Benefits & Payroll Administrator

Fisher Associates • Buffalo, NY

10h • $65,000 - $78,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Support People. Strengthen Processes. Make Every Employee Interaction Count. Are you a detail-oriented HR professional who enjoys helping employees navigate benefits, payroll, leaves of absence, and HR processes with clarity and care in Buffalo, NY? Fisher Associates is seeking a Benefits & Payroll Administrator to support the administration of our benefits, leave, payroll, and HRIS processes while delivering high-quality employee experience. This role serves as a subject matter resource to employees, managers, benefits vendors, and third-party administrators; interprets plan documents, policies, and regulatory requirements; recommends process improvements; and exercises discretion and independent judgment in administering and resolving benefit, leave, payroll, life event, and engagement programs to drive accuracy, compliance, and a seamless employee experience.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in benefits, leave administration, and payroll coordination, preferably in a multi-state environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply benefit plan documents, leave laws, wage-and-hour requirements, payroll and timekeeping procedures, and HR policies to varied employee situations.
• Experience independently resolving benefits, leave, payroll, HRIS, and employee-service issues using sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Ability to analyze data, identify discrepancies or compliance risks, recommend corrective action, and communicate practical solutions to employees, managers, vendors, and HR leadership.
• Familiarity with federal, state, and local employment, payroll, wage-and-hour, leave, and benefits compliance requirements.
• Experience using HRIS, payroll, benefits, or timekeeping systems; Paylocity and/or Deltek Vantagepoint experience is a plus.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, and ability to work with time-sensitive and confidential information.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills with the ability to explain complex benefits, payroll, and leave information clearly and professionally.
• Deliver high-quality, accurate work using sound judgment, critical thinking, and strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to building trusting relationships through collaboration, integrity, respect, confidentiality, and continuous improvement.
• Curious and improvement-minded, with a willingness to embrace feedback and seek better solutions for employees and internal partners.

Nice To Haves

• Paylocity and/or Deltek Vantagepoint experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Administer employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, FSA, 401(k), life, disability, wellness, and related offerings.
• Conduct new hire benefits orientations, educating employees on benefit offerings, deductions, timekeeping, and payroll timelines.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefits, payroll, leave, and life event questions, providing clear, timely guidance with professionalism, empathy, and confidentiality.
• Administer benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, status changes, and employee updates in accordance with plan rules, company procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Interpret benefit plan rules and company policies to evaluate employee eligibility, qualifying life events, enrollment changes, and benefit issues; determine next steps and escalate complex matters when needed.
• Maintain accurate employee, payroll, benefits, leave, and HRIS records while protecting sensitive and confidential information.
• Lead key components of annual open enrollment, including communications, system updates, employee education, vendor coordination, and follow-up support.
• Administer and coordinate employee leave programs, including FMLA, PFML, disability, parental leave, and company-specific leave policies.
• Partner with HR, managers, employees, and third-party vendors to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant leave processing and return-to-work coordination.
• Collaborate with vendors, brokers, carriers, and internal stakeholders to resolve employee questions, reconcile information, and support high-quality service delivery.
• Administer employee separation paperwork, related processes, and conduct exit interviews with employees.
• Analyze and process benefit invoices, enrollment records, payroll deductions, carrier files, and vendor reports to identify discrepancies, independently resolve issues, and recommend corrective action.
• Assist in the coordination of company-wide engagement events.
• Analyze employee changes, wage calculations, deductions, leave impacts, timekeeping issues, and payroll reports; independently identify discrepancies and make corrections before payroll finalization.
• Investigate and resolve complex payroll-related issues involving employee status changes, deductions, leave payments, benefit continuation, retroactive adjustments, and compliance-sensitive wage-and-hour considerations.
• Partner with Accounting to resolve payroll discrepancies and conduct regular audits and reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinate with Accounting on year-end payroll processes, including W-2 review and distribution.
• Lead assigned projects related to benefits, payroll coordination, leave administration, HRIS optimization, compliance reporting, vendor transitions, open enrollment, and process documentation.
• Design, update, and maintain standard operating procedures, employee-facing guidance, and internal workflows for benefits, leave, payroll coordination, and other related HR operations activities.
• Evaluate recurring issues and recommend changes to policies, procedures, vendor processes, or system improvements to reduce compliance risk, improve employee experience, and strengthen operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, labor laws, and internal policies; identify compliance risks or process gaps and recommend corrective action to HR leadership.
• Respond to Department of Labor, state unemployment, employment verification, and other required reporting or information requests, as appropriate.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to support audits, benefit renewals, software integrations, and process enhancements.
• Manage sensitive information with a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• Company-paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays
• Work-Life Balance
• Shareholders Program
• Professional Development Opportunities and Reimbursement
• Supplemental voluntary benefits designed to support total well-being and financial security
• Opportunities to engage with employee groups focused on community, inclusion, and employee voice

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree