and changes to pay rates
- Prepares and maintains accurate records and reports of payroll transactions. Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices
- Facilitates audits by providing records and documentation to auditors
- Tracks vehicle and equipment usage via timesheets and reports on vehicle use
- Supports receiving deposits and collections and processing credit card transactions
- Coordinates and documents policies and procedures regarding internal use of credit cards, inventory control and transfers
- Supports the rate determination of fringe benefits, equipment and indirect cost pools
(40%) General Accounting and Administration
- Assists keeping seed general ledger records current
- Journal entry accounting for payroll and benefits
- Supports accounts payable processing
- Supports bank reconciliations
- Support equipment purchases and securing multiple quotes
- Tracks physical assets including vehicles and maintains driver records including DOT requirements; supports depreciation JEs
- Other administrative tasks as needed
(20%) Heritage Growers and Project Accounting
- Records Heritage Growers sales to River Partners’ project funders and assembles supporting documentation
- Performs cost and inventory accounting in cooperation with Heritage Growers accountant and generates monthly financial reports
- Assists in the preparation and review of grant and contract proposal budgets under tight deadlines; reviews assigned project results to plan and invoices on monthly basis
- Reviews allocation of costs to plant and seed inventory and books monthly JEs
- Assists with preparation of monthly financial statements for Heritage Growers
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Previous experience as a payroll accountant or in a similar role
- Understanding of payroll requirements and local and governmental rules
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office, especially Excel
- Enjoys learning new software and supporting information needs of others
- Embraces diversity, equity and inclusion and be an active participant in a diverse team
- Cooperates and communicates with colleagues, supervisors, and managers across the organization
- Demonstrates a positive attitude, commitment and enthusiasm to carry out Heritage Growers’ mission
- Experience working with contract and grant constraints and meeting various invoicing requirements
- Demonstrates appropriate verbal, analytical, organizational, and written skills
- Trusted to identify and handle confidential information
- Applies logical thinking and sound judgment to a wide range of practical problems
- Ability to work under multiple deadlines, and flexibility to handle changing priorities
- Integrity and ethics beyond reproach
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or science related field. Relevant work experience may substitute for a college degree
- Strong interest and experience in habitat restoration, natural science, biology, or related field preferred
- A minimum of 1 year of relevant experience in a professional work environment
- Experience with using office software including MS Office 365, SharePoint and Teams; willingness and ability to learn project-based ERP system from Deltek
Compensation
Salary is commensurate with experience, anticipated to range between $21.63 to $31.25 hourly, or $45,000 to $65,000 annually. River Partners offers a generous benefits package including medical insurance, ample holidays and paid time off, an alternative work week schedule, flexible location and hours, and up to 4% 401(k) match on your contribution.
Location
This position reports from our Chico Office. A hybrid schedule may be approved after the introductory period.
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references in a PDF saved with your last name and the position job title separated by an underscore (e.g., Smith_Payroll Accountant) to jobs@riverpartners.org.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until this position is filled.
River Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer
River Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, medical condition religion, age, military or veteran status, or any other protected group status or non-job related characteristic as directed by law.