Fractional Compensation and Benefits Manager - Cincinnati, OH

Barnes Dennig•Cincinnati, OH

About The Position

Build a Brighter Future – Together, with Barnes Dennig Fractional HR Services. As Fractional HR professionals, we assist our clients in offering flexible, high-impact support across every stage of the employee lifecycle. Whether a client needs interim leadership, compliance support, better systems, or help building culture and capacity, we’re creative problem-solvers whose work blends the strategic with the practical, helping clients build processes that serve their people and their mission. As a Fractional Payroll and Benefits Administrator, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality outsourced HR services to a diverse portfolio of client organizations. This position blends hands-on execution of payroll, onboarding, and benefits administration with strategic advisory support. You will ensure the accurate and timely delivery of core HR processes while providing actionable insights and recommendations to help clients attract, engage, and retain top talent across a variety of industries. The day-to-day responsibilities of a Fractional Payroll and Benefits Administrator will vary significantly depending upon a client’s size, needs and project scope.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
Relevant work experience such as: 5+ years in compensation, benefits, or payroll management. Experience in a multi-client or consulting role preferred.
Strong analytical ability, proficiency in HRIS/payroll systems, excellent communication, and client relationship management.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism, especially when handling sensitive information.
Great communication skills for interacting and effectively communicating with internal team members and external clients.
Capacity to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment such as but not limited to computer, calculator, etc.
Capability to sit for long periods of time with low periods of reaching and standing.
Minimal travel may be required
Client-focused Mindset: Ability to adapt solutions to diverse client needs.
Strategic Thinking: Skilled at aligning compensation and benefits programs with organizational goals.
Analytical Expertise: Strong data interpretation and benchmarking capabilities.
Collaboration: Works effectively with client leadership and internal HR teams.
Confidentiality: Maintains discretion with sensitive employee and client data.
Accuracy and Quality Orientation: Demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, minimizes errors in payroll and benefits administration, and ensures consistently high-quality deliverables.

Nice To Haves

HR certification: SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, CCP (Certified Compensation Professional), CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist), or CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) preferred.

Responsibilities

Payroll Management: Process payroll for multiple client organizations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness. Audit payroll data for accuracy, including deductions, benefits contributions, and leave balances. Partner with finance/accounting to reconcile payroll and benefits costs.
Onboarding Administration: Coordinate new hire onboarding processes, including documentation, system setup, and benefits enrollment.
Benefits Administration: Manage day-to-day administration of employee benefits programs (health, dental, vision, retirement, wellness). Coordinate enrollment, changes, and terminations in benefit plans. Serve as primary point of contact for employees regarding benefits questions and issues.
Leave Of Absence Management: Administer leave programs including FMLA, short-term disability, long-term disability, and other statutory or company policies. Track and maintain accurate records of employee leave balances. Provide guidance to clients, managers and employees on leave policies and compliance requirements.
Health Insurance Premium Updates: Review and update premium contributions for offered health insurance plans. Collaborate with brokers and carriers to ensure accurate premium structures and compliance with regulations. Communicate changes in premiums and benefits to employees clearly and timely.
Compliance Oversight: Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local labor laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements related to compensation and benefits.
Compensation Strategy and Analysis: Provide strategic recommendations to clients on benefit design and enhancements to improve employee engagement, attraction, and retention. Support compensation benchmarking and pay structure reviews. Conduct compensation band reviews, salary benchmarking, and pay equity assessments to support client workforce planning.
Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline payroll and benefits processes and enhance service delivery across multiple clients.
Stakeholder Communication: Serve as a primary point of contact for client leadership teams regarding payroll, benefits, and compensation matters.