Per Capita-Senior Accountant

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is committed to protecting and exercising the inherent inalienable sovereign rights of the Tribe and Individuals in the interest of the Medicine Creek Treat Territories, as stewards to ensure preservation of our cultural and environmental integrity for common good and prosperity for all.


Open: March 18, 2026 Close: April 2, 2026
Job Title: Senior Accountant Department: Per Capita
Reports To: Director Hours: 40 Hrs/Wk – Full Time
Salary: Based on Salary Matrix+Benefits Requisition: 888

*Salaries are market competitive. For accurate salary information, call (253)573-7863 or email jobs@puyalluptribe-nsn.gov. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians provides a generous benefits package that includes employer paid medical, dental, vision, life insurance, a retirement/401(k) plan with profit sharing, paid holidays, and paid time off including birthday leave.


Position Summary:
Assists the Director to ensure that the Department’s internal records are maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, that transactions are recorded timely and properly, and that best practices are followed in the conduct of the activities of the Per Capita Department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
1. Timely performs check reconciliations monthly. Promptly informs Director of any discrepancies. Prepares monthly new enrollee list and minors trust list with complete addresses and clock numbers from Day Force and upload on a secure platform for Providence First Bank to update the Trust records.
2. Performs Trust distribution handout to 18 year olds with the Director or in the absence of the Director. Including notifying the Tribal Member of their rights and of what to expect regarding their trust and Per Capita’s.
3. Oversees General payroll accounting functions; assure accuracy, timeliness, and conformity with professional accounting standards and best practices in accordance with GAAP.
4. Takes lead on drafting the department’s quarterly report to Administration and works closely with the Director to finalize the report.
5. When Director is absent, acts as back-up for producing monthly Per Capita checks or bonus runs for Membership.
6. Produces on-site manual checks at Director’s request or when Director is out of the office.
7. Enter processed checks in Key Navigator positive pay. Daily monitoring of the positive pay Key Navigator system for fraudulent & duplicate checks and ACH returns.
8. Assists the Director and Tribal Attorney with fraud investigations by examining check history and working with financial institutions to perform necessary research. Notifies Law Enforcement. Produces correspondence to Members about fraud detailing the policies and procedures as outlined in Tribal Code.
9. Under the direction of the Director, works closely with the Tribe’s banking to do stop payments, check reissues, manual checks and ACH reversals as needed.
10. Annually, cooperatively works with the Tribe’s auditors to provide necessary Per Capita Department records for the Tribe’s financial audit.
11. Create accounting strategies to minimize payroll errors & maximize Tribal Member’s satisfaction. Analyze accounts and suggest improvements to reduce errors and increase efficiency.
12. Performs high level Per Capita data transformation, manipulation, analysis & advanced data modeling into visualizations that help management understand the big picture as well as gain real-time insights that assist management with planning for adults, minors, trust & school stipend distributions.
13. Acts as the contact to Dayforce regarding tax support, payroll processing and reporting issues. Verifies and validates Per Capita payroll withholding taxes are accurately recorded and reported to the IRS, and that quarterly withholding taxes are paid to the IRS in a timely manner.
14. Assist the department and Tribal Members with navigating technical tax issues pointing them in the right direction as regards IRS paperwork and income documents.
15. Work closely with KeyBank and now Providence First to ensure monthly trust ACH & check deposits and accurately recorded to match what is transferred on Per Capita check register.
16. Takes the lead on departmental projects assigned by Director that involve financial, payroll and tax research as needed. Projects may include payroll conversions, changes in banking institutions, end of year payroll adjustments etc.
17. Takes the lead on producing the Tribe’s 1099 forms annually.
18. Periodically, and under the direction of the Director, performs audits on Representative Payee Program client fil