HRIS, Payroll & Benefits Specialist

OVERVIEW

The HRIS, Payroll & Benefits Specialist is a hands-on HR operations professional responsible for processing accurate, timely, and compliant payroll and supporting Patriot Bank’s HRIS, benefits, timekeeping, reporting, and related HR processes. The position serves as a payroll resource and provides backup support to the VP, Human Resources team. The incumbent is expected to process payroll with appropriate oversight, identify and resolve routine payroll issues, reconcile payroll results, and help maintain continuity of operations. The role also supports recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, workflow documentation, audits, and process improvements. Success requires hands-on payroll and Paylocity experience, working knowledge of multi-state payroll requirements and benefits administration, proficiency in Excel and Microsoft 365, and the ability to maintain accurate, confidential, and audit-ready records in a regulated banking environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.

• Process and validate accurate, timely full-cycle multi-state payroll, including regular and off-cycle payrolls, employee changes, earnings and deductions, garnishments, taxes, final pay, retroactive adjustments, timecard review, payroll audits, reconciliations, funding files, reports, and employee inquiries; research routine discrepancies and escalate complex matters as appropriate.
• Serve as a Paylocity payroll resource and provide support across HRIS, Benefits, Time & Labor, Reporting, Workflows, Onboarding, Employee Self-Service, document management, and related modules.
• Maintain accurate employee, position, compensation, department, manager, work location, employment status, benefit, and other critical HRIS data; perform regular audits and correct or escalate discrepancies.
• Support the testing and maintenance of Paylocity workflows, approval chains, custom fields, templates, reports, and process documentation; escalate security-role or material system-configuration changes for review and approval.
• Support HRIS enhancements, releases, integrations, vendor tickets, and process improvements in partnership with Human Resources, Paylocity, IT, Finance, Compliance, and other stakeholders.
• Partner with Finance to reconcile payroll registers, tax liabilities, benefit deductions, payroll funding, general ledger mapping, cost center allocations, journal entries, and variances; research discrepancies and prepare supporting documentation for review, approval, and audit purposes.
• Maintain working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local payroll tax, wage-and-hour, paid leave, garnishment, final-pay, and reporting requirements; support quarter-end and year-end activities, including tax reconciliation, W-2 review, corrections, and coordination with payroll vendors and agencies.
• Support employee benefit administration, including enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, COBRA coordination, carrier updates, annual open enrollment, deductions, invoice reconciliation, required notices, compliance reporting, and employee inquiries.
• Support Paylocity Time & Labor and other Bank timekeeping platforms; audit timecards, missing punches, exceptions, approvals, overtime, paid time off, leave coding, accruals, and related records before payroll close, and coordinate timely corrections with managers.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding activities, including job posting assistance, candidate coordination, onboarding handoffs, HRIS updates, checklist completion, and required documentation.
• Prepare and validate HR, payroll, benefits, compliance, turnover, headcount, compensation, timekeeping, and workforce reports and analyses.
• Maintain confidentiality, appropriate segregation of duties, accurate and audit-ready records, and compliance with Bank policies, internal controls, recordkeeping requirements, and applicable laws.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated proficiency in full-cycle payroll processing, payroll controls, reconciliations, payroll taxation, wage-and-hour requirements, and the resolution or appropriate escalation of payroll discrepancies.
• Ability to explain payroll calculations and controls, analyze payroll registers, identify errors, and document corrective actions clearly and accurately.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, analytical ability, troubleshooting skills, and sound judgment.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and maintain professional, responsive service to employees and managers.
• Ability to manage payroll calendars, vendor timelines, multiple deadlines, and competing priorities in a controlled environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain payroll and HRIS matters in clear, practical terms.
• High level of accountability, integrity, professionalism, and commitment to accurate, audit-ready work.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related field preferred.
• An equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and payroll or HRIS experience may be considered.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of three years of progressive HR operations experience, including at least three years of direct, hands-on responsibility for processing full-cycle payroll.
• Experience with multi-state payroll, HRIS administration, benefits administration, timekeeping, reconciliations, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Two to three years of recent, hands-on Paylocity experience preferred, including payroll processing and practical use of Payroll, HRIS, Benefits, Time & Labor, Reporting, workflows, imports and exports, deductions, and employee and manager self-service tools. Comparable experience with another major payroll or HRIS platform may be considered.
• Experience administering employee benefits, reconciling invoices and deductions, maintaining eligibility and election data, and supporting compliance and audit documentation.
• Advanced Excel and Microsoft 365 skills, including reporting, reconciliations, data analysis, collaborative document management, and review of moderately large data sets.
• Working knowledge of HR and payroll data governance, confidential records handling, system controls, audit support, and compliance expectations in a regulated environment; banking or financial services experience preferred.

PREFERRED / PLUS QUALIFICATIONS

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) preferred.
• SHRM-CP or PHR preferred; advanced HR certifications are a plus but are not required.
• Paylocity product training or certification, or equivalent demonstrated system proficiency, is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel: Occasional travel to Bank offices, branches, and business-related events may be required.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, talk, hear, and occasionally stand, walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or lift up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment is generally office-based with a moderate noise level. The employee may occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions when traveling between work locations.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Patriot Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of all activities, duties, or responsibilities. The incumbent may be assigned other duties as required.