Payroll and Benefits Specialist

SUMMARY

The Payroll and Benefits Specialist reports to the HR Director and owns end-to-end payroll processing and employee benefits administration for up to 90 employees across the Midland, TX and Carlsbad, NM locations. This role ensures employees are paid accurately and on time, that payroll taxes and deductions are handled in compliance with federal, Texas and New Mexico requirements, and that benefit programs are administered accurately from enrollment through termination.

The Specialist will work with the HR Generalist, who owns employee-facing HR functions (employee relations, recruiting, onboarding, non-payroll HRIS data, timekeeping administration, offboarding, leave and PTO tracking, policies, communications, reporting, records and engagement). The Specialist processes the payroll and benefit transactions that result from those activities and is the escalation point for technical payroll and benefits questions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll

• Process payroll for each pay cycle for each locations, including hourly, salaried, overtime, bonus and other pay types.
• Maintain payroll data in the payroll system and HRIS, including pay rates, tax withholding, direct deposit, deduction codes and pay changes; perform quality assurance review before each payroll is released.
• Ensure multi-state payroll compliance for Texas and New Mexico employees, including state tax withholding and registration, New Mexico paid sick leave requirements, and federal and state wage and hour laws (FLSA).
• Process garnishments, child support orders, deductions, off-cycle checks, retroactive adjustments and payroll corrections.
• Process final pay and PTO payouts for terminated employees in accordance with state law, upon notification from the HR Generalist.
• Assist with the preparation and file payroll tax deposits and returns, and complete year-end processing including W-2s; respond to tax notices and agency inquiries.
• Reconcile payroll registers to the general ledger and HRIS; resolve discrepancies; prepare payroll reports for management and Accounting.
• Provide wage and payroll information for unemployment claims, workers' compensation, employment verifications and audits.
• Respond to employee and manager payroll questions in a timely, accurate and confidential manner.

Benefits

• Administer employee benefit programs, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, disability, 401(k) and PTO/Vacation plans.
• Process new-hire benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, changes and terminations in carrier and HRIS systems, using paperwork collected by the HR Generalist; ensure payroll deductions match elections.
• Lead annual open enrollment, including employee communications, enrollment support, and carrier and payroll updates.
• Reconcile monthly carrier billing against enrollments and payroll deductions; resolve billing and eligibility discrepancies.
• Administer COBRA notifications and compliance deadlines; track ACA eligibility and prepare ACA reporting.
• Serve as the primary contact for the benefits broker and carriers; support the annual renewal process and plan changes.
• Administer 401(k) contributions and remittances, and support annual testing and audit requests.
• Administer payroll and benefit continuation for FMLA, short and long-term disability and other leaves, using leave information provided by the HR Coordinator.
• Answer employee questions about benefits coverage, eligibility, claims and enrollment, or direct employees to the appropriate carrier.

Compliance, Records and Reporting

• Maintain compliance with FLSA, IRS, DOL, ERISA, ACA, COBRA and Texas and New Mexico payroll and benefits regulations; keep current on changes in tax and benefits law.
• Maintain confidential payroll and benefits records, including enrollment forms, beneficiary designations, deduction authorizations and tax documents, in accordance with retention requirements; support internal and external audits.
• Provide payroll and benefits metrics and reporting to the HR Director and leadership, including headcount, labor cost, overtime, benefits participation and cost trends.

Coordination with HR and Administrative

• Coordinate with the HR Generalist on new hires, changes in status, leave and PTO, and terminations so payroll and benefit transactions are processed on time.
• Route general employee relations, recruiting and policy questions to the HR Generalist.
• Maintain payroll and benefits calendars and deadlines; cross-train with the HR team to provide coverage during planned absences.
• Express ideas clearly in written and oral communication with team members and upper management; use and adapt computer programs to provide administrative services related to payroll and HR operations; prioritize and coordinate work activities efficiently; maintain electronic files; seek growth in knowledge and skills through training and/or education; present self in a clean, neat, professional manner; perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent accuracy and attention to detail, with a proven ability to meet payroll and benefit deadlines.
• Working knowledge of multi-state payroll, FLSA, ACA, COBRA, ERISA and federal and state payroll tax requirements.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of payroll, compensation and benefits information.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, and payroll/HRIS software (such as ADP, Paycom, UKG or similar).

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to lift 15 lbs.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and performing computer related duties.
• Must be able to perform repetitive hand/wrist/arm movements.

Minimum Requirements

• High School diploma, or equivalent (Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Human Resources, Business or a related field preferred).
• 3+ years of payroll processing experience; multi-state payroll experience strongly preferred.
• 2+ years of benefits administration experience, including open enrollment, COBRA and carrier reconciliation.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC), or an HR certification (PHR/SHRM-CP) preferred.
• Oilfield or industrial manufacturing experience is a plus.