Payroll & Benefits Administrator

Payroll & Benefits Administrator

We are seeking an experienced Payroll & Benefits Administrator to manage full-cycle biweekly payroll and employee benefits administration. This position is responsible for ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with applicable federal and state wage, tax, benefits, and employment regulations.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on payroll professional with experience independently processing payroll for 100+ employees, administering employee benefits, reconciling payroll and benefit records, managing deductions and garnishments, and maintaining accurate HRIS data.

Experience with ADP Workforce Now is strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Process accurate and timely biweekly payroll for 100+ employees.
• Review and audit employee timecards before each payroll cycle.
• Identify timekeeping discrepancies and coordinate with supervisors and employees to resolve issues before payroll is finalized.
• Maintain employee time and attendance records, paid-time-off accruals, leave balances, and payroll adjustments.
• Process salary changes, bonuses, special payments, retroactive adjustments, deductions, and other payroll transactions.
• Administer voluntary and involuntary payroll deductions, including benefits deductions, garnishments, child support orders, tax levies, and other authorized deductions.
• Prepare and process manual payroll checks when necessary.
• Perform payroll reconciliations for each payroll cycle.
• Reconcile quarterly and annual payroll reports to ensure accuracy.
• Support quarter-end and year-end payroll processing and reporting.
• Coordinate payroll tax filings and required payroll adjustments.
• Maintain complete and accurate payroll records in accordance with regulatory and record-retention requirements.
• Respond to employee questions regarding pay, deductions, taxes, timekeeping, and payroll adjustments.
• Stay current on changes to applicable wage-and-hour and payroll tax requirements.

Payroll Accounting & Reporting

• Prepare payroll-related reports for management, accounting, budgeting, and external reporting purposes.
• Provide payroll information and documentation to the Accounting department for General Ledger reconciliation and reporting.
• Review payroll reports for accuracy and investigate discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll information requested for Workers' compensation, Unemployment compensation, Retirement or pension administration, Department of Labor reporting, Audits, and other regulatory or financial reporting requirements.
• Assist with internal and external payroll audits.

Benefits Administration

• Administer the day-to-day operation of employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, retirement/pension plans, and voluntary benefits.
• Process employee benefit enrollments, terminations, qualifying-life-event changes, and coverage updates.
• Coordinate benefit information and eligibility changes with insurance carriers and benefit providers.
• Review and reconcile benefit vendor invoices and payroll deductions.
• Prepare payment requests for benefit providers as necessary.
• Manage annual Open Enrollment, including employee communications, enrollment assistance, meetings, and benefit deduction reconciliation.
• Conduct new-hire benefits orientations and explain available benefit programs to employees.
• Respond to employee questions regarding benefit eligibility, coverage, deductions, claims, and enrollment.
• Work with benefit carriers and representatives to resolve enrollment and administrative issues.

Leave & Compliance Administration

• Coordinate and administer FMLA, COBRA, leaves of absence, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Maintain documentation associated with employee leaves and benefit eligibility.
• Assist with ACA and Form 1095 reporting and compliance.
• Ensure applicable payroll and benefits activities comply with federal and state requirements.
• Administer I-9 and E-Verify processes and maintain required employment eligibility documentation.

HRIS & Employee Records

• Maintain accurate employee information within the payroll and HRIS system.
• Enter new hires, terminations, compensation changes, benefit elections, deductions, and other employee changes.
• Maintain accurate and current payroll, benefits, and personnel records.
• Review new-hire documentation for accuracy and completeness.
• Protect confidential employee, payroll, compensation, benefits, and personal information.
• Troubleshoot employee payroll and HRIS self-service issues.

Employee & HR Support

• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee payroll and benefits questions.
• Explain payroll and benefits policies and procedures clearly and professionally.
• Prepare employee communications regarding payroll, benefits, open enrollment, regulatory changes, and other HR-related matters.
• Assist with the development and implementation of payroll and benefits policies and procedures.
• Assist with payroll, benefits, and employment-law training as needed.
• Support Human Resources leadership with HR initiatives, projects, employee communications, and special assignments.
• Assist with employee engagement activities and organizational events when needed.
• Perform additional related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on payroll processing experience.
• Demonstrated experience processing payroll for 100+ employees.
• Strong understanding of full-cycle payroll processing.
• Experience reviewing and reconciling timecards, payroll reports, deductions, and payroll adjustments.
• Working knowledge of federal and state wage-and-hour requirements.
• Experience administering garnishments, levies, and other involuntary deductions.
• Experience with payroll reconciliation and payroll-related accounting activities.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax processing and reporting requirements.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and other Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of employee benefits administration experience.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now (ADP WFN).
• Experience administering FMLA, COBRA, ACA, disability, and leaves of absence.
• Experience managing annual benefits Open Enrollment.
• Experience working with General Ledger payroll reconciliation.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Experience supporting payroll and benefits audits.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of payroll processing and payroll best practices.
• Strong knowledge of benefits administration.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to independently audit payroll and identify potential errors before payroll is finalized.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent time-management and organizational abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict payroll deadlines.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality requirements associated with payroll, compensation, benefits, and employee information.
• Ability to interpret payroll reports and identify discrepancies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to explain payroll and benefits information clearly to employees and managers.
• Professional judgment and discretion when handling sensitive employee information.
• Ability to work effectively with employees, managers, Accounting, Human Resources, benefit providers, payroll vendors, and regulatory agencies.
• Ability to adapt to changing payroll, tax, employment, and benefits regulations.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidate will have personally owned the full payroll cycle from timecard review through final payroll reconciliation, rather than simply submitting payroll information to a third-party processor.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience processing payroll for 100 or more employees, using ADP Workforce Now, administering employee benefits, managing garnishments and payroll taxes, reconciling payroll to the General Ledger, and handling Open Enrollment, FMLA, COBRA, ACA, and other benefits compliance requirements.

This position requires someone who is highly accurate, proactive, organized, and comfortable taking ownership of payroll deadlines and resolving payroll or benefits issues from start to finish.