Payroll and Accounts Payable Specialist

Payroll and Accounts Payable Specialist
Contract: Full-time, Independent Contractor
Location: 100% remote
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Our Firm:
Sterlington is a full-service law firm that combines legal and commercial excellence with modern ways of practicing. Our high-caliber partners work on complex business matters with a tailored approach to client service and a focus on financial flexibility and innovation. Learn more at:

The Opportunity:
We're looking for a proactive, detail-oriented Payroll and Accounts Payable Specialist who takes ownership and gets things done. This isn't just about processing numbers—it's about being a trusted partner to our finance team and ensuring our people and vendors are paid accurately and on time, every time.

If you're someone who thrives on precision, stays ahead of deadlines, communicates effectively and brings solutions (not just questions), we want to hear from you. You'll play a critical role in supporting our US-headquartered service business, managing everything from multi-system payroll processing to partner distributions and year-end compliance.

What You'll Do:
Payroll

• Prepare and reconcile monthly payroll summaries with meticulous accuracy
• Record payroll bills and journals, and process payments efficiently
• Drive improvements and consolidation across multiple payroll systems (XE, Gusto, Ramp)
• Create and distribute monthly payment summaries to law partners
• Calculate origination partners' monthly distributions and annual true-ups
• Maintain flawless payroll records including salary changes, bonuses, benefits, and tax deductions
• Partner closely with HR to ensure employee data is current and accurate
• Reconcile benefits and 401K deductions with precision
• Register with state authorities as needed to ensure all state filings are current
• Proactively monitor and resolve payroll system exceptions and tax-related issues before they escalate
• Own year-end payroll reporting, compliance, and filings (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s)
• Support workers' compensation and other audits
• Prepare ad hoc and monthly management compensation reports as needed

Accounts Payable

• Review, verify, and process vendor invoices, reimbursements, and disbursements with accuracy and speed
• Receive and answer questions about payments from team members and vendors.
• Track payment approvals and due dates, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks
• Maintain and monitor vendor records with a keen eye for detail
• Reconcile AP aging reports and support monthly close processes
• Calculate recruiter fees accurately
• Record and reconcile law partner credit card transactions
• Manage intercompany reconciliation for credit card transactions, payables, and expenses
• Track and report monthly business development expenses per partner
• Follow-up with partners and their assistants for missing or incomplete information
• Ensure complete accuracy of prepaid account balances, client reimbursables, and team member advances

What We're Looking For
:

• 5+ years' senior experience in Payroll and Accounts Payable
• US payroll expertise is essential. You must have hands-on experience with W-2s, 1099s, and K-1s, as well as all related state tax filings and registrations
• Strong experience with payroll systems and maintaining accurate tax and state registration filings
• Highly proactive mindset: you spot issues before they become problems and take initiative to resolve them
• Exceptionally responsive, you understand urgency and prioritize accordingly
• You take pride in completing your work with uncompromising accuracy, the first time.
• You are a systems thinker and want to be part of designing process and program improvements within your area and working across teams
• Start-up / scale up experience preferred
• Professional services experience preferred
• You are comfortable making systems change recommendations and assisting in the implementation of these changes.
• Comfortable working independently in a fully remote environment

Sterlington is a full-service law firm that combines legal and commercial excellence with modern ways of practicing.