Payroll & Benefits Specialist - Precision & Impact

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Payroll & Benefits Specialist is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of payroll and administration of employee benefits for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina. As a member of the Finance team, this position plays a critical role in maintaining payroll accuracy, financial controls, reconciliations, employee data integrity, and compliance.

The Payroll & Benefits Specialist works closely with Finance, Human Resources, supervisors, and employees to ensure payroll and benefit transactions are accurately recorded and processed. This position requires exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical and organizational skills, confidentiality, and the ability to manage recurring deadlines within a workforce that includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Process semimonthly payroll accurately and on time, reviewing timecards, pay rates, earnings, deductions, reimbursements, adjustments, and other transactions before submission.
• Process payroll changes for new hires, terminations, transfers, compensation changes, and other employee transactions. Work with supervisors and Human Resources to resolve timekeeping and pay discrepancies.
• Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation; prepare reports and perform routine audits for accuracy and data integrity.
• Reconcile payroll activity to the general ledger, research discrepancies, and ensure expenses are assigned to the correct departments, programs, locations, cost centers, and accounts.
• Process garnishments, tax levies, and other required deductions. Assist with quarterly and year-end reconciliations and W-2 processing.

• Administer YMCA-sponsored medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, and other benefits, including timely enrollments, changes, and terminations.
• Verify that payroll deductions match employee elections; reconcile carrier invoices with enrollment and deduction records; and resolve discrepancies.
• Coordinate with Human Resources on eligibility and employment-status changes, and assist employees with enrollment, deductions, eligibility, and benefit resources.
• Support open enrollment through system updates, employee elections, deduction changes, and reconciliation. Work with carriers, brokers, retirement plan administrators, and other vendors.
• Maintain accurate benefit records.

• Reconcile payroll-related balance sheet and general ledger accounts; prepare assigned journal entries and supporting documentation.
• Review payroll expenses and labor allocations, and research differences among payroll, HRIS, benefits, and accounting systems.
• Assist with month-end and year-end close, and prepare documentation for financial, retirement plan, workers’ compensation, and other audits.
• Generate payroll, labor distribution, benefits, and workforce reports while maintaining appropriate processing controls and documentation.

• Maintain accurate payroll and benefit data in Paylocity and applicable accounting systems; verify employee changes and the flow of information among Payroll, Benefits, Human Resources, and Finance.
• Audit data, generate and analyze reports, and assist employees and supervisors with payroll, timekeeping, and system questions.
• Support system implementations, upgrades, testing, and process improvements, and maintain written payroll and benefit procedures.

• Respond professionally to employee payroll and benefit questions.
• Partner with Human Resources on status changes, compensation, eligibility, onboarding, and separations, and with Finance on payroll accounting, reconciliations, budgeting, and reporting.
• Identify…