Bookkeeper and Payroll Specialist

• *Overall Impression:** Regina (goes by “Regine”) is a solid fit on tools and accuracy for this role. She has processed payroll in Gusto, works in both QuickBooks Online and Xero (AP/AR, bank reconciliation, invoicing), and has handled client onboarding for payroll setup. Her HR background in employee records and benefits adds to this, and she describes herself as a perfectionist with financial work. The main gap is depth. Payroll and bookkeeping have been part of broader EA roles rather than a dedicated position, and her Gusto use comes from a short project-based engagement. Her tax and compliance experience is also Australian (BAS), so her familiarity with US payroll taxes and her hours beyond 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST are worth confirming.

Experience

• Professional experience since 2023 (per CV, Aug 2023 – Feb 2026) across construction/manufacturing, electrical services, e-commerce, healthcare, HR/recruitment, technical support, and academic support
• Executive Assistant to a CEO (construction/manufacturing, Aug 2023 – Oct 2025, part-time to full-time):
• Finance support in Xero: invoicing, expense tracking, reconciliation, accounts receivable/payable, and tax reporting
• Inbox, calendar, and international travel coordination
• Oversight of a local support team, covering recruitment, onboarding, and payroll
• Executive Assistant to a CEO (electrical services, project-based, Nov 2025 – Feb 2026): processed payroll in Gusto, monitored financial records in QuickBooks, and kept administrative and financial documentation
• Handled BAS reporting submissions to the ATO portal for an Australian client
• Client onboarding for payroll setup: collected required documents and details, set up accounts, and walked clients through next steps
• HR Coordinator (recruitment agency, onsite, Sep 2023 – Jun 2024): full-cycle recruitment and onboarding, employee records, labor-law compliance, and benefits administration including claims and enrollment
• Customer service role (e-commerce): refunds, order tracking, and invoice/purchase monitoring

Skills

• Payroll: hands-on Gusto use, including entering employee details, reviewing hours, and checking payroll records against the books. Says she is comfortable setting up and maintaining payroll accounts
• Bookkeeping: QuickBooks Online and Xero, covering AP/AR monitoring, bank reconciliation, and invoicing, plus QuickBooks desktop reconciliation
• Tax reporting: BAS submissions through the ATO portal
• Client onboarding: collecting documents and details, setting up accounts, and guiding clients through the process
• Quality control: double and triple-checks financial work and proofreads before submission
• Other tools (per CV): Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Slack, Zoom, GoHighLevel

Other Details

• Describes herself as a perfectionist, especially with anything financial
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2019 – 2023)
• Certifications include an Executive Assistant Training Program and EF SET C2 Proficient (English)
• CV shows several overlapping roles in 2023 – 2024
• Most recent role on the CV ended Feb 2026. Her current work status and other commitments were not discussed – worth confirming

Availability

• Confirmed available 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST
• Says she adapts quickly to different schedules
• Total daily/weekly hours (full-time vs part-time) and whether she can work outside this window were not discussed – worth confirming
• Earliest start date was not discussed – worth confirming

Pros

• Hands-on Gusto payroll experience, the preferred platform for this role
• Covers both QuickBooks Online and Xero, including AP/AR, bank reconciliation, and invoicing
• Direct experience onboarding clients for payroll setup, which is the core responsibility of this role
• HR background in employee records, onboarding, and benefits, closely tied to collecting and verifying employee information for payroll
• Strong attention to detail with financial data: self-described perfectionist who double and triple-checks her work
• Strong English communication (EF SET C2 Proficient)
• Has handled multiple overlapping roles, which is relevant to managing several client onboardings at once

Cons

• Payroll and bookkeeping have been done alongside broader EA/admin duties, not in a dedicated bookkeeping/payroll role
• Gusto experience comes from one short project-based engagement (Nov 2025 – Feb 2026 per CV). She didn’t say whether she has set up new company payroll accounts in Gusto from scratch – worth confirming
• Her tax and compliance experience is Australian (BAS via the ATO). Familiarity with US payroll taxes and compliance basics was not discussed – worth confirming

Work Schedule

5:00PM to 7:00PM EST, Mon to Fri