About the Role
Support the administration of benefits, leave, payroll, and HRIS processes while delivering a high-quality employee experience. Serve as a subject matter expert to employees, managers, vendors, and third-party administrators, interpreting plan documents, policies, and regulatory requirements. Recommend process improvements and exercise discretion in administering programs to ensure accuracy, compliance, and a seamless employee experience.
Responsibilities
- Administer employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, FSA, 401(k), life, disability, wellness, and related offerings.
- Conduct new hire benefits orientations, educating employees on benefit offerings, deductions, timekeeping, and payroll timelines.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefits, payroll, leave, and life event questions, providing clear, timely guidance with professionalism, empathy, and confidentiality.
- Administer benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, status changes, and employee updates in accordance with plan rules, company procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Interpret benefit plan rules and company policies to evaluate employee eligibility, qualifying life events, enrollment changes, and benefit issues; determine next steps and escalate complex matters when needed.
- Maintain accurate employee, payroll, benefits, leave, and HRIS records while protecting sensitive and confidential information.
- Lead key components of annual open enrollment, including communications, system updates, employee education, vendor coordination, and follow-up support.
- Administer and coordinate employee leave programs, including FMLA, PFML, disability, parental leave, and company-specific leave policies.
- Partner with HR, managers, employees, and third-party vendors to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant leave processing and return-to-work coordination.
- Collaborate with vendors, brokers, carriers, and internal stakeholders to resolve employee questions, reconcile information, and support high-quality service delivery.
- Administer employee separation paperwork, related processes, and conduct exit interviews with employees.
- Analyze and process benefit invoices, enrollment records, payroll deductions, carrier files, and vendor reports to identify discrepancies, independently resolve issues, and recommend corrective action.
- Assist in the coordination of company-wide engagement events.
- Analyze employee changes, wage calculations, deductions, leave impacts, timekeeping issues, and payroll reports; independently identify discrepancies and make corrections before payroll finalization.
- Investigate and resolve complex payroll-related issues involving employee status changes, deductions, leave payments, benefit continuation, retroactive adjustments, and compliance-sensitive wage-and-hour considerations.
- Partner with Accounting to resolve payroll discrepancies and conduct regular audits and reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Coordinate with Accounting on year-end payroll processes, including W-2 review and distribution.
- Lead assigned projects related to benefits, payroll coordination, leave administration, HRIS optimization, compliance reporting, vendor transitions, open enrollment, and process documentation.
- Design, update, and maintain standard operating procedures, employee-facing guidance, and internal workflows for benefits, leave, payroll coordination, and other related HR operations activities.
- Evaluate recurring issues and recommend changes to policies, procedures, vendor processes, or system improvements to reduce compliance risk, improve employee experience, and strengthen operational efficiency.
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, labor laws, and internal policies; identify compliance risks or process gaps and recommend corrective action to HR leadership.
- Respond to Department of Labor, state unemployment, employment verification, and other required reporting or information requests, as appropriate.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders to support audits, benefit renewals, software integrations, and process enhancements.
- Manage sensitive information with a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
- 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in benefits, leave administration, and payroll coordination, preferably in a multi-state environment.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply benefit plan documents, leave laws, wage-and-hour requirements, payroll and timekeeping procedures, and HR policies to varied employee situations.
- Experience independently resolving benefits, leave, payroll, HRIS, and employee-service issues using sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.
- Ability to analyze data, identify discrepancies or compliance risks, recommend corrective action, and communicate practical solutions to employees, managers, vendors, and HR leadership.
- Familiarity with federal, state, and local employment, payroll, wage-and-hour, leave, and benefits compliance requirements.
- Experience using HRIS, payroll, benefits, or timekeeping systems; Paylocity and/or Deltek Vantagepoint experience is a plus.
- Strong attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, and ability to work with time-sensitive and confidential information.
- Excellent communication and customer service skills with the ability to explain complex benefits, payroll, and leave information clearly and professionally.
- Deliver high-quality, accurate work using sound judgment, critical thinking, and strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
- Demonstrated commitment to building trusting relationships through collaboration, integrity, respect, confidentiality, and continuous improvement.
- Curious and improvement-minded, with a willingness to embrace feedback and seek better solutions for employees and internal partners.
Skills
- Benefits Administration
- Leave Administration
- Payroll Coordination
- HRIS
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams)
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Attention to Detail
- Accuracy
- Follow-through
- Confidentiality
- Critical Thinking
- Organizational Skills
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Integrity
- Respect
- Continuous Improvement
- Problem-Solving
Location
- Buffalo, NY
Work Type
- Hybrid Remote Work Schedule
Experience Level
- 5+ years of experience
Education Level
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Salary/Compensations
- $65,000–$78,000
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
- 401(k) Plan
- Company-paid Life and Disability Insurance
- Generous PTO and Paid Holidays
- Work-Life Balance
- Shareholders Program
- Professional Development Opportunities and Reimbursement
- Supplemental voluntary benefits designed to support total well-being and financial security
- Opportunities to engage with employee groups focused on community, inclusion, and employee voice
About the Company
- Fisher Associates is a multidisciplinary design services firm with nine locations nationwide.
- Our services span civil/site engineering, transportation engineering, landscape architecture, planning, environmental services, land surveying, GIS, construction inspection, precast, and construction engineering—each offering opportunities to shape communities and improve lives.
Equal Opportunity
- Fisher Associates is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.
- We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law.
