About the Role

I run a residential mortgage branch in San Diego, California. I'm looking for a detail-oriented bookkeeper to take over my monthly commission reconciliation, external loan officer payouts, and QuickBooks Online setup and maintenance. This is a long-term position with predictable monthly work. I have a comprehensive handoff document (12 sections, includes worked examples) and an existing tracking spreadsheet, so you won't be building from scratch. I value reliability, accuracy, and clear communication over speed. Realistic Time Commitment Most of the work is concentrated in week one of each month when payroll comes in. Here's what to expect: Setup phase (first 4-6 weeks): 8-12 hours/week as you learn the system and get QuickBooks dialed in Steady state: 5-8 hours/week, mostly concentrated around payroll cycles Month-end: 1-2 extra hours for summary reports If you bill more than this consistently after the setup phase, we'll talk about whether the work is genuinely there or if something needs to change in the workflow. What You'll Be Doing Reconciling weekly payroll from our parent mortgage company against closing disclosures and lock confirmations Calculating commission splits across multiple loan officers using established formulas Tracking external payments to sub-loan officers, processors, and assistants Setting up and maintaining QuickBooks Online for the branch Categorizing income and expenses, reconciling bank statements Flagging payroll discrepancies for me to dispute with our payroll lead Preparing month-end summaries Maintaining a Google Sheet tracker Required Skills 3+ years bookkeeping experience with US clients QuickBooks Online proficient (ProAdvisor certification preferred but not required) Strong Excel and Google Sheets skills (formulas, SUMIF, pivot tables) Excellent written English Attention to detail (this work involves reconciling dollar amounts to the cent) Comfortable working independently with established procedures Available for at least 2-3 hours of overlap with US Pacific Time Nice to Have (Not Required) US mortgage industry experience (rare, won't filter you out if missing) Real estate bookkeeping background Familiarity with Arive, Encompass, or other Loan Origination Systems Experience with payroll dispute documentation What I'll Provide Complete handoff document explaining how mortgage commissions work (no prior mortgage knowledge needed) Working spreadsheet with all current data Direct access to our payroll system and closing disclosures 1-2 hours of training calls in the first week Reliable, on-time weekly payments via Upwork What I'm Looking For in a Candidate Someone who reads instructions carefully and follows them Someone who flags issues rather than guessing Someone who asks good questions when something doesn't add up Someone who's looking for a stable long-term role at consistent weekly hours Looking forward to working with the right person.