Payroll and Benefits Administrator

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

This role will support all three of our organizations: Great States Construction, Great States Development, and Collective, offering a diverse and rewarding opportunity to make a broad impact across construction, real estate development, and property management sectors.

The Payroll & Benefits Administrator is a detail-oriented HR professional responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely execution of payroll and HR/payroll-related compliance functions across multiple entities. This role serves as the primary administrator for payroll operations and employment benefits while supporting leadership with reporting, audits, and regulatory accuracy. The Payroll & Benefits Administrator will report directly to the Human Resources Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll inquiries
• Process bi-weekly and off-cycle payroll accurately and on time, including wages, overtime, bonuses, reimbursements, deductions, and commissions
• Enter and verify employee changes: new hires, terminations, and compensation updates
• Reconcile payroll reports, resolve discrepancies, self-audit every run, and generate standard and ad-hoc reports in partnership with accounting

• Administer garnishments and child support orders

• Support payroll tax filings and audits and prepare annual W-2s
• Maintain payroll records per federal and state retention requirements
• Maintain multi-state tax compliance across ND, SD, MN, MT, and WY: withholding and SUI account setup, reciprocity elections, SUI rate notices, unemployment claims paperwork, and Minnesota Paid Leave premiums and quarterly reporting
• Prepare Davis-Bacon certified payroll (WH-347), verify subcontractor certified payrolls, and administer per diem and travel pay on covered construction projects
• Administer PTO, EIB, and FTO accruals, rollovers, and annual cash-outs
• Process non-standard pay items: imputed income (rent discounts, vehicle personal use) and referral bonus payments

Benefits Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all employee benefits-related inquiries and issue resolutions
• Administer employee benefit programs end-to-end — medical, dental, vision, life, disability, HSA, and FSA — including new hire enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminations
• Drive annual open enrollment execution and employee communications
• Partner with brokers and benefit vendors on plan administration and escalations
• Ensure accurate benefit deductions through payroll and reconcile monthly carrier invoices with accounting
• Proactively evaluate benefits offerings and bring recommendations based on utilization, cost, and market trends
• Maintain benefits documentation, policies, and standard operating procedures
• Administer day-to-day 401(k) operations: contribution files, remittance, deferral changes, and loans
• Track ACA measurement and stability periods and assemble annual 1094-C/1095-C reporting data
• Distribute required annual benefits notices (Medicare Part D, CHIP, SBC, WHCRA)

HR Operations & Systems

• Execute payroll, benefits, and system setup and termination for onboarding and offboarding, including Form I-9 Section 2 verification
• Serve as system administrator for BambooHR, Employee Navigator, and WEX, including quarterly data-integrity audits (leave accruals, withholding locations)
• Track leave hours, route paperwork, and calendar deadlines in support of leave administration
• Additional responsibilities as required to support department objectives

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in HR, Accounting, Finance or related field OR equivalent experience
• 5+ years of payroll administration experience required
  • Commissions payroll administration experience preferred
• Multi-state payroll experience required
• Benefits administration experience required
• Certified payroll (Davis-Bacon) experience preferred
• CPP or FPC certification preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Strong knowledge of payroll laws and compliance requirements
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality
• Proficient in HRIS platforms (BambooHR preferred)
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel
• Self-directed: owns the full payroll and benefits cycle end-to-end with minimal supervision
• Identifies process gaps and compliance risks before they surface, and brings solutions rather than problems
• Sound judgment on what to execute independently versus what to escalate early
• Approachable and responsive: employees at every level feel comfortable raising payroll and benefits questions, and get clear, patient answers

Benefits and Perks

• Health, dental, and vision insurance with an HSA and FSA options
• Supplementary insurance
  • Eligibility the first of the month following 30 days
• 401k with a match of 3% 
• Flexible/Unlimited time off with 9 paid holidays
• Paid volunteer hours
• Professional development opportunities 

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift and/or move 20 pounds
• Occasionally climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl

Work Environment

This position requires regular office hours (8 am – 5pm, M-F) to be maintained along with availability for emergency situations outside of regular office hours.

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER