Director & Payroll

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee‑owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Fargo, ND

Final date to receive applications:
Posted Until Filled

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed Final date to receive applications. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

The Director of Benefits and Payroll is a strategic, hands‑on leader who owns the design, delivery, compliance, and continuous improvement of our Health & Welfare and Financial Benefits portfolio, along with ESOP related employee‑owner communications and administration in partnership with plan providers. This position will own the design, delivery, compliance, and continuous improvement of our end‑to‑end multistate payroll and HR operations.

The leader will set strategy, ensure operational excellence, and build a service‑oriented function that is accurate, compliant, data driven, and easy for employee‑owners to interact with. The position partners closely with Compensation, Accounting/Finance, Legal, IT, and Human Resources Business Partners (HRBPs) and serves as an executive advisor on benefits cost trends, plan governance, risk, and overall market competitiveness.

Essential Functions

• Owns the strategy, design, competitive positioning, and annual renewal for health & welfare, retirement, time away, wellbeing, and voluntary benefits; aligns offerings to principles that promote wellbeing, differentiates competitively, and educates/empowers employee‑owners.
• Develops multiyear benefits roadmap, based on survey insights, benchmarks, and utilization/cost analytics.
• Leads vendor selection and ongoing performance management (brokers/consultants, carriers, TPAs, point solutions), and negotiates quality and value.
• Governs plan operations to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (ERISA, FMLA, HIPAA, COBRA, ACA, etc.).
• Partners with ESOP recordkeeper and internal stakeholders to ensure data accuracy (eligibility, allocations, vesting, distributions) and provides ESOP communications that educate and improve the employee‑owner experience.
• Leads multistate payroll operations and ensures accuracy, timeliness, and compliance (federal/state/local taxes, wage & hour, etc.).
• Oversees all quarterly/annual filings (940s, 941s, W2s, 5500s, etc.).
• Manages year‑start (benefit rates, SUI rates, deduction limits, etc.) and year‑end processes (W2, 1095‑C, etc.) and ensures benefits to payroll data integrity.
• Establishes robust internal controls, audit trails, and service level metrics, and leads remediation on any agency notices or corrections.
• Drives continuous improvement and automation across lifecycle transactions (hire‑to‑retire), integrations (benefits, payroll, time and attendance, accounting) and self‑service.
• Leads change management and communications for new programs and annual enrollment.
• Builds and develops a high performing team across Benefits, Payroll, and HR Operations, along with setting a culture of ownership, accountability, and service.
• Partners with Finance on budget/forecasting for benefits and provides trend analyses and scenario modeling to inform enterprise decisions.
• Coordinates due diligence and integration for acquisitions/divestitures to ensure smooth transitions of benefits, payroll, and HR operations.
• Supports and leads HRIS and timekeeping strategy, ensuring integrations, automation, and data governance support organizational efficiency and insights.

Non-essential Functions

• Assists in key HR projects and initiatives, as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or designate.

• Bachelor's degree required; (HR, Finance, Business, or related field).
• 10+ years progressive experience across Benefits and Payroll, with 5+ years leading teams, and experience overseeing HR Operations/HRIS strongly preferred.
• Proven experience with ESOP communication/admin partnership or other employer sponsored retirement plans (401(k)/profit sharing); familiarity with…