Payroll & Benefits Specialist

clubpilatesmissionviejo; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Employer-paid Life/AD&D and disability

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off

Monthly communication allowance

Employee Assistance Program

Nava Benefits App

Job summary

Riser Fitness is seeking an experienced Payroll & Benefits Specialist to manage multi-state payroll with a focus on California wage-and-hour compliance and accurate benefit deductions. This on-site role also provides backup benefits support and requires strong problem-solving and collaboration across teams.

The ideal candidate will handle complex pay calculations, respond to questions promptly, and help ensure payroll records and audits are completed accurately.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressive, hands-on payroll experience in a multi-state environment, including at least 2 years of California payroll.
• Strong knowledge of state wage-and-hour requirements and payroll taxes.
• Experience with overtime, regular rate of pay, bonuses, deductions, and final pay calculations across multiple states.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and working with payroll datasets.
• Experience using an HRIS/payroll platform.
• Ability to resolve discrepancies and escalate when needed.

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end payroll processing for employees across multiple states.
• Review payroll data for accuracy, including hours, overtime, bonuses, deductions, and other earnings.
• Calculate regular rate of pay and apply it to overtime and premium pay.
• Review timekeeping records and resolve discrepancies with managers.
• Process payroll changes from HR, including compensation changes, transfers, and tax elections.
• Set up state tax withholding for new hires and employees crossing state lines.
• Process final checks and off-cycle payrolls in compliance with state rules.
• Maintain payroll records and assist with audits.
• Respond to employee payroll questions promptly.
• Stay current on wage-and-hour laws and state-specific requirements.

Skills

Payroll processing

Multi-state payroll

California payroll

Excel

HRIS/payroll platform

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Tools

Rippling Payroll

Rippling HRIS

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Payroll & Benefits Specialist to join our rapidly growing, multi-state organization. This on-site, full-time, Monday through Friday role reports to the Payroll & Benefits Manager and focuses primarily on payroll processing across multiple states, with an emphasis on state-specific wage-and-hour and tax requirements. Benefits responsibilities will initially be limited to backup support, but candidates should understand how benefit deductions, including pre-tax, post-tax, and retirement plan deductions, interact with payroll.

This position is ideal for a self-starter who understands the mechanics behind payroll, not simply how to enter information into a system. The right person is comfortable with complex pay calculations, regular rate of pay, state-specific final pay rules, multi-state payroll taxes, and varying state requirements; takes ownership of researching discrepancies rather than passing them along; and knows when an issue should be escalated. They should also enjoy working on a collaborative team and adapt well as our processes, systems, and priorities evolve.

The Day-to-Day

Payroll Processing & Administration

• Support end-to-end payroll processing for employees across multiple states.

• Review payroll data for accuracy, including regular hours, overtime, double time, bonuses, commissions, premiums, shift or class-based compensation, deductions, reimbursements, and other earnings, identifying potential errors or compliance concerns before payroll is finalized.

• Calculate regular rate of pay and apply it to overtime and other premium pay calculations.

• Review timekeeping records and work with managers to resolve missing punches, discrepancies, and payroll exceptions.

• Process payroll-related employee changes provided by Human Resources, including compensation changes, transfers, job changes, tax elections, and direct deposit updates.

• Set up and maintain state tax withholding for new hires, relocations, and employees working across state lines.

• Process final checks in accordance with each state’s final pay timing requirements, along with off-cycle payrolls, manual checks, corrections, retroactive adjustments, and other special transactions.

• Research payroll discrepancies and employee concerns through resolution, escalating complex matters or compliance concerns to the Payroll & Benefits Manager when appropriate.

• Respond to employee and manager payroll questions in a timely and professional manner.

• Maintain accurate payroll records and supporting documentation, and assist with routine payroll audits and data validation.

Multi-State Payroll Knowledge

• Maintain and apply working knowledge of payroll and wage-and-hour requirements across the states where we operate, including California, such as:

• Daily and weekly overtime and double time rules

• Regular rate of pay

• Meal and rest period premiums

• Final pay timing and calculation requirements

• Paid sick leave

• Vacation/PTO treatment

• Wage statement requirements

• State-specific payroll deductions and other jurisdictional considerations

• Apply established company policies and compliance guidance accurately during payroll processing.

• Recognize how payroll requirements differ by jurisdiction and maintain a working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax concepts.

Benefits & Retirement Plan Support

• Understand how benefit elections flow through payroll, including pre-tax and post-tax deductions and their impact on taxable wages.

• Understand basic retirement plan payroll deductions, including employee deferrals and employer contributions.

• Provide backup support for routine benefits administration and benefits-related payroll questions under the direction of the Payroll & Benefits Manager, including during high-volume periods such as open enrollment.

• Access benefit carrier systems to review coverage or enrollment information, escalating discrepancies to the Payroll & Benefits Manager for resolution.

Leave & Employee Lifecycle Knowledge

• Understand common employee leave types and recognize when leaves, status changes, or terminations have payroll implications or require additional review or escalation.

• Work collaboratively with Human Resources to ensure payroll-impacting employee changes are reflected accurately and on time.

Is this you?

• 4+ years of progressive, hands-on payroll experience in a multi-state environment, including at least 2 years of direct California payroll processing.

• Strong working knowledge of state wage-and-hour requirements, with demonstrated experience calculating regular rate of pay and processing final checks across multiple states.

• Experience working with overtime, double time, premium pay, additional earnings, deductions, and payroll corrections.

• Working knowledge of pre-tax and post-tax deductions, plus a basic understanding of retirement plan deductions and contributions, payroll taxation, and how leave types affect payroll.

• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, filtering, sorting, and working with payroll datasets.

• Experience working within an HRIS and/or payroll platform.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to research discrepancies and spot when something does not look correct.

• Ability to manage firm payroll deadlines and competing priorities.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to maintain confidentiality with employee, payroll, compensation, and benefits information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Rippling Payroll and/or Rippling HRIS (highly preferred).

• Experience in a rapidly growing, multi-location organization.

• Experience supporting payroll audits and reconciliations.

Experience with hourly populations and multiple compensation structures.

Rewards & Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision kick in the first of the month after you're hired, including plan options with $0 deductibles. We offer both Anthem & Kaiser plan options!
• Employer-paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching, supporting long-term financial security.
• Paid Time off, including vacation and sick time, to support rest, recovery and work-life balance.
• Monthly communication allowance.
• Free, confidential counseling and wellness resources for you and your household through our Employee Assistance Program.
• Our Nava Benefits App puts your plan info and live advocates in your pocket, 24/7.

Riser Fitness is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applicants of all backgrounds. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.