Payroll & HR Support Specialist

Position Summary

The Payroll & HR Support Specialist's primary focus in this role is processing accurate, timely, and compliant payroll across our multi-state, multi-location restaurant operations. This position will also support the broader HR team with benefits administration and day-to-day HR tasks, serving as a secondary point of contact for employees and location managers on pay, benefits, and HR policy questions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Process multi-state, multi-location payroll on a recurring cycle, ensuring accuracy of hours, rates, tips, deductions, and garnishments.

• Enter and audit new hires, terminations, transfers, promotions, and pay rate changes in accordance with approved documentation and required approvals.

• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies, including overpayments and underpayments, coordinating with location and HR leadership as needed.

• Maintain payroll records and generate standard and ad hoc payroll reports for HR, Finance, and Operations stakeholders.

• Stay current on federal and state wage-and-hour requirements across the company's multi-state footprint and flag compliance concerns to HR leadership.

• Support year-end payroll processes, including W-2 preparation, tip reporting, and audits.

• Assist employees with benefits enrollment, changes, and eligibility questions during open enrollment and qualifying life events.

• Process benefits deductions and reconcile deduction data between the benefits platform and payroll records.

• Support leave-of-absence administration (FMLA and non-FMLA), including tracking and coordination of required documentation.

• Serve as a liaison between employees, benefits carriers, and brokers to resolve claims, billing, or enrollment issues.

• Respond to employee and manager inquiries regarding pay, policies, and general HR procedures.

• Maintain accurate employee records in the HRIS, ensuring data integrity.

• Support onboarding, offboarding, and other HR administrative processes as needed.

• Assist with compiling data and documentation for HR compliance projects, audits, and reporting.

• Perform other HR-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of payroll processing experience required; multi-state, multi-location payroll experience strongly preferred.

• Experience with a payroll/HRIS platform such as ADP or UKG (or similar) strongly preferred.

• Restaurant or hospitality payroll experience a plus, including familiarity with tip credit and tip pooling concepts.