Payroll/ Finance Operations Accountant

About the role
Ceterus Bookkeeping owns our general ledger, monthly close, and financial statements; that does not change. This role makes sure Ceterus gets everything it needs, cleanly and on time, and owns what Ceterus does not: bi-weekly payroll in ADP, vendor accounts and timely payment, the working-capital KPIs (DIO, DSO, DPO, CCC), and the weekly and monthly report-outs that drive action. You will be the single point of contact for Ceterus, resolving their open items and blockers so the P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet are complete and holistic every month. The business has roughly 13 employees today; this role grows with us to 30+.
Key responsibilities
Bi-weekly payroll (ADP) – primary

• Run end-to-end bi-weekly payroll in ADP for all employees, on time and without error.
• Pull and reconcile hours, class and session counts, and commissions from Mindbody, the studio hours-tracking tool, and other systems before each run.
• Maintain employee records, tax setup, PTO, and new-hire/termination processing in ADP; support quarterly filings and year-end W-2/1099 processing.
• Deliver payroll registers and journal detail to Ceterus each pay period.

Ceterus hand-off and blocker resolution

• Capture every business receipt and expense (credit cards, reimbursements, vendor bills, subscriptions, cash) and transmit them to Ceterus, coded and documented, on their cadence.
• Own the Ceterus open-items list: answer questions, chase missing documentation, and clear blockers within two business days so the close is never held up.
• Reconcile Mindbody sales, merchant settlements, and bank activity weekly and flag variances to Ceterus before month-end.
• Deliver a complete, organized month-end package so Ceterus can produce a holistic P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet.

Vendor accounts and accounts payable

• Own all vendor accounts for goods and services: setup, W-9s, contact and terms records, portal logins, and account reconciliations.
• Collect, verify, and route vendor invoices for approval; schedule and release payments so every vendor is paid on time and to agreed terms, with no late fees or service interruptions.
• Maintain an AP aging and a weekly payment calendar; resolve vendor disputes and statement discrepancies promptly.
• Provide Ceterus with the complete, coded AP record each period.

KPIs and reporting – primary

• Build and maintain DIO, DSO, DPO, and CCC, including the definitions and data sources behind each.
• Identify what drives each metric and execute actions to improve them.
• Produce the weekly and monthly report-outs described below, going beyond the standard Ceterus financial package.

Administrative support

• Support ownership and the Studio Manager with other administrative tasks as needed (insurance, licenses, vendor contracts, benefits paperwork, franchisor reporting).

Reporting cadence

• Weekly (Monday): one-page cash and working-capital snapshot – cash position, DIO/DSO/DPO/CCC vs. prior week and target, top exceptions, and owner-assigned action items with due dates.
• Monthly (within 5 business days of Ceterus close): KPI trends (rolling 12 months), root-cause commentary, 13-week cash forecast, status of last month's actions, and defined actions for the month ahead.

Qualifications
Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting (or Finance with accounting coursework) and working knowledge of U.S. GAAP.
• 3+ years of accounting experience, including time at a public accounting or outsourced accounting firm.
• Hands-on ADP payroll experience (Run or Workforce Now), including tax setup and year-end processing.
• Experience pulling and reconciling reports from Mindbody or a comparable membership/POS platform.
• Fluent in DIO, DSO, DPO, and CCC: can calculate them, explain the drivers, and show actions you have taken to improve them.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets; clear written and verbal communication with non-financial owners.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.; able to pass a background and credit check.

Preferred

• CPA, CPA candidate, or CMA; experience working alongside an outsourced bookkeeping firm.
• Fitness, wellness, or franchise experience with recurring membership billing; QuickBooks Online familiarity.

Who you are

• Integrity first. You handle payroll, banking access, and employee data and act accordingly.
• Independent. You set your own calendar, hit your deadlines, and tell ownership what you need.
• An owner. You treat company cash as your own, catch problems early, and follow issues to resolution.
• Organized and professional. Your files and hand-offs are clean enough for Ceterus or anyone else to pick up without questions.
• Flexible. In a small company you will help outside accounting when needed, and you are glad to.

Compensation
Competitive salary commensurate with experience (range: 8.5/hr), As headcount passes 30, this role is expected to grow
Send your resume and a short note to describing one cash-cycle improvement you personally drove and its result.