HR Payroll & HR Operations Specialist

1. Title: Payroll & HR Operations Specialist
2. Reports to: Director of HR & GA
3. Department: Human Resources

4. Responsibility Summary
Under the management of the Director of HR & GA, the Payroll & HR Operations Specialist is a key operational role responsible for the company’s payroll, benefits, 401(k), workers’ compensation, and payroll-related HR operations and compliance.
This position ensures that pay for both hourly and salaried employees is accurate and on time, and supports the company’s compliance with federal and multi-state wage, tax, and labor regulations. The role also partners closely with Finance, the HR Manager, and the HR Operations team to maintain payroll accuracy, HR data reliability, and audit readiness.
During the upcoming HR system (HRIS) implementation, the Specialist proactively supports payroll and HR data migration, validation, and testing, contributing to a stable system build and improved operational efficiency.

5. Primary Responsibilities
1) Payroll Operations

• Process payroll accurately and on time for hourly and salaried employees
• Manage pay components including overtime, shift differentials, retro pay, and final pay
• Handle payroll taxes, deductions, garnishments, W-2s, and related tasks
• Support reconciliation of payroll data and the General Ledger (GL) in coordination with Finance
• Investigate and resolve payroll errors and discrepancies
• Support the approval workflow: first-level review by the HR Manager, then final approval by the Director of HR & GA
  
   

2) Benefits & Compensation Operations

• Administer benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D
• Manage PTO and other leave data
• Support Open Enrollment
• Manage 401(k) contributions and support the annual audit
• Process and document compensation changes such as pay changes, promotions, and market adjustments
• Support salary band and job-level pay data management
• Support NJ/NY pay transparency-related pay information management

3) HR Compliance & Audit Support

• Support compliance with federal and state wage & hour law (FLSA)
• Administer workers’ compensation and coordinate with carriers
• Support management of work-authorization (visa) HR documentation
• Manage Living Wage data and support customer and social audit responses
• Support Living Wage analysis and report preparation
• Keep payroll, time & attendance, and HR records audit-ready at all times

4) HR System (HRIS) Implementation

• Participate in the HRIS implementation project
• Migrate, cleanse, and validate payroll and HR data
• Perform User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and parallel testing
• Manage test results and sign-off documentation
• Support system stabilization and continuous improvement

5) HR Operations & Projects

• Collaborate with Finance, the HR Manager, and the HR Operations team
• Support operation of ADP, SharePoint, and other HR systems
• Improve payroll and HR operational processes
• Participate in activities to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, and HR KPIs

6. Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or above (Accounting, Business, HR, or related major preferred)
• 3+ years of experience in Payroll or HR Operations
• Experience with payroll processing and benefits administration
• Understanding of FLSA and wage & hour regulations
• Experience with 401(k) administration or related work
• High accuracy and strong confidentiality
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and HR/payroll systems
• Able to communicate in English and Korean

7. Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using payroll/HRIS systems such as ADP Workforce Now
• Experience with HRIS implementation or payroll data migration
• Multi-state payroll experience
• Workers’ compensation and benefits administration experience
• Manufacturing or Cosmetics/FMCG industry experience
• Living Wage analysis and social audit (SMETA, customer audits, etc.) experience
• Experience using AI-based work tools and digital HR solutions
• Able to communicate in Spanish in addition to English and Korean
• Payroll certifications such as CPP or FPC

8. Compensation & Benefit

• Pay Range: $60,000 – $80,000 per year (final compensation is determined based on experience and capability)
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• PTO (Paid Time Off)
• Company Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with employer match
• Year-End Gift and other company benefits