Payroll & Benefits Specialist (NA & Canada)

SGS Consulting; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SGS Consulting seeks a seasoned Payroll & Benefits Specialist to manage North America payroll processing, benefits administration, and compliance. The role includes coordinating with vendors, audits, and cross-functional teams to ensure accurate payroll across US and Canada.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of US payroll/benefits experience, strong regulatory knowledge, and solid analytical and collaboration skills to support HR and Finance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field required.
• Minimum of five years of experience in US benefits administration and US/Canadian payroll.
• Knowledge of major HR regulations (e.g., ERISA, PPACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA) and HR policies.

Responsibilities

• Ensure North America payrolls (salary, tax, time & attendance) are processed timely and accurately by the payroll vendor with proper controls and audit trails.
• Register legal entities with Tax Authorities and coordinate with government and external service providers on tax notices.
• Analyze payroll and tax issues and recommend corrective actions; support Finance on payroll-related issues.
• Coordinate with external service providers for expatriate and stock option payroll validation and reviews.
• Manage overpayments/underpayments and support audits (benefits, pensions, workers' comp) through data reconciliation.
• Oversee benefits programs and procedures for North America, ensuring regulatory compliance and employee alignment.
• Coordinate with HR, Finance, and external plan administrators to resolve complex benefits issues and billing.
• Manage annual enrollment activities, including updating vendor rates and conducting user testing of vendor portals.
• Assist with new hire onboarding and policy administration related to benefits and compensation.
• Prepare timely benefits/compensation/global mobility compliance reporting and participate in annual notices and internal audits.

Skills

Detail orientation

Payroll analytics

Interpersonal skills

Team player

Under pressure performance

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

SGS Consulting seeks a seasoned Payroll & Benefits Specialist to manage North America payroll processing, benefits administration, and compliance. The role includes coordinating with vendors, audits, and cross-functional teams to ensure accurate payroll across US and Canada.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of US payroll/benefits experience, strong regulatory knowledge, and solid analytical and collaboration skills to support HR and Finance.