Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Job Title: Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Division: Virtual Supply

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: HR Manager FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Prepared By: N. Grebe - HR

Prepared/Revised Date: September 2026

Job Summary

The Payroll and Benefits Specialist is responsible for accurate, timely payroll processing and day-to-day benefits administration for employees across three affiliated companies and up to 13 states. The role supports a workforce of approximately 200 employees, maintains payroll and benefit records, reconciles payroll activity, responds to employee questions, and partners with Human Resources, Finance, managers, brokers, carriers, and payroll vendors. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following; other duties may be assigned.

• Process and validate full-cycle payroll for three affiliated companies, including regular and off-cycle payrolls, earnings, deductions, taxes, direct deposits, garnishments, bonuses, commissions, final pay, and other special payments.
• Administer payroll using company-designated payroll and HRIS platforms while maintaining accurate employee, pay, tax, deduction, direct-deposit, timekeeping, and organizational data.
• Review time and attendance records, identify missing or inconsistent information, coordinate corrections with managers, and ensure payroll deadlines are met.
• Reconcile payroll registers, general-ledger reports, tax liabilities, benefit deductions, retirement contributions, and other payroll-related accounts; research and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Coordinate payroll funding, reporting, and approval workflows with Human Resources and Finance while maintaining clear separation of duties and audit documentation.
• Own multi-state payroll administration for employees working in up to 13 states, including registrations, withholding, unemployment, wage-and-hour requirements, required notices, and coordination with internal and external resources.
• Manage quarter-end and year-end payroll activities, including W-2 review, taxable fringe benefits, payroll adjustments, reconciliations, and vendor deliverables.
• Administer employee benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations for medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, flexible spending, health savings, and other benefit programs.
• Audit carrier invoices and payroll deductions, reconcile eligibility files, resolve enrollment and billing discrepancies, and coordinate corrections with employees, brokers, carriers, and payroll vendors.
• Support annual open enrollment, new-hire enrollment, qualifying life events, employee communications, system configuration, testing, and benefit-plan documentation.
• Serve as a knowledgeable first point of contact for employee and manager questions regarding pay, timekeeping, taxes, deductions, and benefits; protect confidential information and provide timely, service-oriented follow-through.
• Prepare employee census files and recurring and ad hoc payroll and benefits reports for Human Resources, Finance, leadership, auditors, brokers, carriers, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain payroll and benefits procedures, calendars, controls, records, and retention practices; identify and implement improvements that increase accuracy, efficiency, consistency, and employee understanding.
• Travel to the Oklahoma location approximately 30% of working time, with cadence adjusted around payroll cycles, open enrollment, year-end, training, and business needs.
• Support payroll tax registrations, quarterly and annual filings, and year-end reporting, including W-2 and Form 1095-C preparation and reconciliation in coordination with payroll vendors and internal partners.
• Administer employee leave programs and coordinate payroll and benefits impacts in accordance with federal, state, and company requirements.
• Maintain HRIS user access, workflows, forms, reports, employee data changes, and system troubleshooting across supported platforms.
• Support onboarding, employee orientation, and separations, including I-9 verification and training on timekeeping, payroll, benefits, and employee self-service tools.
• Maintain accurate personnel and payroll records, process employment verifications, conduct recurring data-integrity reviews, and protect confidential employee and compensation information.
• Contribute to Human Resources projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Payroll Accuracy and Ownership: Delivers complete, accurate, and timely payrolls through disciplined reviews, reconciliations, controls, and follow-through.
• Benefits Administration: Understands eligibility, enrollment, deductions, carrier files, billing, and employee support across multiple benefit programs.
• Multi-State Compliance: Applies federal, state, and local payroll and benefits requirements and recognizes when specialized guidance is needed.
• Systems Acumen: Uses payroll and HRIS platforms, timekeeping tools, carrier portals, and reporting functions effectively.
• Analytical Thinking: Identifies discrepancies, traces root causes, reconciles data across systems, and documents sound resolutions.
• Confidentiality and Judgment: Handles sensitive payroll, medical, financial, and personal information with discretion.
• Employee Service: Explains complex pay and benefit matters clearly and closes the loop on questions.
• Organization and Deadline Management: Coordinates multiple calendars, deadlines, entities, systems, and travel commitments without loss of accuracy.
• Collaboration: Builds productive relationships with Human Resources, Finance, managers, employees, vendors, brokers, and carriers.
• Continuous Improvement: Creates documentation and improves controls, workflows, reporting, and service consistency.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities. The role may provide payroll and benefits training, process guidance, and functional coordination to managers and employees across company locations.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Education and/or Experience

Associate degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred; minimum 3 years of full-cycle payroll experience, including multi-state payroll and benefits administration; or a combination of education and experience.

Experience supporting multiple legal entities and 150 or more employees strongly preferred. Five or more years of payroll or related accounting experience and experience working with payroll or HRIS platforms are preferred.

Language Skills

Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with employees, managers, internal stakeholders, brokers, carriers, payroll and HRIS vendors, and other business partners through verbal and written correspondence and virtual interactions.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to calculate and validate gross-to-net pay, rates, percentages, taxes, deductions, accruals, retroactive payments, benefit premiums, and reconciliations. Proficient with spreadsheets, payroll registers, invoices, reports, and financial data.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to evaluate information from multiple systems, prioritize competing deadlines, exercise sound judgment, identify discrepancies, and resolve routine and complex payroll, benefits, leave, and HRIS issues with limited guidance.

Computer and Software Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including intermediate to advanced Excel skills (required).
• Experience using a payroll or HRIS platform required; experience with ADP Workforce Now and Dayforce highly preferred.
• Familiarity with timekeeping systems, benefit carrier portals, electronic records, reporting, and HRIS workflow administration.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration

Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), or similar credential preferred. Valid driver license and ability to travel by air required.

Work Environment

This role operates in a primarily office-based environment, with low to moderate, consistent background noise typical of an active workplace.

The position may require occasional interaction within warehouse or operational areas, where noise levels can be higher due to equipment and ongoing activity. Closed-toe shoes are required when entering warehouse areas in accordance with safety guidelines.

Work Schedule and Travel

This is a Beaverton-based position with one work-from-home day per week. Thursday is not available as the work-from-home day. Approximately 30% overnight travel is expected, primarily to the Oklahoma worksite, with additional travel based on payroll, open enrollment, year-end, training, and business needs.

Vision Requirements

This role requires close and distance vision for computer work, reading documents, reviewing payroll and benefits data, and navigating shared office or operational spaces. The position also requires depth perception and the ability to adjust focus between near and far objects.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.