Payroll/Benefit Specialist

Smiths Group • Edgewood, MD

8d • $59,488 - $89,232 • Onsite

About The Position

The Payroll/Benefit Specialist is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing of employee payroll. This role supports payroll operations by maintaining employee records, auditing payroll data, reviewing tax and benefit deductions, supporting basic administrative tasks, and providing excellent customer service to employees and managers.

Requirements

• High school diploma required; associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of payroll processing experience, including responsibility for payroll audits and reconciliations
• Payroll or benefits certification, such as FPC, CPP, or CEBS, is a plus.
• Experience in payroll processing or a related HR/finance role.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll requirements, including wage-and-hour rules, payroll taxation, garnishments, and record retention.
• Familiarity with ADP payroll systems and SAP
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office, including excel, formulas, lookups, filters, and pivot tables
• Strong attention to detail, confidentiality, and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines in a time-sensitive, high-volume environment.
• Effective communication and customer service skills.

Nice To Haves

• associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Payroll or benefits certification, such as FPC, CPP, or CEBS, is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Process union and non-union payroll in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements, company policies, and federal, state, and local requirements.
• Review and validate hourly timekeeping, including overtime, shift differentials, premiums, and other pay-code activities to ensure accuracy each pay cycle
• Process and audit commissions, bonuses, retroactive pay, and other supplemental earnings.
• Process wage garnishments, tax levies, child support orders, off-cycle payments, and final pay
• Maintain accurate employee records, including new hires, terminations, pay changes, and deductions.
• Audit timecards, earnings, deductions, and payroll reports.
• Research and resolve payroll-related inquiries from employees and managers.
• Review ADP payroll tax withholdings each pay cycle for accuracy.
• Monitor ADP tax-related notices or alerts and escalate issues when needed.
• Perform basic reconciliations to ensure payroll tax totals match ADP reports.
• Support year-end activities by reviewing ADP-generated W‑2 information for accuracy.
• Review benefit deductions in ADP each pay period to ensure they align with employee elections.
• Assist with updating benefit deductions for new hires, terminations, and qualifying life events.
• Conduct simple audits of benefit eligibility and deductions; coordinate corrections with HR or vendors.
• Answer general employee questions regarding benefit deductions.
• Support HR during open enrollment by helping validate deduction updates and confirming elections feed correctly into payroll.
• Generate routine payroll reports for HR, Finance, and management.
• Support audit requests by providing payroll, tax, or benefit documentation as needed.
• Assist with reviewing vendor invoices related to payroll and benefits for accuracy before approval
• Track and reconcile payroll-related invoices such as benefits, garnishments, or third-party payments.

Benefits

• excellent training and opportunities for career growth across the business, both locally and globally.
• inclusive environment, with strong leadership and a focus on safety and wellbeing.
• flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective.
• competitive Business Profit Plan.
• competitive benefits package.
• medical, dental & vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED