Payroll & Benefits Specialist

National-Material-L.p.-1; Rosemont (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

National Material L.P. is seeking a Payroll & Benefits Specialist to manage full-cycle payroll across multiple states and entities, including union populations. You will administer benefits enrollments, deductions, open enrollment, and leave programs while ensuring compliance and accurate records.

The role partners with HR, Finance, and vendors to resolve issues, perform reconciliations, and support year-end activities. Strong Dayforce and Excel skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on, full-cycle payroll processing in a complex organization.
• Experience processing multi-state payroll across entities, pay groups, locations.
• Direct experience with union payroll and applying collective bargaining provisions.
• Experience administering garnishments and withholding orders.
• Experience supporting benefits enrollment, reconciliations, and inquiries.
• Experience administering FMLA, disability, and other leave programs.
• Experience with Dayforce or similar HRIS/payroll system.
• Strong Excel skills for organizing and analyzing payroll data.
• Detail-oriented with ability to handle confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Process full-cycle payroll accurately and on time across states and entities.
• Review time data, earnings, overtime, bonuses, deductions, taxes, and direct deposits.
• Administer garnishments and withholding orders from start to finish.
• Apply union pay provisions and company wage practices per collective bargaining agreements.
• Prepare pre- and post-processing audits, reconciliations, and variance reviews.
• Investigate payroll discrepancies and resolve tax or pay issues.
• Process changes for new hires, transfers, raises, leaves, and terminations.
• Maintain payroll records and support quarter- and year-end activities.
• Support benefits enrollment, deductions, open enrollment, and vendor inquiries.
• Administer leave programs including FMLA and disability with tracking and return-to-work coordination.

Skills

Full-cycle payroll

Multi-state payroll

Union payroll experience

Benefits administration

Leaves administration

Dayforce familiarity

Excel proficiency

Attention to detail

HRIS systems

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/HR/Business Administration

Tools

Dayforce

Excel

HRIS

Job description

About National Material L.P.

National Material L.P. (“NMLP”) is a family-owned, U.S.-based holding company with a diverse portfolio of market-leading business units focusing on metals processing and distribution. NMLP is a growth-oriented company with a long-standing reputation for quality, reliability, and customer service dating back to its inception over 60 years ago. Together, NMLP and its affiliates employ more than 2,200 employees across North America.

Position Summary

The Payroll & Benefits Specialist processes accurate, timely full-cycle payroll and provides day-to-day support for employee benefits and leave programs. This payroll-first role requires hands-on experience in a complex, multi-state environment with multiple legal entities, pay groups, locations, and union and non-union employees. The position works with Human Resources, Finance, managers, employees, and vendors to resolve issues, maintain accurate records, support compliance, and provide dependable employee service.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Process full-cycle payroll accurately and on time across multiple states, legal entities, pay groups, locations, and union and non-union employee populations.
• Review and validate time and attendance data, earnings, pay rates, overtime, shift premiums, bonuses, retroactive pay, deductions, taxes, direct deposits, and other payroll transactions.
• Administer employee garnishments and other withholding orders from receipt through completion, including reviewing orders, setting up and validating deductions, monitoring limits and balances, processing required payments, responding to agency or creditor inquiries, maintaining documentation, and ensuring timely updates or releases.
• Apply collective bargaining agreement provisions and company pay practices, including union-specific wage rates, premiums, deductions, benefit contributions, and other contractual requirements.
• Complete pre- and post-processing audits, reconciliations, variance reviews, and balancing to confirm payroll accuracy.
• Research and resolve payroll discrepancies, system errors, rejected transactions, tax issues, and employee pay concerns.
• Process employee changes affecting payroll, including new hires, transfers, compensation changes, leaves, and terminations.
• Maintain payroll records and supporting documentation in accordance with company procedures and applicable requirements.
• Support quarter-end and year-end activities, including reconciliations, W-2 review, tax notices, audits, and reporting.
• Monitor deadlines and independently follow through on open items, approvals, and corrections.

Benefits and Leave Administration

• Provide day-to-day administrative support for company-sponsored benefit programs, including employee enrollments, qualifying life events, changes, and terminations.
• Assist employees with payroll deduction and benefit questions, escalating complex plan or claim issues as appropriate.
• Support annual open enrollment activities, including employee communications, enrollment tracking, and post-enrollment audits.
• Maintain accurate benefit eligibility and enrollment records in the HRIS and vendor systems.
• Reconcile benefit deductions, carrier eligibility, and vendor invoices; research and resolve discrepancies with internal partners and vendors.
• Support administration of health and welfare plans, retirement plan contributions, COBRA, HSA/FSA programs, and disability benefits, as assigned.
• Administer employee leave programs, including FMLA, state and local leave, company-provided leave, short-term disability, long-term disability, and other applicable leave programs.

Required Qualifications

• At least 5 years of hands-on, full-cycle payroll processing experience in a complex organization.
• Experience processing multi-state payroll across multiple legal entities, pay groups, and locations.
• Direct experience processing union payroll and applying collective bargaining agreement provisions.
• Experience administering employee garnishments and other withholding orders.
• Experience supporting benefits administration, including enrollments, deductions, open enrollment, reconciliations, and employee inquiries.
• Experience administering employee leaves, including FMLA, disability, state or local requirements, documentation, tracking, and return-to-work coordination.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll, wage and hour, benefits, garnishment, and leave requirements.
• Experience with an integrated HRIS, payroll, and timekeeping system. Dayforce experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including organizing, reconciling, validating, and analyzing payroll and benefit data.
• High school diploma or equivalent required. An associate or bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to payroll accuracy.
• Strong organization and time management, with the ability to manage recurring deadlines and competing priorities.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently with sound judgment and follow-through.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to trace discrepancies to the source and implement complete solutions.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex pay rules, union provisions, garnishment orders, benefit plans, leave requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Clear, professional, and service-oriented communication with employees, managers, vendors, agencies, and internal partners.
• Ability to handle confidential payroll, compensation, benefit, leave, garnishment, and employee information with integrity and discretion.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift while payroll deadlines remain fixed.
• Collaborative approach with a willingness to take ownership, ask questions, and support the broader Human Resources team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Payroll experience in manufacturing, steel, distribution, or another multi-site environment.
• Experience with weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly payroll cycles and hourly and salaried populations.
• Experience with payroll taxes, general ledger reporting, year-end processing, and payroll audits.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).

Equal Employment Opportunity

National Material L.P. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.