Payroll and Benefits Administrator

Position Summary

This role will support all three of our organizations: Great States Construction, Great States Development, and Collective, offering a diverse and rewarding opportunity to make a broad impact across construction, real estate development, and property management sectors.

The Payroll & Benefits Administrator is a detail-oriented HR professional responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely execution of payroll and HR/payroll-related compliance functions across multiple entities. This role serves as the primary administrator for payroll operations and employment benefits while supporting leadership with reporting, audits, and regulatory accuracy. The Payroll & Benefits Administrator will report directly to the Human Resources Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll inquiries


• Process bi-weekly and off-cycle payroll accurately and on time, including wages, overtime, bonuses, reimbursements, deductions, and commissions


• Enter and verify employee changes: new hires, terminations, and compensation updates


• Reconcile payroll reports, resolve discrepancies, self-audit every run, and generate standard and ad-hoc reports in partnership with accounting

• Administer garnishments and child support orders

• Support payroll tax filings and audits and prepare annual W-2s


• Maintain payroll records per federal and state retention requirements


• Maintain multi-state tax compliance across ND, SD, MN, MT, and WY: withholding and SUI account setup, reciprocity elections, SUI rate notices, unemployment claims paperwork, and Minnesota Paid Leave premiums and quarterly reporting


• Prepare Davis-Bacon certified payroll (WH-347), verify subcontractor certified payrolls, and administer per diem and travel pay on covered construction projects


• Administer PTO, EIB, and FTO accruals, rollovers, and annual cash-outs


• Process non-standard pay items: imputed income (rent discounts, vehicle personal use) and referral bonus payments

Benefits Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all employee benefits-related inquiries and issue resolutions


• Administer employee benefit programs end-to-end — medical, dental, vision, life, disability, HSA, and FSA — including new hire enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminations


• Drive annual open enrollment execution and employee communications


• Partner with brokers and benefit vendors on plan administration and escalations


• Ensure accurate benefit deductions through payroll and reconcile monthly carrier invoices with accounting


• Proactively evaluate benefits offerings and bring recommendations based on utilization, cost, and market trends


• Maintain benefits documentation, policies, and standard operating procedures


• Administer day-to-day 401(k) operations: contribution files, remittance, deferral changes, and loans


• Track ACA measurement and stability periods and assemble annual 1094-C/1095-C reporting data


• Distribute required annual benefits notices (Medicare Part D, CHIP, SBC, WHCRA)

HR Operations & Systems

• Execute payroll, benefits, and system setup and termination for onboarding and offboarding, including Form I-9 Section 2 verification


• Serve as system administrator for BambooHR, Employee Navigator, and WEX, including quarterly data-integrity audits (leave accruals, withholding locations)


• Track leave hours, route paperwork, and calendar deadlines in support of leave administration


• Additional responsibilities as required to support department objectives

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in HR, Accounting, Finance or related field OR equivalent experience


• 5+ years of payroll administration experience required
  
  
  
  • Commissions payroll administration experience preferred
  
  
  
  


• Multi-state payroll experience required


• Benefits administration experience required


• Certified payroll (Davis-Bacon) experience preferred


• CPP or FPC certification preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Strong knowledge of payroll laws and compliance requirements


• High attention to detail and accuracy


• Strong organizational and time management skills


• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality


• Proficient in HRIS platforms (BambooHR preferred)


• Proficient in Microsoft Excel


• Self-directed: owns the full payroll and benefits cycle end-to-end with minimal supervision


• Identifies process gaps and compliance risks before they surface, and brings solutions rather than problems


• Sound judgment on what to execute independently versus what to escalate early


• Approachable and responsive: employees at every level feel comfortable raising payroll and benefits questions, and get clear, patient answers

Benefits and Perks

• Health, dental, and vision insurance with an HSA and FSA options


• Supplementary insurance
  
  
  
  • Eligibility the first of the month following 30 days
  
  
  
  


• 401k with a match of 3% 


• Flexible/Unlimited time off with 9 paid holidays


• Paid volunteer hours


• Professional development opportunities 

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer


• Must be able to lift and/or move 20 pounds


• Occasionally climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl

Work Environment

This position requires regular office hours (8 am – 5pm, M-F) to be maintained along with availability for emergency situations outside of regular office hours.

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER