Payroll and Benefits Administrator

Tehachapi, California | Full time | $70,000–$80,000 annually, depending on experience

About Altair

Altair Energy Services supports wind, solar and energy storage projects throughout North America. Our team delivers field services, technical solutions, project execution, commissioning, maintenance and operational support to leading energy companies.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced payroll and benefits professional who takes ownership, anticipates issues and builds reliable processes as we grow. You will own payroll and day-to-day benefits administration for office employees and traveling field technicians residing across approximately 20 states, often working outside their home state. You will partner closely with Operations, Finance and Human Resources.

We need someone who understands what is behind the numbers, asks the right questions and follows issues through to resolution. You should be comfortable identifying compliance risks, investigating discrepancies and fixing the underlying process. Strong hands-on ADP experience is highly preferred.

What You Will Own

Payroll accuracy and compliance

• Own payroll from time-record review through processing, reconciliation and follow-up, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.

• Review time records, pay rates, overtime, deductions, reimbursements, per diem, bonuses and adjustments. Resolve discrepancies with managers before payroll is finalized.

• Apply federal and applicable state and local payroll requirements for a traveling workforce whose employees may live and work in different states. Identify withholding, reciprocity and wage and hour issues; coordinate with HR, Finance, ADP or outside advisers as needed.

• Maintain accurate payroll system records and coordinate new state registrations and payroll setup with the appropriate partners when employees begin working in additional states.

• Reconcile payroll reports, deductions and tax information; coordinate with Finance on accounting entries, year-end reporting and issue resolution with ADP.

• Maintain organized, audit-ready records and support prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements when applicable.

Benefits administration and employee support

• Guide new employees through benefits eligibility, plan information, enrollment steps and deadlines during onboarding. Confirm elections are entered correctly and coverage is in place.

• Administer enrollments, qualifying life events and terminations; coordinate open enrollment and employee communications with HR, brokers and carriers.

• Reconcile benefit deductions and carrier invoices, investigate discrepancies and correct errors promptly.

• Coordinate continuation coverage notices and benefit changes associated with leaves or departures with HR and plan administrators.

• Serve as an approachable, trusted resource for employees. Handle questions involving pay, benefits, medical information and personal circumstances with empathy, professionalism and discretion; follow through to resolution.

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Process Improvement and Accountability

• Look ahead at payroll deadlines, employee changes and project locations to identify issues before they affect pay, coverage or compliance.

• Investigate recurring errors, identify root causes and implement practical fixes. Document procedures, checkpoints and responsibilities so the process is consistent and repeatable.

• Use payroll system capabilities, reporting and Excel to strengthen accuracy, reduce manual work and improve visibility.

• Raise concerns early, recommend solutions and keep the right people informed. Own corrections and verify that they are completed.

• Partner with Operations, Finance and HR to improve time reporting, onboarding and the flow of employee information.

• Allocate billable employee time to customer projects and reconcile project coding and hours with Operations and Finance. Resolve discrepancies and provide accurate supporting records to the core Finance team for customer billing.

What You Bring

• At least five years of progressive payroll experience, including independent ownership of payroll processing, reconciliation and problem resolution.

• Demonstrated hands-on benefits administration experience, including new-hire enrollment, eligibility tracking, payroll deductions and coordination with brokers or carriers.

• Strong multistate payroll experience, including employees who live and work in different states. Working knowledge of state withholding, reciprocity and varying wage and hour requirements, including California.

• A record of identifying payroll or benefits risks and implementing improvements that strengthen accuracy and compliance.

• Strong payroll system skills and the ability to validate system outputs, investigate exceptions and work effectively with the provider to resolve issues.

• Strong Excel skills, including reconciliations and analysis of payroll and benefits data.

• Sound judgment, dependable follow-through and the ability to manage deadlines while communicating clearly with employees and managers.

• A commitment to integrity and confidentiality, with the discretion to safeguard payroll, financial, medical and personal information and share it only with those who need it for their role.

Strongly Preferred

• Recent, substantial experience in ADP, including payroll processing, employee setup, deductions, reporting and troubleshooting. Experience with ADP benefits administration tools is a plus.

• Experience supporting hourly, traveling or field-based employees in energy, construction or field services.

• Experience with prevailing wage requirements and certified payroll reporting.

• Certified Payroll Professional or Fundamental Payroll Certification, or relevant education in accounting, business or human resources.

What Success Looks Like

Employees are paid correctly, benefits are effective when expected and recurring problems are resolved. Employees trust you to provide clear answers, follow through and handle sensitive matters with discretion.

Why Join Altair

Join a growing renewable energy services company that values accountability, teamwork and initiative. We offer competitive compensation and benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, paid time off and a 401(k) with company match.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Altair Energy Services is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application and hiring process.