Accountant I

USC Payroll Services is seeking an Accountant I to join the Payroll Tax Compliance team. This position supports payroll tax compliance for USC’s highly diverse employee population and plays an important role in ensuring payroll tax activities are accurate, timely, and compliant with federal, state, and local requirements. This position follows a hybrid work schedule, with a combination of on-site and remote work.

We are seeking a detail-oriented, adaptable, service-focused, and technology-minded team player who thrives in a collaborative and deadline-driven environment. Because payroll tax regulations, technologies, and business requirements continue to evolve, the successful candidate must be comfortable with change, eager to learn, and able to quickly apply new requirements, tools, and processes. The ideal candidate will also have an interest in exploring emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), and learning how these tools can be responsibly integrated into existing processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and service delivery.

Payroll Services operates around critical payroll processing, regulatory filing, and quarter-end and year-end tax reporting deadlines. As a result, time-off blackout periods are a regular part of the Payroll Tax Compliance team’s annual schedule and may be enforced at various times throughout the year, particularly during peak processing and compliance periods. Candidates should be prepared to maintain reliable availability and support the team during these designated periods. Blackout dates will be communicated in advance whenever practicable.

Key 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.

• Researches and 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.

• Assists with 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 1 years of work experience

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles including fund accounting

• Demonstrated adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies, systems, processes, and regulatory requirements in a rapidly changing environment.

• Interest in learning and applying emerging technologies, including AI and automation tools, to support process improvement and operational efficiency.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience providing excellent customer service in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and two years of relevant work experience.

• Experience with payroll, payroll tax, tax compliance, accounting, or related financial functions.

• Knowledge of university financial systems and accounting applications.

• 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.

• Demonstrated ability to research and resolve accounting or payroll-related discrepancies.

• Experience with, exposure to, or an interest in AI, automation, or other emerging technologies used to streamline accounting, payroll, compliance, or administrative processes.

• Ability to quickly learn new regulations and procedures and apply them accurately.

The hourly base range for this position is $33.00 - $38.51. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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