Payroll & Benefits Analyst

About the role

Support the team by ensuring payroll and benefits programs run smoothly, accurately, and efficiently while providing exceptional service and guidance to employees and leaders.

Responsibilities

• Process bi-weekly payroll accurately and on schedule while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations in partnership with the PEO.
• Partner with the Accounting department to support payroll accruals, account reconciliations, year-end activities, audits, and related financial reporting.
• Investigate and resolve payroll, benefit, and accounting discrepancies through detailed analysis and reconciliation of payroll reports, invoices, vendor statements, and general ledger activity.
• Review and audit employee timekeeping records, payroll transactions, deductions, tax withholdings, and compensation changes, and related payroll data for accuracy.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and audit-ready employee, payroll, and benefits records, supporting documentation, and electronic personnel files while ensuring data integrity and compliances.
• Prepare payroll reports, reconciliations, tax filings, audit documentation as required.
• Develop and maintain training resources for managers related to payroll processing, timekeeping, leave reporting, compensation changes, employee status changes, and other payroll-impacting activities.
• Serve as a system administrator and subject matter expert for payroll, timekeeping, and benefits & leave administration systems.
• Manage enrollments, qualifying life events, eligibility, payroll deductions, employee communications, and ongoing program administration.
• Cook up benefit orientations for new employees, annual Open Enrollment, and year-round employee benefit education sessions.
• Cook up data transfers, eligibility reporting, benefit invoices, and communications with carriers, brokers, retirement plan administrators, vendors, and third-party partners while ensuring accurate records and timely reporting.
• Serve as a primary resource for employees, retirees, vendors, brokers, carriers, and plan administrators regarding payroll, benefits, retirement plans and leave programs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable payroll, benefits, retirement, leave, and employment regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, ACA, EEO-1, OSHA, Form 5500 reporting, and retirement plan testing and audits, unemployment claims, and other required filings and reporting.
• Maintain audit-ready payroll, benefits, and employee records and support internal and external audits.
• Monitor regulatory changes and recommend updates to policies, procedures, systems, and practices as needed.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance payroll and benefits efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and employee experience.
• Maintain payroll and benefits procedures, employee handbook content, intranet resources, and related documentation to ensure information remains current and accurate.
• Participate in compensation, benefits, and HR initiatives, including salary surveys, benefit renewals, special projects and organizational initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal departments and external partners to support organizational goals and deliver high-quality employee programs and services.
• Follow Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) policies and procedures as applicable to the role.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Professional certifications such as PHR, SHRM-CP, CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), CEBS, or equivalent are preferred.
• 2-4 years’ experience in payroll administration, benefits administration, human resources, accounting, or a related field.
• Experience with year-end payroll processing, tax reporting, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Strong technical proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and advanced Microsoft Excel skills such as formulas, lookup functions, pivot tables, data validation, reconciliation analysis, and reporting.
• Experience using HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, leave administration, and employee benefits systems.
• Able and willing to learn new software applications, systems, and technologies.
• Experience interpreting and applying federal and state payroll, benefits, leave, and employment regulations.
• Experience supporting internal and external audits, regulatory reporting, compliance activities, and required filing.

Skills

• Demonstrates exceptional member service while displaying strong communication, active listening and interpersonal skills with a professional demeanor and a high degree of tact and diplomacy.
• Acts as a team player and collaborates effectively with employees, leaders, vendors, brokers, retirement plan administrators, and third-party partners.
• Learns by example with integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Demonstrates an understanding of credit union operations, HR metrics and analytics, payroll administration, employee benefits, retirement plans, leave administration, and applicable employment laws and regulations.
• Possesses strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills with the ability to reconcile complex payroll and benefit transactions, identify discrepancies, analyze data, and recommend effective solutions.
• Demonstrates proficiency in auditing, reconciliation, and data validation processes.
• Works independently while effectively managing multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities, business needs, and regulatory requirements.
• Shows initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to communicate complex payroll and benefit information clearly and effectively to employees, retirees, managers, and external partners.
• Demonstrates a continuous improvement mindset by identifying opportunities to improve processes, operational efficiency, and the employee experience.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands

• Continuous sitting.
• Occasional walking and standing.
• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Occasional bending or reaching for supplies on ground level.
• Occasional reaching above shoulder level for supplies overhead.
• Frequent repetitive use of hands such as simple grasping, twisting/turning of wrists, and finger dexterity to perform various accounting duties - 10 key calculator, keyboarding and entering data into the computer system.
• Frequent speaking, listening, and hearing for interaction with staff, and the public.
• Occasional clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.
• Frequent clarity of vision at 20 feet or more.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.

Expected Hours Of Work

Longer hours, evenings and weekend work may be necessary.

Travel

This position requires 20% travel, to different locations, departments and branches.