Payroll & Benefits Specialist

National Material Limited Partnership•Rosemont, IL

About The Position

The Payroll & Benefits Specialist processes accurate, timely full-cycle payroll and provides day-to-day support for employee benefits and leave programs. This payroll-first role requires hands-on experience in a complex, multi-state environment with multiple legal entities, pay groups, locations, and union and non-union employees. The position works with Human Resources, Finance, managers, employees, and vendors to resolve issues, maintain accurate records, support compliance, and provide dependable employee service.

Requirements

At least 5 years of hands-on, full-cycle payroll processing experience in a complex organization.
Experience processing multi-state payroll across multiple legal entities, pay groups, and locations.
Direct experience processing union payroll and applying collective bargaining agreement provisions.
Experience administering employee garnishments and other withholding orders.
Experience supporting benefits administration, including enrollments, deductions, open enrollment, reconciliations, and employee inquiries.
Experience administering employee leaves, including FMLA, disability, state or local requirements, documentation, tracking, and return-to-work coordination.
Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll, wage and hour, benefits, garnishment, and leave requirements.
Experience with an integrated HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping system.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including organizing, reconciling, validating, and analyzing payroll and benefit data.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to payroll accuracy.
Strong organization and time management, with the ability to manage recurring deadlines and competing priorities.
Self-motivated and proactive, able to work independently with sound judgment and follow-through.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including tracing discrepancies to their source and implementing complete solutions.
Ability to interpret and apply complex pay rules, union provisions, garnishment orders, benefit plans, leave requirements, policies, and procedures.
Clear, professional, service-oriented communication with employees, managers, vendors, agencies, and internal partners.
Ability to handle confidential payroll, compensation, benefit, leave, garnishment, and employee information with integrity and discretion.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift while payroll deadlines remain fixed.
Collaborative approach, willingness to take ownership and ask questions, and readiness to support the broader Human Resources team.

Nice To Haves

Dayforce experience is strongly preferred.
An associate or bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Payroll experience in manufacturing, steel, distribution, or another multi-site environment.
Experience with weekly, biweekly, and semi-monthly payroll cycles and hourly and salaried populations.
Experience with payroll taxes, general ledger reporting, year-end processing, and payroll audits.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).

Responsibilities

Process full-cycle payroll accurately and on time across multiple states, legal entities, pay groups, locations, and union and non-union employee populations.
Review and validate time and attendance data, earnings, pay rates, overtime, shift premiums, bonuses, retroactive pay, deductions, taxes, direct deposits, and other payroll transactions.
Administer employee garnishments and other withholding orders, including order review, deduction setup and validation, monitoring limits and balances, processing payments, responding to inquiries, maintaining documentation, and updating or releasing orders as needed.
Apply collective bargaining agreement provisions and company pay practices, including union-specific wage rates, premiums, deductions, benefit contributions, and other contractual requirements.
Complete pre- and post-processing audits, reconciliations, variance reviews, and balancing to confirm payroll accuracy.
Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, system errors, rejected transactions, tax issues, and employee pay concerns.
Process employee changes affecting payroll, including new hires, transfers, compensation changes, leaves, and terminations.
Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation in accordance with company procedures and applicable requirements.
Support quarter-end and year-end activities, including reconciliations, W-2 review, tax notices, audits, and reporting.
Monitor deadlines and independently follow through on open items, approvals, and corrections.
Provide day-to-day administrative support for company-sponsored benefit programs, including employee enrollments, qualifying life events, changes, and terminations.
Assist employees with payroll deduction and benefit questions, escalating complex plan or claim issues as appropriate.
Support annual open enrollment, including employee communications, enrollment tracking, and post-enrollment audits.
Maintain accurate benefit eligibility and enrollment records in HRIS and vendor systems.
Reconcile benefit deductions, carrier eligibility, and vendor invoices; research and resolve discrepancies with internal partners and vendors.
Support administration of health and welfare plans, retirement plan contributions, COBRA, HSA/FSA programs, and disability benefits, as assigned.
Administer employee leave programs, including FMLA, state and local leave, company-provided leave, short-term disability, long-term disability, and other applicable programs.