HR Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Alero Financial•Elgin, IL

1d•$0 - $23•Hybrid

About The Position

The HR Payroll and Benefits Specialist is a hands-on, detail-oriented role supporting accurate and timely payroll processing, benefits administration, HRIS transactions, employee records, and recurring Human Resources activities. Working closely with the Vice President of Human Resources and HR Operations Partner, the specialist provides operational support for processing, reconciliation, administration, recordkeeping, and employee assistance in accordance with established procedures and internal controls. Benefits strategy, plan design, vendor decisions, renewals, and overall program oversight remain under the Vice President of Human Resources. The position is based in Elgin, Illinois, with hybrid work available. It is full-time and hourly, and is classified as non-exempt. The full salary range is $23.05–$34.58, with a hiring salary range of $23.05–$28.81.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
1–3 years of general Human Resources and/or payroll experience required.
Strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
Ability to work effectively with payroll information, benefit elections, deductions, invoices, reconciliations, and employee data.
Strong organizational and time-management skills and ability to meet payroll, benefit, and regulatory deadlines.
Ability to research discrepancies and follow issues through resolution.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, and other Microsoft 365 applications.
Ability to learn and work effectively within payroll, HRIS, benefit-carrier, and vendor systems.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and customer-service orientation when assisting employees and managers.
Ability to appropriately handle confidential employee, payroll, benefit, and compensation information.
Ability to follow established processes and controls while identifying opportunities for improvement.
Collaborative approach and willingness to cross-train and support the HR function.
Working knowledge of, or ability to develop working knowledge of, requirements applicable to assigned responsibilities, including FLSA, federal and state wage-and-hour requirements, payroll tax and withholding requirements, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA and applicable state leave requirements, I-9 and employment eligibility recordkeeping, and applicable state and local payroll, leave, and withholding requirements.

Nice To Haves

Associate's or bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Experience supporting payroll processing, benefits administration, HRIS transactions, or employee records.
Experience with ADP Workforce Now or a comparable HRIS/payroll system.
Experience working in a multi-state environment.
Financial services, credit union, banking, or other regulated-industry experience.

Responsibilities

Prepare and process biweekly payroll accurately and by established deadlines.
Review timecards and payroll inputs, including changes, earnings, deductions, reimbursements, bonuses, and garnishments; audit payroll, research discrepancies, and resolve or escalate issues.
Process employee compensation and payroll changes in ADP and maintain payroll records, worksheets, calendars, supporting documentation, and audit trails.
Complete payroll reconciliations with Finance, process off-cycle and special payments, and administer recurring activities such as 401(k) contribution changes, garnishments, levies, and reimbursements.
Assist with year-end payroll activities, W-2 preparation, payroll reporting, and related reconciliations.
Respond to routine employee and manager payroll questions and escalate complex matters.
Process benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, changes, and terminations; maintain employee benefit elections and eligibility information in ADP and carrier and vendor systems.
Reconcile benefit enrollments, payroll deductions, carrier records, and invoices, and assist in resolving discrepancies.
Support administration of medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA, retirement, commuter, wellness, and other employee benefit programs.
Support annual open enrollment through employee data updates, system processing, eligibility review, enrollment tracking, and post-enrollment reconciliation.
Respond to routine benefit questions, coordinate with carriers and vendors on administrative issues, support COBRA and benefit termination processes, and assist with required notices and records.
Escalate benefit plan, policy, compliance, and vendor issues to the Vice President of Human Resources.
Process employee changes in ADP, including hires, terminations, transfers, compensation and department changes, manager changes, and other updates.
Maintain accurate employee data and personnel documentation; perform routine HR data audits and correct discrepancies.
Process employment verifications and recurring employee documentation; support I-9 administration and employment eligibility recordkeeping.
Maintain recurring HR trackers, calendars, reports, and workflows, and assist with onboarding and offboarding as assigned.
Maintain organized, audit-ready payroll, benefit, and employee documentation and prepare supporting records for audits, benefit-plan reviews, and regulatory examinations.
Assist with compliance reporting and required notices; monitor transactions for accuracy and internal-control adherence, identify unusual transactions, and escalate them promptly.
Support data validation, cleanup, and reconciliation across ADP and benefit systems while maintaining confidentiality of employee, payroll, medical, and benefit information.
Follow documented procedures, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, and assist with testing and implementation of ADP enhancements, carrier feeds, vendor integrations, and other HR system improvements.
Participate in cross-training, provide backup coverage for critical activities, support HR Operations Partner projects, and document recurring processes and workflows.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.