HR Specialist - Payroll, Benefits, and Leave

New Mexico Legal Aid Inc • Albuquerque, NM

9d • $65,000 - $75,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) provides civil legal services to low-income New Mexicans to promote family and economic stability, helping clients access food, shelter, security, and to preserve their unique cultural heritages. NMLA has locations throughout the state, including Santa Ana Pueblo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, Roswell, Silver City, and Taos.
This position is based in the Albuquerque office and reports to the Human Resources Manager.
The Human Resources Specialist – Payroll, Benefits, & Leave is primarily responsible for payroll administration, benefits coordination, leave administration, and employee lifecycle processes for a multi-office nonprofit organization. This role serves as a key operational partner within Human Resources, helping ensure accurate payroll and benefits administration, maintaining HRIS data integrity, supporting employee transitions, and assisting with operations, compliance and collective bargaining processes.
This position works closely with Human Resources, Finance, Grants, employees, benefits vendors, and organizational leadership to support operational efficiency, employee support, and accurate administration of payroll, leave, retirement, and benefits programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting payroll, benefits administration, leave coordination, and HR operations.
• Knowledge of payroll processes, employee benefits administration, leave management, HRIS systems, and employment-related compliance requirements.
• Experience maintaining confidential employee information and records.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem solving skills.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to research issues independently and exercise sound judgement in resolving problems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and provide employee-centered support.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR/payroll systems.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new technology systems, troubleshoot issues, research solutions independently, and effectively utilize software platforms to support operational efficiency and accuracy.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in Human Resources or Accounting within a nonprofit or unionized environment.
• Experience administering benefits and leave programs.
• Experience participating in open enrollment coordination and benefits communication processes.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll platforms such as iSolved.
• Experience with other software such as DocuSign, LegalServer, or MIP.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll accurately and timely in accordance with organizational policies, collective bargaining requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Maintain and update employee records, compensation data, payroll deductions, benefits information, and leave balances within the HRIS system.
• Review payroll, leave, and benefits data for accuracy and resolve discrepancies related to employee records, deductions, accruals, and payroll processing.
• Coordinate administration of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, STD, LTD, retirement, and related benefit offerings.
• Organize and coordinate annual open enrollment activities in partnership with external benefits administrators, including timelines, employee communications, enrollment tracking, and related documentation.
• Serve as an internal resource for employee questions related to benefits, payroll, leave, and HRIS information, while coordinating with external vendors and administrators as needed.
• Support leave administration processes, including tracking leave donations and leave usage, maintaining documentation, coordinating employee communications, auditing leave balances, and assisting with compliance requirements related to FMLA and other leave programs.
• Support administration of workplace accommodation processes, including documentation management, coordination, tracking, and employee communication support.
• Process and track compensation changes, annual step increases, and related Personnel Action Forms in accordance with organizational policies.
• Coordinate retirement plan administration activities, including enrollments, payroll deductions, reporting, and related documentation for the organization's 403(b) plan.
• Assist with onboarding and offboarding processes, including HR documentation, benefit transitions, final payroll coordination, exit meetings, and preparation of final accounting and benefits information for separating employees.
• Prepare and maintain HR and payroll-related reports, records, and supporting documentation for audits, grants, compliance activities, budgeting, collective bargaining support, grievances, and internal review.
• Participate in collective bargaining negotiations and assist with gathering payroll, benefits, leave, and compensation-related data and documentation as needed.
• Collaborate with Human Resources and Finance to ensure accurate payroll processing, employee data integrity, compensation administration, and benefits coordination.
• Research payroll, benefits, leave, HR, and HRIS issues proactively and assist in resolving discrepancies or operational concerns.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and support operational efficiency across HR and payroll functions.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive employee information.
• Regularly support HR operations through cross-functional coordination, employee support, process administration, and backup coverage for Human Resources functions as needed.
• Provide operational and administrative support for Grants and Finance functions and initiatives as they relate to Human Resources, such as running HRIS reports as needed.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid BCBS medical, plus dental and vision for employees; generous contributions for dependents
• 3 weeks vacation time, 6 days personal time, plus sick pay and federal holidays off
• Hybrid work schedule (3 days in office, 2 days remote)
• 37.5-hour work week
• 403(b) Retirement Plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level