Payroll and Benefits Specialist in Columbus, Ohio at Ohio Gig LLC

Job Title: Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Location: 423 E Town St. Columbus Ohio 43215

Position Type: Full-Time in Office Monday-Friday

Position Summary:

As a Payroll Specialist, you will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of the company's multi-state payroll. You will be the subject matter expert on all payroll-related matters, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and maintaining the integrity of our payroll data. Your role is critical to our operations and directly impacts employee satisfaction and financial accuracy.

Responsibilities:

Every Employee:

• Do the right things for the right reasons. Operate with integrity and a sense of continual improvement, positioning the organization for a strong future.

• Always treat all others with respect.

• Assist in training and cross training of others and in achieving a high degree of teamwork by performing all other duties and tasks assigned across all product lines and services.

• Take initiative to learn, to help others, and to recognize and identify work that needs to be done and do it.

• Exhibit professionalism through our interactions and our working environment.
Role-Specific:

Payroll Processing:

• Perform the end-to-end processing of the company's bi-weekly payroll for all employees, including calculating wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, and overtime.

• Accurately calculate and process employee deductions for taxes, benefits, garnishments, and other withholdings.

• Ensure timely and accurate distribution of paychecks or direct deposits.

Tax & Compliance Management:

• Manage W-2 and 1099 form generation and distribution.

• Stay current with federal, state, and local payroll legislation and regulations to ensure company compliance.

• Respond to tax notices and inquiries from government agencies.

Payroll Systems & Records:

• Maintain and update the payroll system to reflect changes in employee status, pay rates, deductions, and tax information.

• Reconcile payroll registers, bank accounts, and general ledger payroll accounts.

• Generate and analyze payroll reports for management and auditors.

• Maintain accurate payroll records and files in accordance with record retention policies.

Employee Support & Collaboration:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee inquiries regarding pay, deductions, and tax withholdings.

• Collaborate closely with the Human Resources department to ensure seamless integration of employee data, including new hires, terminations, and benefit changes.

• Work with the Accounting department to ensure proper posting of payroll expenses and liabilities.

Benefits Administration & ICHRA (Thatch Platform):

• Partner with Human Resources to support the administration of employee benefits, with a focus on Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) plans managed through the Thatch platform.

• Ensure accurate setup and maintenance of employee benefit elections, eligibility status, and ICHRA allowance amounts within both Thatch and Paychex systems.

• Reconcile payroll deductions and employer-funded allowances between Thatch and Paychex on a regular cadence to ensure alignment and accuracy across platforms.

• Review and validate benefit-related payroll deductions, including pre-tax and post-tax classifications, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and plan design.

• Assist in auditing discrepancies between benefits platform data and payroll records, identifying and resolving issues proactively in coordination with HR and Finance.

• Support onboarding and offboarding processes by ensuring timely and accurate activation, changes, or termination of benefit deductions and ICHRA contributions.

• Serve as a secondary point of coordination for employee questions related to payroll deductions tied to benefits, escalating plan-specific or eligibility questions to HR as appropriate.

• Document and maintain processes related to benefits integration between Thatch and Paychex, identifying opportunities for increased accuracy and efficiency.

Audits & Continuous Improvement:

• Assist with internal and external payroll audits.

• Identify opportunities to streamline payroll processes and improve efficiency.

• Assist in the development and documentation of payroll procedures and controls.
This role reports to the Director of HR.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience processing payroll in a corporate environment.

• In-depth knowledge of payroll principles, practices, and regulations (FLSA, GAAP, federal and state tax laws).

• Proficiency with payroll software Paychex and Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.

• Strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to meet strict deadlines.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.

• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) designation is a plus.