Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Overview of Position: Under supervision, Payroll & Benefits Specialist provides essential support to the department by performing a wide range of administrative, compliance, and operational functions. This role is responsible for processing payroll, benefits administration, administering onboarding and offboarding procedures, maintaining accurate employee records, supporting internal communications, and ensuring compliance with applicable federal and California state employment laws. The Payroll & Benefits Specialist exercises a high degree of confidentiality, accuracy, critical thinking, and organizational skills. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Leads the full-cycle payroll process. Processes bi-weekly payroll accurately and on schedule, including reviewing timekeeping data, resolving discrepancies, and obtaining required approvals. Audits payroll for accuracy; coordinates funding, tax filings, and general ledger coding with accounting; and maintains payroll records in compliance with applicable requirements. Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations. Serves as the first point of contact for employee HR inquiries, escalating complex issues to HR management. Supports human resources compliance activities including required reporting, employee development/training tracking, and audit preparation. Schedules candidates for orientation, serves as the primary onboarding point of contact, and coordinates the full onboarding workflow including IT provisioning and relevant departmental notifications. Distributes and processes new hire paperwork and required notices; sets up employees in HRIS with accurate compensation, benefits, and tax data; and ensures timely benefit plan enrollment. Administers employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, CFRA, PDL, ADA accommodations, USERRA, bereavement, and company-sponsored leaves, while serving as the primary point of contact for employees and managers. Issues required notices, maintains leave documentation and HRIS records, coordinates pay treatment with payroll, and responds to correspondence from state agencies and insurance carriers. Partners with managers on return-to-work planning, modified duty, and ADA/FEHA interactive process requirements, and updates practices to remain compliant with changing leave laws. Administers benefit programs in coordination with carriers, brokers, and third-party administrators, including enrollments, qualifying life event changes, terminations, COBRA notifications, and open enrollment activities. Serves as the primary employee resource for benefits questions, claims navigation, education, and communications, and partners with brokers and carriers on plan design and renewals. Maintains benefits compliance and accuracy through monthly audits, invoice reconciliation, ACA tracking, affordability calculations, and reporting support. Administers the full offboarding process for all separations, ensuring final paychecks are issued in compliance with all state labor code timing requirements. Generates and distributes separation documents, coordinates property return and system access deactivation, maintains separation records in HRIS, and conducts or coordinates exit interviews. Maintains complete personnel files in compliance with relevant regulations and manages retention schedules accordingly. Processes and audits all employee changes in HRIS and related systems, verifies proper authorization, and supports internal and external compliance audits with documentation preparation and follow-up. Produces and distributes the monthly HR newsletter and maintains current content on HR intranet pages, bulletin boards, and internal portals, and supports employer branding initiatives including job postings, benefits communications, and employee recognition materials. Maintains required workplace postings and employee notices in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements. Administers the company's drug and alcohol testing programs, coordinating with third-party vendors and maintaining chain-of-custody documentation. Tracks and documents test results confidentially in accordance with company policy and applicable federal and state regulations. Assists with leave of absence and benefit administration as needed. Assists with special HR projects, process improvement initiatives, and other projects as assigned. All other job-related duties as assigned. Requirements Education and Experience Required 2 years in an HR administrative, payroll, benefits, or people operations role that provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Desired College-level coursework in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Related certifications (e.g., Certified Payroll Professional, Professional in Human Resources (PHR), PHR-Ca, SHRM-Certified Professional.) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required Demonstrated knowledge of full-cycle payroll administration, including timekeeping review, wage and deduction calculations, payroll processing, payroll tax and reporting requirements, final pay compliance, reconciliation, recordkeeping, and coordination with HR, accounting, and third-party payroll providers. Demonstrated knowledge of human resources principles and practices, including recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, personnel records, and payroll/HRIS systems, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to create and maintain spreadsheets, mail merges, and formatted documents. Demonstrated communication, customer service, and judgment skills, including the ability to write clearly, communicate HR information effectively, support internal stakeholders, and apply sound reasoning to routine and complex situations. Strong attention to detail, organization, confidentiality, and compliance, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing requirements, identify and address issues proactively, and follow through on commitments with accuracy and professionalism. Ability to travel to field and operational sites as needed; valid California driver’s license and a driving record acceptable to the company’s auto insurance carrier required. Desired Knowledge of Federal DOT drug & alcohol program administration. Environment & Physical Demands Work is primarily conducted indoors within a professional office setting. The temperature and humidity are generally controlled, but conditions can fluctuate. Duties will require repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers; visual acuity for reading computer screens and/or preparing data; communicating with others to exchange information. The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate, with standard office conversations and equipment in use. Light to moderate lifting (up to 20 pounds) of office supplies may be required occasionally. Position may require infrequent trips to field locations where they may be exposed to a range of environmental conditions. Disclaimer The position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. The essential duties, responsibilities and physical requirements above describe those functions that are essential to the performance of this job. The above description does not include all the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by management. Sentinel Peak Resources Management LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. #J-18808-Ljbffr