Accounts Payable Specialist

The Cottonwood School offers dynamic homeschooling pathways for TK-12: a uniquely personalized, whole-learner approach that nurtures academic, social, and emotional achievement. The Cottonwood school is a tuition-free, public charter school serving transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade students in Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento Counties. We take an integrative approach that education is more than academic learning. We understand that a rich education includes social and emotional development as well as a strong academic foundation. 

Our Homestudy Pathway fosters holistic learning through the many activities and events we offer each month—field trips, workshops, hands-on, experiential activities.

Our Cottonwood College Prep Academy is a hybrid on-site High School Pathway that offers Montessori-inspired project-based learning that encourages collaboration and creativity.

At The Cottonwood School, we envision a world where students flourish, communities thrive, and staff are fulfilled. 

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Start Date: December 1, 2025

Vacancies: 1

Employment Type: Part-time

Direct Supervisor: Business Services Supervisor

Salary Schedule: Schedule E (Office Tech II) 

Work Calendar: 260

Classification: Classified

FLSA Status: Nonexempt

Location: This position is eligible for telecommuting up to 5 days per week, with in-person presence required as needed to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Business Services Supervisor, the Accounts Payable Specialist will perform a variety of accounting duties in support of assigned School accounts payable and functions. The Accounts Payable Specialist will monitor the outflow of capital for the School and will handle the financial processing of transactions. Duties include daily bookkeeping, record keeping, financial reporting, and the preparation of records for financial audits. The Accounts Payable Specialist will also reconcile and verify invoices.

Required Qualifications

? High school diploma or equivalent

? Must live in California

Preferred Qualifications

? Associate's degree in Business Administration or related area

? Accounts payable/invoicing experience in educational setting

? Experience working at an independent study charter school

Employment Requirements

? Background Clearance

? Tuberculosis Clearance

? I-9 Verification

Duties and Responsibilities

? Receive and verify expense reports. E

? Reconcile expenses and other financial reports with account balances and other official records. E

? Facilitate payment of vendors, which may include verification of federal ID numbers, review of purchase orders, and resolve discrepancies. E

? Ensure outstanding obligations are credited upon payment, identify discount opportunities, and issue purchase order amendments or stop-payment orders as needed. E

? Assist with accounting records and ledgers by reconciling monthly statements and transactions. E

? Calculate and report sales tax based on paid invoices. E

? Comply with the School's policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. E

Other Duties

? Respond to non-urgent communication within 24 school hours and urgent

communication within two school hours. E

? Attend all required virtual and in-person meetings/events as assigned. E

? Resolve escalated employee, parent, and student issues in alignment with core values and ensuring compliance with the school's Uniform Complaint Policy, Technology Use Policy, and the provisions of California Penal Code Section Child Abuse and

Neglect Reporting Act). E

? Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities

? Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify problems and find solutions

? Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team member, work independently, and be self-motivated

? Must be reliable and extremely trustworthy.

? Must be able to learn other accounting software systems.

? Excellent organizational skills and record-keeping skills

? Must be able to maintain diplomacy and professionalism under pressure

? Demonstrate an excellent level of cultural acceptance and inclusion

? Comfortable with online/virtual meeting platforms including Google and Zoom, etc.

? Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Google (docs, sheets, forms, drives), and data management environments

? Ability to learn and follow Charter School regulations, and procedures

? Detail-oriented with a focus on quality and data accuracy.

Work Environment

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. These physical standards are generic and tasks may vary depending on the school site or specialized site assignment. The information contained in this physical standards description is for compliance with the Americans with Disability Act and is not an exhaustive list of duties performed. The individuals currently holding this position perform additional duties and additional duties as assigned.

Physical Demands

? Continuously - Sufficient strength, stamina (including physical, mental, and emotional), physical ability, and mobility to visually observe and assist students.

? Continuously - Sit or stand for extended periods of time.

? Occasionally - Bend at the waist, kneel, stoop, squat, reach, and crouch.

? Seldom - Work variable hours

? Seldom - Lift, push, and/or pull objects weighing approximately 20 pounds.

? Occasionally - Ability to reach in all directions including overhead and horizontally.

? Continuously - Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate equipment including computer keyboard/mouse and standard office equipment necessary to do job functions.

? Continuously - Communicate effectively with students, staff, parents, and community members.

? Continuously - Comply with timelines and deadlines with frequent interruptions.

? Seldom - Travel for department meetings and school training/in-service meetings.

? Continuously - See to operate equipment, read and understand written material, and ability to detect information displayed on a computer screen.

? Seldom - Restrain students when necessary.

Physical Demands Frequency Definitions Based on an 8-hour day:

? Never = 0%

? Seldom = 1 - 10% (less than 45 minutes)

? Occasionally = % (up to 3.0 hours)

? Frequently = % (up to 6 hours)

? Continuously = % (more than 6 hours)

Environment including Hazardous Conditions

This position may include indoor offices/classrooms and outdoor work (including eating and common area(s), auditorium, playground(s), restroom(s), stairs if applicable, and parking lot(s)) with the following possible exposures: dust; wind; sun; insects; bloodborne pathogens and biohazardous waste; variances in weather conditions (snow, rain, sleet, etc.); noise which can

range from quiet to loud; fast-paced work environment with possible stressful situations and need to multi-task; traffic congestion; playground projectiles such as baseballs, footballs, basketballs, etc.; intervening physically to stop conflicts between angry or emotionally upset students; and, dealing with students, parents, employees and the general public who may exhibit unpredictable or anti-social behavior.

Employees in this position may have a higher level of exposure to illness or infection from students. May be exposed to students who may ask inappropriately personal questions, display socially unacceptable behavior, display physically aggressive behavior, and insult your personal characteristics including appearance, age, sex, and race. There is also frequent contact with staff and the public.

Right to Revise

This job description is not meant to be all-inclusive and the School reserves the right to revise this job description as necessary without advance notice. The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the

employer without notice.

E = Essential Job Functions

Compensation & Benefits

In addition to competitive salaries, The Cottonwood School offers eligible full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that can include: Medical, Dental, Vision coverage, Life & Disability insurnace, 403(b) and 457(b) plans(with matching available for certain classifications), an Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending accounts for Health care and dependent care, Paid Time Off and sick leave benefits (for certain classifications and eligible staff), pet insurance, and more

Requirements

Required Qualifications

? High school diploma or equivalent

? Must live in California

Preferred Qualifications

? Associate's degree in Business Administration or related area

? Accounts payable/invoicing experience in educational setting

? Experience working at an independent study charter school

Employment Requirements

? Background Clearance

? Tuberculosis Clearance

? I-9 Verification