Benefits and Payroll Manager

As the world’s largest non-theatrical distributor of movies, Swank partners with top studios like Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., and Paramount to bring Hollywood entertainment to audiences beyond traditional theaters. Founded in 1937 and headquartered in St. Louis, the company delivers licensed film content to colleges, K–12 schools, hospitals, cruise lines, libraries, and many other unique venues worldwide.

The Benefits & Payroll Manager oversees employee benefits administration, payroll processing, and HRIS integrity. This role ensures compliance with company policies and federal/state regulations while driving process improvements to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.

This position is responsible for maintaining accurate employee benefits, and payroll data in UKG Ready and supporting effective use of the system for HR, payroll, benefits, reporting, and workforce management. The Manager also administers FMLA, LOA, and Worker’s Compensation claims while coordinating COBRA processing with a third-party administrator, ensuring efficient data management.

This role collaborates with internal teams and external vendors to maintain compliance and support organizational growth through effective systems and processes.

Responsibilities:

Payroll Management

• Oversee and process semi-monthly payroll using UKG Ready, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely wage payments
• Ensure compliance with wage laws, tax regulations, and company policies
• Manage garnishments, deductions, and tax withholdings
• Collaborate with Finance on payroll reporting, audits, and reconciliation
• Submit 401(k) uploads and compliance reports promptly

Benefits Administration

• Manage employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, FSA, disability, wellness initiatives, and retirement plans
• Serve as the primary contact for benefits inquiries, enrollment, and claims resolution
• Partner with brokers and providers to assess, recommend, and implement cost-effective benefits
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, HIPAA, and other regulations
• Lead annual benefits open enrollment, including communication, system setup, and employee education
• Oversee new hire benefit enrollment, status changes, and terminations
• Conduct monthly audits to ensure benefit carrier accuracy and compliance

HRIS Management

• Maintain and optimize the HRIS system (UKG Ready) for data integrity and efficiency
• Act as system administrator, troubleshooting issues, managing upgrades, and training HR team members
• Generate reports, dashboards, and analytics for HR and leadership decision-making
• Lead HRIS projects, including system enhancements, upgrades, and integrations
• Serve as the liaison between HR, IT, external vendors, and stakeholders
• Manage permissions, access, personalization, and data integrity for HRIS
• Provide HRIS technical support and conduct system audits for compliance

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws related to benefits, payroll, and HR technology
• Conduct quarterly audits of payroll, benefits, and HRIS data for accuracy
• Prepare reports and documentation for internal/external audits, payroll tax filings, and benefits compliance
• Provide salary reports to the Vice President of Human Resources and ensure regulatory compliance

Employee Onboarding, Support & Documentation

• Oversee new hire orientation and onboarding
• Develop employee education programs on payroll, benefits enrollment, and HR system usage
• Resolve payroll, benefits, and HRIS-related inquiries professionally and efficiently
• Communicate policy updates and ensure employees understand compensation and benefits options
• Maintain employee files, including I-9 records and E-Verify processing
• Ensure proper document destruction per company guidelines

Project Management

• Plan, assign, monitor, and evaluate HR projects to ensure successful completion
• Assist in developing and implementing company policies and procedures, communicating them effectively to employees

Key Performance Metrics

• Accuracy and timeliness in submissions and processing
• Accuracy in benefits data (enrollment, changes, terminations) and employee satisfaction with benefits (measured through surveys)
• Employee data accuracy within HRIS and completion of HRIS audits
• Compliance with payroll and benefits-related regulations and timely submission of compliance reports
• Average processing time for claims and accuracy in claims processing
• Timeline completion of new hire documentation and benefits enrollment and new hire satisfaction with the onboarding process
• Accuracy in employee files

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in UKG Ready and related HRIS, payroll, and benefits administration tools
• Advanced knowledge of payroll processing, tax regulations, and compliance requirements
• Strong understanding of benefits administration, including ACA, FMLA, COBRA, and ERISA
• Experience with payroll and benefits reporting, data analytics, and audits
• Expertise in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and financial modeling
• Familiarity with HR metrics and analytics for data-driven decision-making
• Ability to troubleshoot HRIS and payroll system issues effectively
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to support system enhancements, upgrades, and process improvements

• BA or BS degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field is preferred
• 3-5 + years in benefit and payroll administration preferred
• 2 years of experience with UKG Ready, including payroll processing preferred
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with attention to detail
• High proficiency with MS Office Suite, particularly Excel
• Ability to maintain confidential information and work in a team environment
• Customer service focus and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Experience with the UKG Ready platform is preferred, including HRIS functionality, payroll, performance management, and benefits administration

 EOE, including disability/vets

• Comprehensive compensation and healthcare packages, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance products 
• 401(k) plan with employer match 
• Competitive paid time off: vacation, personal time, holidays, and winter break 
• Company sponsored volunteer & community outreach opportunities 
• Organizational growth potential through our company sponsored online learning platform