Data Entry Associate

The Organization:  Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs, driving an average wage gain of $24k three months or more after completing the program. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners. 

Role Overview 

The central mission of the Data Entry Associate is to ensure the smooth and efficient administration of learner payments, including acting as the primary contact to answer internal and external questions regarding payments, supporting data analysis and reporting, and supporting ongoing process improvement for Merit America's learner financing program.  

The Data Entry Associate is a non-exempt position and will report to the Learner Financing Manager and work primarily with the Admissions and Program Team across Merit America.

Interested in learning more?  We will be hosting an info session on Thursday, June 12th at 3:00pm EST.  Click here to RSVP.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Data Entry Associate will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Learner Payment Communications & Operations (70%)

• Handle all internal and external communication related to learner payments, including emails and video calls.
• Support with the administrative tasks to ensure all learners have a form of payment prior to starting Merit America’s programs
• Document technical processes related to payment systems and maintain workflow procedures. 
• Assist in troubleshooting learner payment issues efficiently, document them and resolve them promptly.
• Work cross-functionally with Merit America's Admissions and Program Team to facilitate smooth transitions between program phases and repayment.
• Assist with training, onboarding, and development of any updates to Learner Financing.
• Proactively identify and flag challenges, and support interventions to address them. 
• Ensure that all partnership information is accurately represented on learners' records.

Learner Payment Data & Reporting (30%)

• Ensure accurate tracking of learner payments, refunds, and denials, including data audits in Salesforce for reporting accuracy
• Track basic fund metrics and maintain performance monitoring documentation related to learner financing
• Support in comprehensive and insightful reports on Learner Financing performance for the Executive Team and key stakeholders.
• Escalating all data and systems issues to the Learner Financing Manager
• Work with internal teams across departments to track success indicators and share a monthly update with the broader Merit America teams.

Skills and Competencies

We recognize that individuals from marginalized backgrounds, including women, people of color, and those with disabilities, are often less likely to apply when they don’t meet 100% of the job qualifications. Don’t let that be the reason you miss out on this opportunity! We want to emphasize that your unique skills, experiences, and perspectives are valuable, and we encourage you to apply if you can demonstrate many of the skills and competencies. Below are the skills that are relevant for thriving in this role:

Must Haves: 

System Optimization & Analytics

• Highly adept at handling large financial datasets and complex payment schedules
• Strong problem-solving skills; consistently looking for ways to anticipate and solve problems efficiently and innovatively and to optimize performance
• Incredible attention to detail and a proven ability to identify errors
• Process-driven, with operational skills to establish and optimize efficient workflows

Financial Operations

• Ability and willingness to flag potential errors or roadblocks, especially those with a financial impact

Stakeholder Management

• Ability to work effectively across teams and stakeholders, including with frontline coaching staff
• Strong communication skills that effectively convey clear, consistent information with compassion
• Ability to listen actively to learners and staff during calls to understand and address their concerns effectively
• Ability to work with some level of ambiguity and be adept with change management

Mission & Values Alignment

• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in understanding and addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Nice to Have: 

• Experience in data entry, accounting or customer service involving financial tracking and reconciliation
• Experience in customer service - emailing and calling customers 

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Location:  Remote
• Salary: $58,000

We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits: 

• 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
• Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
• Education & personal development reimbursement
• Catalog of courses for professional learning and development
• Short and long-term disability
• Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
• 11 federally recognized holidays
• 1 week office closure in July (week of July 4th)
• 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
• Wellness Benefits/Wellness Resources
• Discount perks at work program
• Phone/technology stipend
• Home office setup stipend
• Affinity groups and community building via virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups

*Eligibility for some benefits may vary based on employment status, full-time or part-time. Eligibility will be outlined during the hiring process.

Remote Work & Sponsorship

Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Still excited about our work?  You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.

Fair Chance Ordinance

Applicants who have arrest or conviction records and are in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be considered in accordance with the state’s fair chance ordinance law. Employment under the ordinance includes part-time work, seasonal work, contract work, contingent work, work on commission, and work through the services of a temporary or employment agency.

E-Verify Statement

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.