Payroll & Benefits Specialist (Contract)

TEAM LEWIS is a global marketing agency that has grown from start-up to multi-national in a little over two decades. Its success is due to a combination of factors : talented creatives delivering award winning campaigns;

expanding client relationships into new markets or services and its independence from outside investors. The agency, its people and client campaigns have won many awards, including Cannes Lions, PRovoke Media, ICCO, European Excellence, PRCA Digital, Digital Impact, Global Digital Excellence.

About TEAM LEWIS

TEAM LEWIS is a global marketing agency that has grown from start-up to multi-national in a little over two decades. Its success is due to a combination of factors : talented creatives delivering award winning campaigns;

expanding client relationships into new markets or services and its independence from outside investors. The agency, its people and client campaigns have won many awards, including Cannes Lions, PRovoke Media, ICCO, European Excellence, PRCA Digital, Digital Impact, Global Digital Excellence.

At the heart of the business is the TEAM LEWIS Foundation (TLF), a non-profit charitable entity. Since its launch in 2021, it has funded over 1,500 causes.

The goal is to support 2,025 causes by 2025. The TLF promotes a wide variety of social, cultural, and environmental causes that benefit society.

It aims to strengthen the bonds between the creative industries, businesses, government, and non-profits. Community charities are championed by employees, who in addition to the financial donation, volunteer their time and skills to leverage effectiveness.

Purpose of the role

Central to the HR team, the Specialist administers all activities related to the company payroll, benefit plans, and HRIS maintenance.

They will serve as the primary point of contact for employees’ general HR questions, providing prompt and accurate information.

This role also supports larger HR initiatives across the agency and provides general team support.

Key responsibilities and tasks

Payroll

• Enters and processes information into Payroll system (currently Paylocity); including salary adjustments, commissions, bonuses, benefits deductions, time worked, paid leave, PTO, address changes and other information
• Process payroll for employees across the US; including reviewing employee hours and status changes, entering tax and direct deposit information, administering regulatory requirements, and other adjustments to pay with pinpoint accuracy
• Implement and maintain payroll best practices to improve efficiency and consult with HR and Finance teams to make process improvements
• Serve as primary point of contact for all payroll related inquiries with the ability to convey concepts in a way that’s easy for others to understand
• Work closely with Finance team on all aspects of Payroll processing, system maintenance, reporting and regulatory compliance

Benefits

• Administer all employee benefit programs including; enrollments, terminations, changes, disability claims, accident and death claims, 401k changes, rollovers, loans and distributions, compliance testing, and PTO
• Act an employee liaison and internal subject matter expert on our benefit plans, addressing benefit inquiries and ensuring timely and accurate resolutions
• Coordinate and conduct the new employee onboarding processes; including creating individualized onboarding plan, coordinating all paperwork, and conducting HR onboarding session introducing new joiners to TEAM LEWIS
• Support the planning and administering of our annual open enrollment period; including distribution of materials, conducting meetings to communicate changes to employees, arranging for on-site representation by providers, and processing changes within deadlines
• Conduct audits and invoice reviews to ensure all enrollments are accurate and that dependent information is correct for each employee, resolving discrepancies with carriers and payroll
• Coordinate with third party administrators and vendors to manage plans

Record keeping, Reporting and HRIS

• Maintain complete employee records in HRIS and electronic employee files
• Coordinate all HR related paperwork and process new employees, terminations, and status changes
• Conduct regular maintenance audits to ensure data accuracy, integrity and completeness
• Produce scheduled and ad-hoc reports pertaining to payroll, benefits and HR
• Respond to all unemployment claims and verifications of employment in a timely manner
• Serve as primary point of contact for employee inquiries about HR policy and procedures
• Administer performance management and appraisal process across the US
• Coordinate miscellaneous HR programs, reporting and providing general support to the HR and Recruitment team

About you

You have strong attention to detail and a knack for recognizing nuance. With baseline knowledge of the various HR disciplines, you can connect the dots between employment actions and the impact to payroll, benefits and HRIS.

You’re a resourceful self-learner who enjoys figuring out problems. You have a passion for the employee experience and you understand the importance of the HR field and its impact on employees and the bottom line.

You have a high level of interpersonal skills and you handle confidential information with exceptional care.

Additional requirements

• Experience administering Payroll for a company of 100+ employees
• Knowledge of pertinent federal and state regulations, filing and compliance requirements related to Payroll
• Exposure to employee benefit programs (e.g. medical, dental, vision, FSA, etc.)
• Knowledge of basic HR processes, payroll practices, benefits administration and compliance
• High level of attention to detail and ability to connect the dots
• Strong organizational skills and ability to complete multiple tasks and high volume of work on deadline
• Strong knowledge and competency of computer software applications including payroll, benefits, HRIS (experience with Paylocity a plus) and working knowledge of Excel
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to problem solve, project manage and multi-task. Will take charge of a situation and act
• High level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations
• Integrity, self-drive / initiative, problem-solving attitude, self-learner mentality and a sense of humor!

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the responsibilities for this role. Other responsibilities may be added from time to time.

The expected hourly rate for this position will be between $30-$50 / hr and will be determined by factors such as location, experience, and expertise.

TEAM LEWIS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating and fostering an environment focused on equality, empowerment and respect.

We strive to create an inclusive workplace that supports and celebrates our diversity. We continue to invest in our efforts to ensure that TEAM LEWIS is a place where everyone can thrive.