Accounting Associate

Payroll Audit & Accounting Support Specialist

*Great internship opportunity to gain hands on accounting experience supporting a large organization in the area!

**MUST be able to start working full time hours starting in April

Job Description

The Payroll Audit & Accounting Support Specialist supports payroll audit initiatives through accurate data gathering, validation, and reporting to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, and audit readiness. When payroll audit volume is lower, this role also assists Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) teams with transactional workload, providing broad exposure across payroll, AP, and AR functions. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working with data, has strong attention to detail, and wants to contribute to a growing organization with exciting project work.

Responsibilities

• Gather, organize, and validate payroll data to support internal and external payroll audits.

• Pull reports and supporting documentation from payroll, HRIS, and timekeeping systems to meet audit requirements.

• Reconcile payroll data discrepancies and identify, document, and flag variances for follow-up and resolution.

• Ensure all payroll audit documentation is complete, accurate, properly organized, and audit-ready.

• Partner closely with Payroll and Accounting teams to respond to audit requests and data inquiries in a timely manner.

• Maintain confidential and sensitive payroll information with a high level of discretion and professionalism.

• Assist Accounts Payable with invoice processing, data entry, and issue resolution during peak periods.

• Support Accounts Receivable activities, including cash application, customer account research, and aging report support.

• Perform data cleanup, reconciliations, and reporting across AP and AR to improve data accuracy and visibility.

• Provide general accounting support as needed to help balance workload across the broader finance team.

• Work with large data sets in Excel and other systems to reconcile information and support decision-making.

• Manage multiple priorities effectively and shift focus based on changing business needs and deadlines.

• Communicate clearly and collaborate with cross-functional partners to ensure smooth audit and accounting processes.

Essential Skills

• 1-3+ years of experience in payroll, accounting, audit, accounts payable, accounts receivable, or a related finance function.

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Hands-on experience with payroll processes and supporting payroll audits or reconciliations.

• Practical experience in accounts payable, including invoice processing and issue resolution.

• Practical experience in accounts receivable, including cash application and customer account research.

• Strong accounting knowledge and familiarity with transactional accounting activities.

• Proficiency in Excel, including use of filters, lookups, and preferably pivot tables.

Work Environment

This is a full-time, Monday through Friday, in-office position based in a new, modern, and comfortable office environment. The role involves regular use of Excel and other payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, and accounting systems to manage and reconcile large volumes of data. You will work closely with payroll, accounting, accounts payable, and accounts receivable teams in a collaborative culture that values initiative, accuracy, and teamwork. The organization is growing, particularly in the data center space, offering exposure to exciting project work and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact as the company expands.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Edwardsville, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $25.00 - $28.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Edwardsville,IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Apr 25, 2026.

About Aston Carter:

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] (%[email protected]) for other accommodation options.