Payroll Leave Specialist

Overview

Who We Are: At Jonny Pops, our team is empowered to make an impact at work every day from producing high-quality, innovative frozen novelties to spreading kindness one pop at a time. We look for bright and ambitious individuals who seek out challenges, thrive in fast-paced and high-growth environments, align with our core values, and get fulfilment from seeing their work transform the world around them.

Based in Elk River, MN, Jonny Pops develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets frozen novelties. Retailers from coast to coast including Target, Costco, Walmart, Publix, Kroger, Cub, along with thousands of regional and local grocers make Jonny Pops part of their assortment.

Growing from a dorm room start-up in 2012, Jonny Pops’ mission is to make "A Better Pop for a Better World!" Jonny Pops leads the frozen novelties space in innovation and uses simple ingredients with no artificial dyes. Every pop stick includes a kind deed, spreading kindness every day.

Joining Jonny Pops is an exciting opportunity to be part of a high-growth brand and have a direct impact on the company’s success. Join our team and help us make “A Better Pop, for a Better World!”

The Payroll, Benefits & Leave Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant administration of payroll, employee benefits, and leaves of absence for Jonny Pops. This role serves as a critical operational partner to HR, Finance, and People Leaders, ensuring that payroll processing, benefit administration, and leave coordination are executed with precision, consistency, and strong internal controls.

This position plays a hands-on role in day-to-day execution while also contributing to process improvement, system optimization, and compliance readiness. Jonny Pops currently utilizes Net Suite (Suite People) as its core HRIS and payroll platform, and this role will be a primary system owner.

Direct Manager
:
Director of Human Resources

Direct Reports
: N/A

Cross-Functional Partners
:
Finance

Work Hours/Location
:

• Onsite
• Location:
  
  Plymouth, MN

Payroll Administration

• Process bi-weekly payroll for hourly, salaried, and temporary employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws.
• Review, validate, and import time and attendance data, resolve discrepancies in partnership with managers and HR.
• Maintain employee payroll records, including earnings, deductions, taxes, garnishments, and direct deposit information.
• Administer regulatory requirements such as wage garnishments, tax levies, and support orders.
• Partner with Finance on payroll reconciliations, general ledger alignment, audits, and year-end activities (i.e. W-2s).
• Prepare and deliver recurring and ad hoc payroll reports to support business needs and compliance.
• Support annual COLA and compensation reviews and ensure timely and accurate pay changes.

Benefits Administration

• Administer all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and voluntary benefits.
• Manage benefit enrollment, life event changes, and terminations within Net Suite and with external vendors.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefit questions, ensuring clear communication and timely resolution.
• Coordinate annual open enrollment activities, including system configuration, rate updates, employee communications, and vendor coordination.
• Reconcile monthly carrier invoices, resolve discrepancies, and partner with Finance to ensure timely payment.
• Coordinate COBRA administration with third-party administrators and manage workers’ compensation processes and reporting.
• Participate in benefit audits and data integrity reviews (i.e. 401(k), workers’ compensation, carrier audits).

Leave of Absence (LOA) Management

• Administer all employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, state-paid leave programs (i.e. Minnesota Paid Leave), workers’ compensation, personal leaves, and company-sponsored leave benefits.
• Coordinate leave administration between employees, managers, payroll, benefits providers, and third-party administrators.
• Ensure accurate tracking of leave balances, pay coordination,…