THE ORGANIZATION

Founded at the University of Michigan Medical School, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is among the most innovative and rapidly-growing school-based mental health solutions in the country. Today, our growing team is working toward the TRAILS mission of transforming the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students. 

To date, TRAILS has brought essential skills and resources to more than 14,000 teachers, administrators, and school mental health professionals. Our best-in-class program materials are built specifically for the school setting, and our unique training model is driven by research from the field of implementation science. Our website and library of materials are utilized by educators and clinicians across the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. While our impact today is greatest in our home state of Michigan, TRAILS is expanding nationally with strong support from education and health sector leaders, public offices, and state policymakers. 

As we work to respond to massive demand for TRAILS programming from schools and districts throughout the United States, our team is guided by a core commitment to equity: The TRAILS growth strategy identifies Title I designated schools as our broadest target population, and we aim specifically to impact students who experience high risk for poor mental health outcomes and disproportionate barriers to quality care. As we grow our team, we seek candidates who share our commitment to equity in health and healthcare access, who practice cultural humility, and who thrive in and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

THE ROLE 

TRAILS is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Finance Specialist who will play an important role in maintaining the financial health and stability of TRAILS. The Finance Specialist is responsible for various finance functions, including payroll validation and submission, payroll system support, and accounts receivable, as well as ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across financial processes. Additionally, the Finance Specialist will collaborate across the Finance and Operations team, People team, and other teams to make payroll, accounts receivable, and other related improvements to organization-wide processes.  

 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Payroll (45%) 

• Validate and submit semi-monthly and required off-cycle payroll for all employees through our payroll service provider, Rippling, ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
• Continuously maintain accurate payroll records and effectively and promptly communicate and resolve any discrepancies
• Review and reconcile payroll items, including salaries, wages, reimbursements, health benefits (such as HSA/FSA), and retirement contributions
• Collaborate with the People team to ensure accurate processing of payroll-related activities related to new hire onboarding, terminations, and payroll adjustments
• Review payroll tax filings and other mandatory reports to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Provide support to payroll-related staff inquiries to ensure seamless payroll operations 

Accounts Receivable (25%) 

• Generate and dispatch accurate and timely invoices for service agreements and miscellaneous receivables, ensuring ongoing compliance with funding source requirements and grant regulations 
• Record and track incoming funds, donations, and grants and assist in developing and maintaining donor and grantor financial records 
• Efficiently and diplomatically manage the collection of past-due invoices, ensuring timely resolution while maintaining positive client relationships
• Prepare regular reports on accounts receivable status for management review 
• Reconcile accounts receivable records with the general ledger

Finance Process Improvement (20%) 

• Collaborate across TRAILS teams to facilitate efficient financial processes using a strong customer service approach
• Work closely with the finance and people teams to identify opportunities for process improvements and increased efficiency
• Take ownership of and/or actively participate in financial and cross-functional projects, including but not limited to initiatives related to creating or updating policies, system development, and process enhancements
• Serve as periodic backup for other Finance Specialists as needed 

Team Responsibilities (10%) 

• Attend and actively participate in team and all-staff meetings and retreats, workgroups and other relevant TRAILS events 
• Support TRAILS team with all-hands-on-deck events and other team initiatives

 

THE PERSON 

Our experience suggests that the following types of professional experiences lend themselves to this work:

• 2-5 years of demonstrated experience in payroll and accounts receivable, preferably in a nonprofit setting
• 2-5 years of demonstrated experience utilizing financial and project management tools (e.g., Sage Intacct ERP, SAP Concur, Salesforce, Rippling, or similar)
• Demonstrated experience administering payroll for multi-state organization while maintaining federal, state, and local compliance
• Demonstrated experience working in the Microsoft Office and Google Suites and a track record of learning new software
• Prior experience in grant compliance is a plus
• Demonstrated prior experience in supporting a rapidly growing organization is a plus

Our experience suggests that the following types of skills lend themselves well to this work:

• Knowledge and familiarity navigating payroll compliance and regulations on the federal and state level for all states 
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and take initiative, with limited direction while meeting project deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational abilities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a curiosity for innovation
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Willingness to travel within the US for 1-2 multi-day team meetings per year

 

EDUCATION

Our experience suggests the following certifications and degree(s) lend themselves well to this work:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field 
• Certification in payroll processing from the American Payroll Association or similar accrediting body is preferred
• Applicable experience/competencies may be considered in lieu of formal education

 

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this role is $88,030 to $92,921. 

TRAILS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision as well as a 403B with a safe harbor match and short and long term disability. We offer a generous holiday and paid time off package. 

 

APPLICATION NOTES 

• We can only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Our job descriptions reflect TRAILS’ assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management’s right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time. 
• Please note that TRAILS employees may be required to undergo a background check. Findings do not automatically exclude candidates from the hiring process, but will be taken into consideration.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION 

Addressing inequities in access to evidence-based mental health care is intrinsic to the TRAILS mission. The intentionality behind this approach is woven into everything we do at TRAILS, resulting in a staff-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all facets of our program. If this commitment is something to which you could positively contribute, we encourage you to apply, particularly if your voice represents a historically excluded perspective. 

TRAILS is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.