Senior Accountant, Payroll

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Accountant, Payroll is responsible for the accounting, reconciliation, and financial reporting of all payroll activity across Discovery Senior Living's portfolio of approximately 450 senior living communities and 25,000+ team members in 40+ states. Reporting to the Shared Services Controller, this role ensures that payroll transactions are accurately recorded in the general ledger, payroll liabilities are properly reconciled, and that robust controls exist between the payroll processing function and the accounting close process. The Senior Accountant, Payroll works within Yardi 8 and Excel and partners closely with the Payroll Operations team and Human Resources.

Remote & Hybrid Work:

The position will start remote but then transition to onsite work in Dallas three days per week, working alongside the accounting and asset management teams with regular exposure to senior leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are normal for this position. This list is not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Payroll Accounting and General Ledger Recording

• Prepare and post bi-weekly and off-cycle payroll journal entries into Yardi 8 across all DSL entities and community management structures.
• Reconcile payroll clearing accounts, accrued wages, employer payroll tax liabilities, benefits payable, and related balance sheet accounts monthly.
• Maintain and reconcile payroll registers to general ledger accounts; investigate and resolve variances on a timely basis.
• Ensure accurate classification of payroll costs by department, community, cost center, and entity.

Month-End Close and Reporting

• Lead the payroll components of the monthly accounting close, including preparation of accrual for the final payroll period of each month.
• Prepare payroll cost analysis, headcount reconciliations, and labor trend reports for the Shared Services Controller and finance leadership.
• Support preparation of management reporting packages that include labor metrics, overtime analysis, and benefit cost summaries.
• Reconcile W-2 and payroll tax filings to general ledger accounts on a quarterly and annual basis.

Compliance and Controls

• Ensure payroll accounting entries are in compliance with GAAP and DSL accounting policies across a 40+ state operating environment.
• Maintain documentation of payroll accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Support internal and external audit processes by providing payroll reconciliations, journal entry support, and responding to auditor inquiries.
• Identify and escalate discrepancies or control weaknesses in the payroll-to-accounting interface.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as the primary Shared Services accounting liaison to the Payroll Operations and Human Resources teams.
• Partner with community-level accounting and operations teams to resolve payroll allocation and reclassification questions.
• Collaborate with the Director, Financial Systems on Yardi 8 payroll module configurations and integrations. Assist in the implementation of new payroll platforms, system integrations, or process changes 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position is an individual contributor role with no direct reports. The Senior Accountant may provide functional guidance to junior accounting staff, community-level accounting personnel, or cross-functional teams as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or a related field required.
• Minimum of 3+  years of progressive accounting experience; experience in payroll accounting, payroll reconciliation, or labor cost accounting in a high-volume, multi-entity environment strongly preferred.
• Experience in senior living, healthcare, or hospitality operations with a large hourly workforce preferred.
• Proficiency in Yardi 8 or a comparable property/operations accounting platform required; experience with Paychex preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including reconciliation workpapers, pivot tables, and multi-entity data management.
• Must possess the maturity and professionalism that comes with access to corporate payroll and compensation data, maintaining strict confidentiality at all times.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.
• Frequently required to use hands, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear.
• The Team Member must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

The employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the employer will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages prospective Team Members and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.