Principal Account Clerk (Operations)-INTERNAL ONLY, Salem Public Schools, Salem, MA [SY2026-2027]

Principal Account Clerk (Operations)-INTERNAL ONLY, Salem Public Schools, Salem, MA [SY2026-2027]

About Salem Public Schools, where belonging leads to opportunity.

Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district enrolling nearly 4,000 students in 10 schools. Our vision is to ensure that all students will be locally engaged, globally connected, and fully prepared to thrive in a diverse and changing world. We hold dear our core values of belonging, equity, and opportunity in everything we do. We seek individuals who are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement for all students, regardless of ability, economic status, gender/gender identity, language, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other backgrounds. We invite you to learn more about our strategic plan and core priorities on our website at https://salemk12.org/.

What You’ll Do:

Provides administrative support and leadership for Operations departments, including Food & Nutrition Services and Facilities and Grounds Departments. As a key member of these teams, this person is responsible for all accounting processes, including managing accounts payable/receivable, invoicing for events (catering & rentals), preparing payroll, verifying invoices, reconciling accounts in MUNIS and preparing monthly, quarterly and year end reports and compliance documents. This person is the first point of contact for Food & Nutrition Services and Facilities and Grounds Departments, including answering calls and inquiries from internal and external stakeholders. 

Other duties include: preparing grant reports, supporting employee scheduling (managing overtime, finding coverage staff absences), general office work, other duties as assigned.  

Key areas of responsibility:

• Verifying and paying all invoices weekly through the city’s accounts system
• Managing/tracking invoices
• Scheduling vendor visits
• Supporting uniform purchase & reimbursement
• Preparing regular reports and compliance documents
• Invoicing for rentals, catering and other services
• Preparing deposits
• Regularly Reconciling accounts 
• Soliciting quotes as needed; implementing required procurements
• Maintaining records and documentation related to purchases and acquisitions, grants, personnel, etc.
• Managing expenditure sheets, PNLs, and department budgets 
• Supporting the preparation of the department budgets
• Providing administrative support to ensure accurate and up to date contracts with vendors
• Generating monthly financial reports which benchmark spending categories year over year. 
• Reporting monthly claims, and preparing Monthly Meals Tax 
• Communicating with distinct and  city finance office on a regular basis; attending regular meetings with other clerks and finance staff; attending monthly Operations meetings
• Answering phones, greeting visitors, providing support to SPS staff
• Supporting weekly payroll reconciliation
• Assisting Operations staff & leadership  in other tasks, as required 

Consults and regularly works with:

• Head Cooks & Senior Custodians
• Custodial Foreperson 
• Finance, Payroll, & Grants staff
• District Leadership
• City Departments, including Finance, Fire & Police Departments, DPW, Mayor’s Office, etc.

Qualifications

• Associate’s required, or Bachelor’s Degree (preferably in Business or Accounting) or equivalent
• Minimum of two years of account payable/ receivable experience 
• Solid understanding of accounting systems
• Proficiency with Google suite required, fluency with Excel a plus 
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• MUNIS experience a plus
• Ability to keep confidentiality required
• Excellent problem solving, organizational and communication (including telephone) skills 
• Ability to take direction and work as a team and independently
• Strong sense of customer service
• Bilingual (Spanish or Portuguese) preferred 
• Must pass a CORI check
• Ability to meet deadlines 

Job Environment

• Work is generally performed indoors, with occasional exposure to rain, snow, heat, and cold weather conditions when traveling between school buildings
• Frequently operates office equipment including computers and calculators 
• Makes frequent contact with other school, city, state, or county personnel, as well as contractors and vendors. 

Work Year: The Principal Account Clerk works a full-time, full-year (260-day) work year. Please visit www.salemk12.org to view the 2025-26 district and/or school calendar.

Salary: Compensation for Account Clerks in the Salem Public Schools are determined by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) collective bargaining agreement.

Benefits: The City of Salem offers all full-time employees Group Insurance Commission (GIC) benefits. Click here for more information about our health benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Salem Public School District is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.