Payroll and Benefit Specialist

About the role

The Payroll and Benefit Specialist owns the end-to-end payroll process and the recurring audit of payroll-related benefit billing for Empire Marketing Strategies. This exempt role is responsible for planning, administering, auditing, reconciling, and improving payroll and benefit billing processes for a high-volume, multi-state employee population.

Responsibilities

• Own, administer, and continuously improve the end-to-end payroll process, including payroll governance, controls, processing, auditing, reconciliation, reporting, and compliance support.
• Exercise independent judgment to research, evaluate, and resolve significant payroll, tax, garnishment, year-end, deduction, benefit billing, and 401(k) payroll contribution issues.
• Lead recurring benefit deduction and carrier billing audits, partner with internal and external stakeholders, and recommend corrective actions to strengthen payroll accuracy, compliance, vendor billing integrity, and financial controls.

Requirements

• Education and Experience: High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. Minimum of 3 years of payroll processing experience required, including multi-state payroll, payroll tax processing, payroll deductions, reconciliations, garnishments, and year-end payroll activities.
• Required Skills/Abilities: Advanced Microsoft Office skills, strong attention to detail, strong analytical, math, reconciliation, problem-solving, and follow-up skills, excellent organizational, time management, written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer service skills, ability to operate independently, and ability to handle confidential payroll, financial, benefits-related, and employee information with discretion, professionalism, and integrity.

Qualifications

• Equivalent relevant experience considered.
• Experience using Paylocity for payroll processing and HRIS administration strongly preferred.
• Experience reconciling payroll-related benefit deductions, benefit invoices, and 401(k) contribution files preferred.
• Working knowledge of payroll compliance, including federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements, wage and hour requirements, benefit deductions, garnishments, and year-end reporting preferred.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.