Manager, Payroll & Benefits

Overview

This position is responsible for administering, maintaining compliance for, and continuously improving the organization’s payroll, employee benefits, compensation, leave management, and HR operations. The role ensures accurate and timely payroll processing, benefits administration, employee lifecycle management, and HR reporting, while serving as a trusted subject matter expert for employees, management, and external vendors.

Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Prepare and process multi-state semi-monthly payroll for two companies, ensuring accurate calculation of wages, tax withholdings, deductions, and compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour regulations.
• Oversee payroll system administration, including earnings and deduction codes, general ledger configuration, reporting, and system maintenance.
• Manage payroll reconciliations, year-end processing (W-2s), workers’ compensation reporting, garnishments, and payroll record retention.
• Generate semi-monthly payroll general ledger files for upload into accounting systems and prepare month-end payroll reports for Finance.
• Advise Human Resources and management on payroll tax implications, including new state registrations, local tax requirements, fringe benefits, and other payroll-related matters.
• Ensure compliance with payroll tax regulations and coordinate timely filing and payment of federal, state, and local payroll taxes.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll-related inquiries and resolve employee and management concerns.

Benefits Administration

• Administer and oversee health and welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation, and equity compensation plans.
• Ensure benefit plan administration complies with plan documents and applicable federal and state regulations, including HIPAA, ACA, ERISA, COBRA.
• Manage the organization’s annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting process, ensuring compliance with all IRS filing requirements.
• Coordinate annual open enrollment, including vendor selection, employee communications, enrollment materials, and system updates.
• Manage employee benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, and reconciliation with third-party insurance providers.
• Coordinate with insurance brokers, carriers, retirement plan administrators, and other external vendors.
• Prepare benefit cost analyses and support management with benefits planning and decision-making.
• Support annual audits and regulatory reporting, including 401(k) audits, HR audits, workers’ compensation audits, and other required filings.
• Serve as the primary contact for employee benefit questions and issue resolution.
• Other duties as assigned.

Compensation Administration

• Develop and distribute annual total compensation statements.
• Maintain confidential compensation data and prepare compensation reports for management.

Employee Lifecycle Administration

• Manage payroll and benefits onboarding processes for new employees.
• Coordinate new hire system access and onboarding activities with internal departments.
• Administer employment verifications, unemployment claims, and related employment documentation.
• Coordinate employee offboarding, including final pay processing, benefits termination, COBRA administration, and separation documentation.

Leave and Time Management

• Administer FMLA, ADA accommodations, company leave programs, state disability leaves, and other protected leaves of absence.
• Manage and maintain employee timekeeping systems, PTO tracking, and leave balances.
• Review and monitor non-exempt employee timesheets to ensure compliance with wage and hour requirements.
• Coordinate leave administration with employees, managers, and third-party administrators as appropriate.

HR Information Systems & Reporting

• Maintain accurate employee records across HRIS, payroll, benefits, and related company systems.
• Update employee records including job titles, compensation grades, organizational changes, and benefit elections.
• Prepare payroll, workforce, compensation, and employment reports for management, financial reporting, grants, audits, and regulatory agencies.
• Develop and maintain payroll, benefits, and HR operational procedures and documentation.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor changes in federal, state, and local employment, payroll, tax, and benefits regulations.
• Recommend and implement process improvements, policies, and procedures to enhance operational efficiency and compliance.
• Participate in special projects involving HR operations, compliance initiatives, audits, system implementations, and organizational process improvements.
• Partner with leadership to ensure HR operational practices align with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll, benefits administration, and HR operations.
• Extensive experience processing multi-state payroll.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations, FLSA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, ERISA, FMLA, and applicable federal and state employment laws, with significant hands-on experience.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, and accounting systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with Paylocity & NetSuite.
• FPC, CPP, SHRM-CP, or PHR certification.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range at commencement of employment: $98,000 to $123,000/year (base pay may vary depending on individualized factors including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience).
• Employer-paid benefits include health, disability, and life insurance.
• 401(k) savings plan with employer match.
• Flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care and transportation).
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Paid time off.
• EAP program.

Additional employment terms provided:

• This role is an “at-will position,” and base salary (and other discretionary payment or compensation programs) may be modified at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, organizational performance, or market factors.
• E-Verify is used to validate all new hires’ ability to legally work in the United States, and new hires may be subject to a background check.

Location

• Remote within the Eastern Time Zone is considered.
• Preference for candidates in the Philadelphia, PA area to allow for occasional team-based face-to-face interactions.
• If a remote employee is selected, travel will be occasionally required to the Philadelphia headquarters for staff meetings.

Equal Opportunity

• Equal Opportunity Employer. No discrimination in hiring or employment practices based on race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, non-job-related disability, or status as a veteran.

Compliance Notice (Affiliate Code of Ethics)

• An affiliate entity is referenced as a state-registered investment adviser with a Code of Ethics that includes personal reporting and other requirements and disclosures of personal financial and/or securities transactions information for certain individuals; reporting may extend to household members.