HR Intern (Benefits and Payroll)

City of Pearland, TX•Pearland, TX

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The HR Intern - Benefits & Payroll Support assists the Human Resources team with administrative and analytical support related to employee benefits and payroll processes. The intern will gain hands-on experience in HR operations, customer service, compliance documentation, and data integrity best practices while working under close supervision. This role is well-suited for a student interested in Human Resources, business administration, public administration, accounting, or a related field. Learning Objectives By the end of the internship, the intern should be able to: Explain core benefits concepts (eligibility, enrollment, qualifying life events, open enrollment timelines). Describe payroll fundamentals (pay cycles, deductions, timekeeping basics, audit controls). Demonstrate accurate data entry and file management practices within HR confidentiality standards. Produce basic reports/reconciliations using Excel and standard templates. Provide professional customer service and draft clear employee-facing communications (with review).

Requirements

Current enrollment in an accredited college/university program in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting/Finance, or related field (or recent graduate per program guidelines).
Strong attention to detail and ability to work with spreadsheets and data.
Professional written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams).

Nice To Haves

Coursework or experience in HR, payroll, accounting, or benefits administration.
Experience with Excel functions (filters, pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP) and basic reporting.
Interest in public sector HR and municipal operations.

Responsibilities

Assist with organizing benefits enrollment materials and maintaining current forms, guides, and employee FAQs.
Support onboarding and enrollment preparation by assembling packets, checklists, and communications templates.
Update benefits tracking logs (new hires, life events, open enrollment status) using established HR templates.
Assist with carrier eligibility file checks by comparing HRIS outputs to tracking logs (as assigned).
Help coordinate benefits meetings and events (open enrollment sessions, vendor appointments, informational fairs).
Assist with maintaining payroll/benefits deduction tracking sheets and audit checklists.
Support payroll cycle preparation by compiling approved forms (e.g., direct deposit changes, deductions support) for HR review.
Assist with timekeeping and payroll communications (draft reminders, quick guides) for supervisor approval.
Support basic reconciliations (e.g., comparing payroll deduction totals to benefit elections) using provided templates.
File and organize HR documents in accordance with retention rules and internal naming conventions.
Assist with data cleanup projects (duplicate records, missing fields, document verification) with supervision.
Generate basic reports and dashboards (counts, completion status, trend snapshots) using Excel.
Provide first-level assistance by directing employees to appropriate resources (benefits guides, forms, contact channels).
Draft responses to routine questions for HR staff review before sending.
Maintain a professional, service-oriented approach and elevate sensitive or complex issues immediately.