Payroll & Leave Specialist

Citizens Energy Group•Indianapolis, IN

1d•$68,300•Hybrid

About The Position

The Payroll & Leave Specialist is responsible for accurate, timely, confidential, and compliant end-to-end payroll administration and employee leave management. The role manages bi-weekly payroll processing, timekeeping validation, gross-to-net calculations, special pay, payroll controls, and leave administration while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The specialist serves as a subject matter expert and partners with HR, Accounting, Treasury, Legal, leaders, and other stakeholders to support payroll accuracy and effective leave administration. The position maintains payroll and leave systems and workflows within Oracle EBS and administers payroll-related benefit and 401(k) deductions, direct deposits, off-cycle payments, tax withholding, garnishments, union dues, and PTO, vacation, and personal-time accruals, as well as year-end payroll processes.

Requirements

Five or more years of payroll administration experience, including end-to-end payroll processing.
Demonstrated knowledge of FMLA, ADA, disability leave administration, leave coordination, and applying leave and accommodation requirements in complex employee situations.
Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax withholding, wage and hour requirements, garnishments, benefit deductions, retirement plan deductions, year-end payroll processes, and leave requirements, including FMLA and applicable disability and military leave provisions.
Experience reconciling payroll registers, taxes, benefit deductions, retirement plan feeds, leave payments, and payroll-related liabilities.
Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, organization, documentation, and attention-to-detail skills.
Ability to manage confidential employee payroll and leave information with discretion, accuracy, and professionalism.
Ability to communicate clearly with employees, leaders, HR, Accounting, Treasury, Benefits, auditors, and external vendors.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
Experience with Oracle EBS or similar payroll/HRIS systems.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
Experience supporting payroll for union and non-union employee populations.
Experience with retirement plan deductions, payroll audits, or payroll tax reporting.

Responsibilities

Process end-to-end bi-weekly payroll accurately and on schedule, including time and attendance review, earnings, overtime, special pay, adjustments, direct deposits, replacement checks, off-cycle payments, and final pay.
Validate timecards, pay codes, payroll inputs, employee changes, new hires, terminations, pay rate changes, leave payments, PTO and vacation accruals, and other payroll-impacting transactions before payroll close.
Administer payroll deductions and withholdings, including federal, state, and local taxes, benefits, retirement and 401(k), garnishments, tax levies, child support, charitable contributions, union dues, and other voluntary or required deductions.
Administer disability, military, and other company-provided leaves; evaluate FMLA eligibility and qualifying events; apply leave policies and regulatory requirements; and coordinate the interactive process and ADA accommodation requests with HR leadership, Legal, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
Coordinate leave intake, eligibility determinations, required notices and documentation, payroll impacts, benefit deductions, return-to-work activities, and communication with employees, leaders, HR partners, and third-party administrators.
Review payroll registers, exception reports, deduction reports, and control totals to identify and resolve discrepancies before and after payroll is finalized.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, hour, tax, recordkeeping, and company policy requirements while maintaining confidentiality of employee payroll information.
Process monthly union remittance reports, maintain dues and initiation fees, and assist with union audits.
Maintain employee payroll records and system data, including direct deposit information, tax withholding elections, deduction setup, pay elements, and related documentation, according to retention and confidentiality requirements.
Maintain accurate leave records and case documentation, track leave usage and key dates, monitor required certifications, and reconcile leave payments and balances across HRIS systems.
Identify, research, test, and resolve payroll and leave system issues; support system configuration updates, payroll calendar maintenance, workflow improvements, and user acceptance testing for payroll-related changes.
Document payroll and leave procedures, validate internal controls, recommend process improvements, and support cross-functional efforts to improve payroll accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and employee experience.
Manage post-payroll, quarterly, and year-end payroll activities, including W-2 preparation, review, corrections, distribution support, taxable wage reconciliation, and required payroll reporting.
Reconcile payroll, taxes, benefit deductions, retirement and 401(k) contributions, PTO and vacation accruals, and related payroll liabilities to support financial accuracy and audit readiness.
Keep current on payroll and leave regulations, tax updates, system changes, and best practices, and implement required changes in coordination with HR, Accounting, Treasury, and vendors.
Prepare scheduled, post-payroll, quarterly, annual, and ad hoc payroll reports for HR, Accounting, Treasury, Benefits, leadership, auditors, and other internal customers.
Respond to employee and leader payroll and leave questions; research leave and pay discrepancies; provide authorized verification of employment or wage information; and perform other related duties as assigned.