Payroll & Benefits Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Payroll & Benefits Manager

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our client is a privately held, high-growth manufacturing organization operating across multiple U.S. locations, with a strong focus on operational excellence, safety, and long-term sustainability. The company is in an important phase of growth and operational maturity and is investing in strengthening its people operations infrastructure to support continued scale.

The organization is values-driven and collaborative, with an emphasis on building durable systems, strong internal controls, and a positive employee experience in a complex, multi-state environment.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The company is seeking an experienced and highly capable Payroll & Benefits Manager to own and elevate U.S. payroll and benefits operations during a period of continued growth. This role is critical to ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a strong employee experience across multiple states and facilities, while building scalable, audit-ready processes that will support the business long term.

This position provides end-to-end ownership of payroll and benefits administration, partnering closely with Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and external providers. In addition to day-to-day execution, the role will play a key part in modernizing payroll and benefits practices and strengthening overall people operations infrastructure.

This opportunity is ideal for a seasoned professional who enjoys being hands-on, values precision and accountability, and takes pride in building well-governed, scalable programs. The role offers autonomy, direct interaction with leadership, and the ability to make a meaningful, visible impact within a growing manufacturing environment.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Payroll Leadership & Compliance

• Serve as the primary escalation point for payroll vendors and third-party providers.
• Directly process and/or oversee bi-weekly hourly and semi-monthly salaried payrolls, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance across all U.S. locations.
• Resolve complex payroll issues, escalations, and regulatory inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage, tax, and employment regulations.
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls, documentation, and audit-ready processes to support internal reviews, external audits, and financial reporting requirements.
• Evaluate and recommend improvements to payroll practices, including pay timing and cadence (e.g., paying in arrears), aligned with compliance and operational best practices.
• Lead payroll-related audits, including quarterly and annual tax filings, retirement plan audits, and coordination with internal and external auditors.
• Partner closely with Finance, Accounting, HR, managers, and supervisors to reconcile payroll data, validate timekeeping, and resolve discrepancies prior to payroll close.
• Maintain overall accountability for payroll execution, whether processing directly or managing internal resources and external providers.

Benefits Strategy & Administration

• Administer all U.S. benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life insurance, disability, leave programs, COBRA, and retirement plans.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to employees and leaders on benefits-related matters.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations, maintaining data integrity across systems and vendors.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation, controls, and procedures to support internal and external reviews and regulatory inquiries.
• Lead annual open enrollment planning, execution, and employee communications.
• Monitor compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and related requirements.
• Partner with internal HR leaders, brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators to evaluate plan design, cost trends, compliance posture, and employee experience.
• Support financial reconciliation of benefits costs, vendor invoices, and payroll deductions in partnership with Finance and Accounting.

Payroll, Benefits & HRIS Systems

• Develop scalable payroll and benefits processes to support growth and increasing organizational complexity.
• Ensure data integrity across HR, payroll, benefits, and finance systems.
• Lead system enhancements, integrations, reporting, and process optimization initiatives.
• Act as system owner and subject matter expert for payroll and benefits platforms (e.g., Dayforce, Rippling, or similar enterprise HRIS solutions).

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment at all times.
• Provide leadership with data-driven insights and recommendations related to payroll and benefits strategy.
• Collaborate closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and IT to ensure aligned, compliant, and well-governed people operations.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 15+ years of progressive experience in U.S. payroll and benefits administration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field preferred.
• Deep knowledge of U.S. employment, payroll tax, and benefits regulations.
• Proven experience managing multi-state payroll and benefits compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to partner effectively across Finance, HR, Legal, and leadership teams.
• Experience supporting growing, multi-site organizations; manufacturing or operational environments strongly preferred.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and problem-solving ability.
• Proven ability to independently own and manage end-to-end payroll and benefits functions.
• Relevant certifications preferred (e.g., CPP, FPC, CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP).
• Strong experience with enterprise payroll and HRIS platforms.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive compensation and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Retirement savings plan with company contributions.
• Employer-paid life and short-term disability insurance.
• Optional additional insurance coverage.
• Generous paid time off and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Opportunities for professional growth within a growing, forward-thinking organization.

WHY JOIN

This role offers the opportunity to strengthen the foundation that supports a growing workforce by bringing rigor, stability, and expertise to payroll and benefits operations. The successful candidate will have a direct impact on employee trust, compliance, and operational excellence.

You will join a collaborative, values-driven organization where experienced professionals are empowered to build lasting, well-structured programs and make meaningful improvements.

EEO/AA Employer | M/F/D/V