Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Hammond Lumber Company•Belgrade, ME

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

Hammond Lumber Company is a family-owned, independent lumberyard and building supplier with 1,200+/- employees across 34 locations in Maine and New Hampshire, seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Payroll and Benefits Specialist to join our team. This role is essential to ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll for a diverse workforce across multiple locations while also administering employee benefits programs and providing outstanding support to our employees. The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise, confidence in handling complex payroll scenarios, and a hands-on, team-oriented approach. This position is suited for someone who values precision and aims to serve as a trusted expert within a stable, growing organization. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with Finance, HR, vendors, and employees while upholding the highest standards of confidentiality and service. The Payroll and Benefits Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for payroll, benefits and HRIS administration, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations (e.g., federal, state and local wage and hour laws, ERISA, FMLA, ACA, HIPAA). This role is a primary point of contact for employee inquiries. Responsible for all aspects of weekly payroll preparation and processing, this position works across the organization to ensure that benefits and programs are effectively and efficiently maintained and supported.

Requirements

3+ years of hands-on experience in payroll, HRIS and benefits administration, with demonstrated expertise in full-cycle payroll processing
Advanced Excel® proficiency required including use of pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and formulas
Experience and general comfort with digital collaboration and communication tools (e.g., Zoom, Teams)
Cybersecurity awareness to safeguard personal and organizational information
Comfortable working with a mix of office and field-based employees
Experience with HRIS and benefits databases
Knowledge of all pertinent federal and state regulations, filing and compliance requirements, both adopted and pending, affecting employee benefits programs, including ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, Section 125, workers' compensation, Medicare, COBRA, and Social Security and DOL requirements.
Ability to manage multiple complex projects under pressure and to meet deadlines
Strong discretion in dealing with highly confidential and sensitive information exhibited at all times
Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment with the ability to work independently and take ownership of payroll operations
Capability of effective planning and priority setting
Strong decision-making skills that incorporate diverse perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in business, human resources, accounting or related field preferred.
One or more of the following preferred: CPP, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or CEBS

Responsibilities

Process weekly payroll with accuracy and efficiency; provide expert-level customer service, maintain data integrity and perform complex payroll calculations in accordance with prevailing law
Manage new hire enrollments for medical, dental, life, ancillary and 401(k) plans; coordinate annual open enrollment, including external vendors and their programs/services
Administer leaves of absence, including FMLA, short-term disability, and other protected federal and state leaves
Ensure compliance with all applicable federal laws and state regulations; maintain accurate payroll and benefits records
Maintain the HRIS system ensuring data accuracy for employee data and changes
Responds to employee inquiries regarding payroll, benefits, leaves and deductions
Process compliant weekly payrolls for all employees, including tax filings, levies/garnishments, child support orders, HRIS data review, preparing payroll transactions, preparing special reports and related compliance documentation in accordance with all federal, state and local payroll and tax regulations
Review and reconcile payroll registers and resolve discrepancies prior to final transmission
Calculate New Hire, Termination and Leave of Absence payroll transactions
Responsible for payroll review and coordination of any necessary research or contact with payroll vendor
Resolve payroll discrepancies; respond to inquiries and requests for payroll information
Communicate payroll-related matters clearly and professionally to all levels of staff and management
Proactively identify and address payroll-related issues/matters
Perform compliance checks against legal and company policy requirements; report violations
Administer Employee Self Service, including login support and direct deposit troubleshooting
Maintain employee records in compliance with company policy and applicable federal/state/local regulations
Partner with HR, AP/AR, accounting/finance, and payroll-related and tax-related vendors to provide support
Generate and distribute payroll reports (e.g., general ledger files) and partner with accounting on reconciliations and journal entries
Support quarterly (941s) and year-end payroll reporting including W-2s, 1095s and other related filings
Review and reconcile company payroll invoices for accuracy
Filing applicable BLS reports (e.g., Multiple Worksite Report)
Manage timely and accurate enrollments, COBRA, terminations, dependent verification, qualifying life event changes, beneficiaries, disability/accident/death claims. Maintain employee benefits files, group benefits database and update employee payroll records within HRIS and carrier systems
Maintain and distribute benefits communications and materials for orientations, open enrollment and summary plan descriptions
Support and communicate annual open enrollment updates
Administer leaves of absence; review reports, take required actions and provide support/assistance to employees through the leave process
Document and maintain administrative procedures and policies for assigned benefits processes.
Manage inbound/outbound data feeds between HRIS and vendors, carriers, and other systems
Conduct regular data audits to ensure integrity across payroll and benefits platforms
Coordinate daily benefits processing and reconcile monthly benefits billing, including resolving discrepancies
Serves as primary contact for vendors, third-party administrators and employees benefits inquiries
Coordinate data transfers for services, premiums and plan administration
Support internal/external plan audits and prepare, collect and organize data for actuarial assessments
Provide customer service support to internal and external customers
Collaborate with HR on benefits-related tasks and leaves
Work with providers and brokers to ensure effective program delivery
Support quarterly and year-end benefit reporting including 1095s and related filings
Ensure compliance with wage and hour laws and company policies related to payroll.
Provide required SOX/Audit data.
Ensure accuracy, validity, and timeliness of all payroll tax filings and issuances (including W-2s).
Support system implementations, upgrades, and configuration enhancements through monitoring, testing and conducting data validations
Troubleshoot system discrepancies and coordinate issue resolution with vendors
Handle a dynamic workforce (yard staff, drivers, office employees) including assisting employees with limited digital access
Filing Workers’ Compensation First Notice of Injury and OSHA 300 reports
Daily Reporting on company-wide absence/appointments
Administration of company’s drug testing program
Responsible for Labor Law Posters
Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement, innovation and efficiency
Perform additional duties as assigned