People Operations Specialist - Payroll & Benefits

Tenacious-Holdings-Inc; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Tenacious-Holdings-Inc in Saint Paul, MN is seeking a People Operations Specialist focused on payroll and benefits with broad HR responsibilities.

The role handles semi-monthly payroll for a multi-state workforce, maintains Paylocity HRIS, supports audits and compliance, and assists with compensation, reporting, and open enrollment. Flexibility includes in-office Mon-Thu with some Friday WFH.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration or related field.
• 3+ years of People Operations experience with payroll and benefits.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll systems; Paylocity preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end semi-monthly payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees across multiple states.
• Administer employee benefits and support open enrollment and inquiries.
• Maintain payroll records and HRIS data accuracy in Paylocity; prepare payroll reports.
• Support compliance, audits, and year-end processes (W-2).
• Assist with HRIS updates, compensation data, and reporting.
• Collaborate across departments to support broader People Operations needs.

Skills

Payroll processing

Benefits administration

HRIS/payroll systems (Paylocity)

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business Admin or related

Tools

Paylocity

MS Excel

Job description

Description

Reporting to the Associate Director of People Operations, the People Operations Specialist will have a primary focus on payroll and benefits administration, while also supporting a broad range of HR functions including reporting and reoccurring audits, compensation, compliance, HRIS administration, and other People Operations initiatives.

We require employees to be present in the office Monday-Thursday and offer flexibility to WFH on Fridays.

You have already accomplished (required):

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource, Business Administration or related
• 3+ years of experience in People Operations, with demonstrated experience in payroll and benefits administration.
• Experience working with an HRIS/payroll system. Bonus points for Paylocity experience.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage highly confidential information.

What YOU are good at:

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively across departments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

What WE are good at:

• Working Hard. Playing Hard. Living Tenaciously
• Making well-crafted, innovative, high-function products that Make The Workplace A Betterplace™
• Being distinctively and disruptively creative from bow to stern
• Endeavoring to be fair-minded, transparent and positive in all we say and do

Key Job Duties

Payroll Processing and Benefits Administration (Primary Focus – 60%)

• Own and administer end-to-end semi-monthly payroll processing for hourly and salaried employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness for a multi-state workforce.
• Review payroll for accuracy, including earnings, deductions, state taxes, benefit deductions, reimbursements, expense allowances, and other payroll-related changes.
• Maintain accurate employee payroll records and ensure changes are entered timely into the HRIS (Paylocity).
• Prepare and distribute recurring payroll reports and assist with payroll-related reconciliations and audits.
• Support year-end payroll activities, including W-2 processing and required reporting.
• Maintain knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll requirements and partner with the Associate Director of People Operations and external resources as needed to ensure compliance.
• Support annual open enrollment and ongoing employee benefit enrollment changes and inquiries.
• Administer employee leave programs, accommodations, return-to-work processes, and leave-related communications.
• Manage administration of retirement programs, including employee enrollments, contributions, loans, distributions, compliance testing, and audits.

HRIS Administration/Compensation/HR Reporting & Auditing (40%)

• Act as a true generalist and support other disciplines of HR as needed such as recruiting/onboarding, employee relations, career development, training & development
• Support HRIS (Paylocity) updates, system enhancements, testing, and process improvements.
• Assist with annual compensation review and merit increase processes, data validation, reporting, and employee/manager communications.
• Assist with compliance-related annual reporting and audits.