Accounting and Payroll Manager (part to full time)

Accounting and payroll manager Remote | Preference for Northern Colorado candidates Approximately 25 hours per week, with potential for additional hours Action Accounting & Tax is seeking an experienced accounting professional to take ownership of day-to-day accounting operations, perform final reviews, support a small team, and solve problems before they become emergencies. This is a hands-on accounting leadership position. While the role includes some bookkeeping and payroll processing, its primary focus is reviewing work, identifying errors or missing information, resolving complex issues, managing deadlines, and improving the systems that support our team and clients. The right person will gradually assume many of the operational responsibilities currently handled by the firm owner, allowing the owner to focus more fully on advisory services, high-level client conversations, and business growth. Our ideal candidate will: - Care about helping small businesses thrive. - Enjoy working independently from home and have the discipline to remain productive in a remote environment. - Be self-directed, curious, and an excellent problem solver. - Prefer working primarily behind the scenes while remaining comfortable communicating with clients when needed. - Enjoy working with accounting software, processes, data, reports, and performance measures. - Find satisfaction in managing workflows, completing projects, and meeting deadlines. - Recognize each team member's strengths and support others in developing their skills. - Value continued professional and personal growth. - Look beyond the immediate correction and determine how to prevent the same problem from recurring. Responsibilities: - Perform final reviews of monthly and quarterly financial statements. - Review balance sheets, income statements, general ledgers, reconciliations, and supporting records for accuracy and completeness. - Ensure financial statements are completed and delivered by established deadlines. - Oversee payroll processing and review payroll for accuracy before submission. - Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, tax notices, filing problems, and unusual payroll situations. - Monitor payroll tax returns, quarterly filings, sales tax filings, and other recurring compliance deadlines. - Provide technical support and direction to bookkeeping, payroll, and administrative team members. - Manage workflow for a small team that includes administrative and bookkeeping support. - Train employees and provide clear, constructive feedback when corrections are needed. - Identify recurring problems and develop procedures, checklists, training, or system improvements to prevent them from recurring. - Communicate professionally, kindly, and clearly with clients regarding accounting questions, missing information, deadlines, and corrections. - Maintain high standards of accuracy, confidentiality, client service, and follow-through. - Document processes and improve existing standard operating procedures. - Escalate significant tax, legal, compliance, or advisory matters to the firm owner when appropriate. - Potentially assist with business or individual tax preparation in the future, depending on experience and firm needs. Qualifications: You may be a strong fit if you: - Have substantial accounting experience working with small businesses. - Understand how balance sheets, income statements, general ledgers, payroll records, and tax filings connect. - Can independently review accounting work and recognize when balances, transactions, or reports do not make sense. - Are comfortable investigating unfamiliar problems rather than waiting for someone else to provide the answer. - Can distinguish between correcting an immediate issue and esolving the underlying process problem. - Have experience reviewing or processing payroll. - Can manage deadlines across multiple clients while consistently using established workflow and deadline-management systems. - Communicate calmly and professionally with clients and employees. - Can give clear instructions, hold team members accountable, and support employees without taking over all of their work. - Are willing to learn the firm's systems and improve them thoughtfully. - Have strong professional integrity and will raise concerns when something appears inaccurate, unsupported, or noncompliant. Experience supervising or training accounting or administrative employees is strongly preferred. While not required, CPA or EA certification would be a plus. Technology Experience with the following is preferred: - Xero - QuickBooks Online - Google Sheets - Payroll processing software - TaxDome - Cloud-based document and workflow systems Experience with Make or other automation platforms is helpful but not required. Strong Xero experience is especially valuable. Candidates do not need to know every platform on the first day, but they must be able to learn new systems quickly and demonstrate sound accounting judgment. Position Structure - Approximately 25 hours per week - Year-round position - Primarily remote - General availability during agreed-upon weekday business hours - Potential for additional hours as the firm grows and based on mutual interest - Preference for candidates located in Northern Colorado or within reasonable travel distance of Loveland - Northern Colorado candidates are preferred, but qualified candidates throughout Colorado will be considered. - Applicants must reside and be authorized to work in the United States Compensation Base compensation: $30--$38 per hour, depending on experience. The firm is also developing a performance-based incentive program tied to measurable operational and production goals, which may include: - On-time financial statement delivery - Completion of recurring accounting and compliance work - Production or firm revenue growth Total compensation may reach approximately $36--$48 per hour when established performance goals are achieved. Benefits - Flexible remote work environment - Paid training - Professional education support - Opportunity for increased hours and responsibility as the firm grows - Sick leave Skills Assessment Final candidates will complete a practical, time-limited skills assessment. The assessment may include: - Reviewing financial statements and identifying potential errors - Explaining how an accounting or payroll issue should be investigated - Demonstrating report navigation and review through screen sharing in Xero and QuickBooks Online - Completing or reviewing a short Google Sheets task - Explaining how they would prevent a similar problem from recurring The assessment is intended to evaluate accounting judgment, problem-solving ability, software proficiency, communication, and attention to detail. How to Apply Please submit: - Your résumé - A brief explanation of why this position interests you - An example of an accounting, payroll, or workflow problem you identified and solved - A description of your experience with Xero, QuickBooks Online, payroll, financial statement review, and employee supervision - Your general weekday availability - Your location and availability for occasional meetings near Loveland, Colorado Application deadline: August 18, 2026 Applicants selected for the next step will complete a short screening questionnaire followed by a structured interview and practical skills assessment.