Accounts Receivable & Payroll Specialist

Job Title: Accounts Receivable & Payroll Specialist
Department: Finance
Reports To: Controller
Designation : Full-Time / Exempt
Salary: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00
Start Date : October 2025
Work Model: In-person

To spread joie de vivre through language, culture, and connection!

Attracting over 150,000 visitors annually, L’Alliance New York is the city’s premier center for French language and francophone arts and cultures. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, L’Alliance New York’s mission is to provide our members and students with engaging French language classes and audacious multi-disciplinary programming that celebrates the diversity of francophone cultures and creativity around the world. L’Alliance New York is internationally known for offering the largest selection of fully-immersive French language courses for students aged one to 101, and for its renowned cultural programming including the annual Bastille Day celebration that takes place on New York's famed Madison Avenue, attracting over 50,000 visitors each year; the Crossing The Line arts and performance festival that engages NYC cultural institutions in bringing dynamic international artists to audiences; Animation First, the biggest animation festival in the U.S; and the Comic Arts Fest, celebrating the intersection of American and francophone comic arts.

Position Summary

The Accounts Receivable & Payroll Specialist manages the invoicing and reconciliation of all incoming revenue streams, including earned income, grants, and donations. The role also supports payroll processing and allocation, ensuring payroll expenses are accurately recorded and aligned with internal controls, cost centers, and reporting needs. The role is approximately 80% accounts receivable and 20% payroll support, requiring both technical accounting skills and strong coordination across departments.

Key Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable (≈ 80%)

• Prepare and issue invoices for earned income streams including Language Center tuition, room rentals, cultural programming, sponsorships, and special events.
• Monitor and reconcile incoming payments from a variety of platforms such as Stripe, TicketTailor, ActiveNet, and others, ensuring that all deposits are accurately reflected in the general ledger.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date AR ledger, tracking outstanding receivables, credit memos, and customer balances.
• Apply payments to open invoices in QuickBooks Online (QBO), ensuring correct GL accounts, classes, and donor/funding source tags.
• Collaborate with Development and Program teams to support timely and accurate revenue recognition, including tracking of restricted gifts and conditional funding (e.g., grants with deliverables).
• Generate and maintain aging reports, identify past-due accounts, and initiate follow-ups with internal stakeholders or external clients as needed.
• Coordinate with external partners and vendors for billing and payment resolution (e.g., schools, corporations, or event partners).
• Support monthly and year-end closing processes by ensuring that revenue entries are complete, reconciled, and supported by documentation.
• Provide audit support related to revenue, grants, and receivables, including generation of backup reports and transaction histories.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial policies and external regulatory standards related to revenue recognition, grant reporting, and donation tracking.

Payroll Processing & Support (≈ 20%)

• Prepare, review, and submit biweekly payroll in ADP Workforce Now, ensuring accurate entry of hours, salaries, bonuses, deductions, and adjustments.
• Coordinate with HR on changes related to new hires, terminations, pay updates, and benefits enrollment.
• Manage off-cycle payroll runs and ensure proper documentation and approval prior to submission.
• Import and reconcile payroll journal entries into QuickBooks Online (QBO), verifying GL coding and class/cost center allocations.
• Reconcile payroll liabilities and net pay accounts post-payroll.
• Identify and flag discrepancies in payroll distributions and coordinate resolution with the Controller.
• Assist in preparing payroll-related audit documentation and supporting grant-specific reporting.

The job description above is not an exhaustive list of duties. The person in this role will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by the role and the overall business objectives of L’Alliance New York.

Who You Are

This role might be a great fit if:

• You are a detail-oriented finance professional who thrives on accuracy, especially when managing complex revenue streams and reconciling data across systems and cost centers.
• You bring a proactive, solutions-driven mindset to your work, anticipating issues before they arise and following through to resolution with minimal oversight.
• You enjoy working in a mission-driven, creative environment, and are comfortable collaborating with both financial and non-financial colleagues across departments.
• You are highly organized, love systems, and take pride in maintaining clean ledgers and timely, accurate reporting.
• You are comfortable working across multiple platforms (QuickBooks, ADP, BlackBaud, ActiveNet, Ticket Tailor, etc.) and enjoy making sense of numbers, patterns, and processes.
• You are calm under pressure, especially around payroll deadlines or audit season, and can be trusted to handle confidential information with discretion and care.
• You appreciate the importance of cultural connection and lifelong learning – and are excited to contribute to a nonprofit that values language, community, and creativity.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in accounts receivable and/or nonprofit financial operations, including direct responsibility for payroll processing
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now and QuickBooks Online required
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, and organizational skills
• Ability to meet deadlines and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and manage responsibilities autonomously
• Ability to document processes clearly and contribute to the development of internal SOPs, workflows, and finance manuals

Why Join Us

We offer a supportive, mission-driven work environment with generous benefits, including:

• Generous paid vacation and holiday package
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with employer contribution
• 403(b) retirement savings plan with up to 5% employer match after 2 years
• Free French classes and discounted cultural programs
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (CBP) and flexible spending account (FSA)
• Complimentary L’Alliance New York membership

At L’Alliance New York, you’ll join a collaborative, multilingual team that values creativity, kindness, and cultural curiosity. Whether you’re helping a student register, sharing a laugh with a colleague, or attending a film screening after hours, you’ll be part of a community that believes in the power of language and human connection.

TO APPLY : Please submit a resume, cover letter, and two references.

Employment at L’Alliance New York is at-will, meaning that either the employee or the organization may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise specified in a written agreement.
If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please reach out via the same email address.

L’Alliance New York is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, citizenship status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.