Payroll & Benefits Specialist

As Chemring Energetic Devices (CED) celebrates 50 years of building products that protect our country, protect the individual warfighter, and send rockets into outer space, our growth is creating new opportunities to expand our team with talented individuals who want to shape the next era of mission-critical innovation. CED is well situated in Downers Grove, Illinois — a commuter train ride west of Chicago and a short drive from farmland.

About the role

This role performs critical operational tasks to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, while maintaining and protecting sensitive data according to established protocols and company audit standards.

Responsibilities

• Administer full-cycle payroll processing across multiple pay groups, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
• Maintain and audit employees pay data including earnings, deductions, tax setups, direct deposits, and wage adjustments
• Monitor payroll workflows, troubleshoot discrepancies, and resolve pay issues in partnership with employees and managers
• Reconcile payroll reports, validate taxing authorities, and prepare routine payroll documentation for finance purposes
• Oversee garnishment setup, remittance, and compliance with court orders and agency requirements
• Support year-end payroll reconciliations and activities, including W-2 verification and 1095C
• Serve as backup to company’s timekeeping review process; escalates issues to HR leadership for review
• Maintain pre-hire onboarding process for external hires and internal transfers
• Monitor for system errors, workflow issues, and data integrations between HR, payroll, benefits, and timekeeping systems; escalates systems issues to HR leadership for review and resolution
• Maintain system workflows, templates, and automation that support payroll HRIS and recruiting efficiencies
• Build and maintain payroll-related dashboards and scheduled reports; ensure consistent, clean data across platforms
• In collaboration with additional HR staff, coordinates day-to-day benefit operations including enrollments, changes, eligibility, and status updates across company-sponsored health and welfare plans; provide operational support for life events and benefit processing
• Assist with plan renewals, open enrollment activities, communication materials, and compliance reporting
• Generate reports for annual audits, such as EEO compliance and 401k recordkeeping, active headcount, and other data insights as directed
• Comply with government and corporate laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures
• Ensures 100% compliance with the Chemring Operational Framework, Code of Conduct and U.S. Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
• Other duties / responsibilities as assigned by HR leadership

Requirements

• Associate degree in Human Resources, Business, Accounting, or a related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience
• Ability to obtain a payroll certification within two years of placement
• Minimum 3 years of experience processing multi-state payroll in an engineering / manufacturing environment
• Minimum 3 years of experience in operational administration of health and wellness benefits and 401(k) recordkeeping strongly preferred
• Lawful US person (ITAR restriction)
• Must be eligible to possess explosives under the Safe Explosives Act of 2003 (as amended) as required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for all employees of Chemring Energetic Devices

Skills

• Effectively work in an environment of shifting priorities while complying with critical processing deadlines
• Solid interpersonal skills with ability to easily communicate, interact, influence, and build relationships with others
• High degree of integrity and trustworthiness
• Exhibits exceptional attention to detail with a methodical approach to processing and auditing payroll and benefit transactions to ensure 100% compliance; accurately maintain records for audit purposes
• Possesses strong critical-thinking skills and solid proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (namely Excel and Word)
• Extensive experience with HRIS and timekeeping platforms (e.g. Paylocity / Kronos)
• Demonstrates exceptional written and verbal communication skills alongside a highly professional demeanor, acting as a positive representative of the organization across all internal and external interactions

Physical Requirements

• Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects, weighing up to 20 pounds occasionally and/or a negligible amount of weight frequently
• Involves sitting much of the time but will involve walking or standing for brief periods of time
• Routine and extensive use of computer

Pay

CED's current salary range for this role is $32.00 to $42.50 per hour. At CED, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions may vary based upon, but not limited to education, skills, experience, proficiency, performance, shift, location and geography. In addition to base salary, the total compensation package may also include participation in a bonus, commission or incentive program.

Schedule

CED follows a 9/80 work schedule allowing employees to enjoy alternating Fridays off.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Paid time off
• Disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Life insurance and other voluntary supplemental insurance coverages
• Parental leave
• Adoption assistance
• Tuition assistance
• Employer/partner discounts