Payroll & Benefits Manager NYC Hospitality Group

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Payroll & Benefits Manager

? New York City (Hybrid)

? Full-Time | Salaried

? $85,000–$95,000 + Strong Benefits

About the Opportunity

We are a fast-growing, design-forward hospitality group in New York City, operating across multiple concepts and entities with a diverse, people-first workforce.

Over the past year, we've made significant investments in building, tightening, and professionalizing our systems, processes, and compliance infrastructure. With that foundation now largely in place, we're ready to bring in a strong Payroll & Benefits Manager—someone who can fully own these critical functions end-to-end.

This role is essential to the organization. By taking ownership of payroll, benefits, leave administration, and compliance, this leader will free up the broader HR team to focus more deeply on culture, engagement, and employee development—while ensuring that our employees experience clarity, accuracy, and trust in every interaction.

The Role

The Payroll & Benefits Manager is responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll and benefits administration across multiple entities. This role partners closely with Human Resources and Finance, serving as a trusted internal expert and go-to resource for employees.

The ideal candidate is systems-oriented, highly detail-driven, employee-focused, and bilingual (English/Spanish)—comfortable working in a fast-paced hospitality environment where accuracy, discretion, and responsiveness matter every day.

This role follows a hybrid schedule with three remote days per weekand two required in-office days in Manhattan, with occasional visits to an additional NYC-area location as needed.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Own and execute weekly payroll across multiple entities with accuracy and timeliness.
• Validate earnings, commissions, bonuses, deductions, garnishments, and tax withholdings.
• Monitor payroll data weekly to proactively identify trends, discrepancies, or risks.
• Maintain accurate, confidential payroll records with strong data integrity.
• Partner with Finance on labor coding, journal entries, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Manage special payroll items including back pay, adjustments, garnishments, and one-time payments.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc payroll reports.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries.
• Own and maintain internal payroll documentation, including tip compliance materials.
• Administer and maintain payroll systems and HRIS (ADP Workforce Now).
• Coordinate WOTC filing, processing, and reporting.
• Manage and distribute annual W-2s.

Benefits Administration

• Administer all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, transit, and ancillary benefits.
• Lead Annual Benefits Renewal in partnership with brokers and Finance.
• Process all benefit enrollments, changes, terminations, and system updates.
• Complete weekly and monthly benefit billing reconciliations.
• Oversee COBRA administration.
• Manage 401(k) and pension programs, including enrollments, loans, distributions, audits, and annual reporting.
• Own Open Enrollment planning, employee communication, system configuration, and presentations.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits questions.

Leave & Claims Management

• Manage all employee leave programs, including:
• FMLA
• Paid Family Leave (PFL)
• ADA accommodations
• Disability leaves
• Workers' compensation
• Personal leaves of absence
• File claims, track cases, maintain documentation, and manage vendor relationships.
• Serve as the first point of contact for employees going out on or returning from leave.
• Coordinate accurate pay and benefit continuation during leave periods.
• Maintain calendars, notifications, and internal tracking related to leaves.

Compliance, Reporting & Audits

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS, OSHA, and DOL requirements.
• Own ACA compliance, including monthly tracking and annual 1095-C review and distribution.
• Monitor payroll and benefits file feeds, troubleshooting issues and escalating with vendors as needed.
• Oversee annual filings including Form 5500s, pension reporting, and nondiscrimination testing.
• Handle IRS inquiries and follow-ups.
• Maintain HRIS and payroll data accuracy through regular audits.
• Support Workers' Compensation audits, pension audits, and 401(k) audits.
• Manage additional required compliance reporting as applicable.

Systems & Process Optimization

• Administer HRIS and payroll systems, including reporting, setup, and configuration changes.
• Identify opportunities to automate workflows and strengthen internal controls.
• Lead or support system upgrades, implementations, and transitions.
• Partner with HR and Finance on continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support HR technology maintenance and system-related employee setup as needed.

Performance Metrics

• Payroll accuracy and timeliness
• Benefits enrollment and deduction accuracy
• Regulatory and ACA compliance
• Leave management responsiveness
• Clean, error-free system data
• Successful completion of audits and annual filings
• Process improvements, automation, and efficiency gains

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred
• 3–5 years of payroll and benefits experience; multi-entity experience strongly preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish required
• Strong knowledge of payroll laws, benefits administration, and compliance (ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA)
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred
• Strong Excel skills and data analysis capability
• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of discretion with sensitive and confidential information
• Proven track record of improving systems and processes
• Hospitality, food service, or warehouse experience is a plus (not required)

Work Environment

• Hybrid schedule: 3 remote days / 2 in-office days (Manhattan)
• (Occasional additional on-site days may be required; flexibility is key.)
• Full-time, exempt role aligned with standard business hours
• Flexibility required during payroll deadlines, Open Enrollment, and audits
• Fast-paced, dynamic environment with multiple priorities

Compensation & Benefits

• $85,000–$95,000 base salary
• Up to 20 days Paid Personal Time Off annually (increases to 25 days after Year 1)
• Up to 56 hours Paid Sick Time annually
• Company-sponsored Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Company-sponsored Life Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Employee Assistance Program with free counseling and coaching
• Employee discounts and in-office meal perks
• Annual performance and compensation review

Why This Role

This is a chance to step into a high-impact, trusted leadership role at a growing hospitality group that values systems, accuracy, and people. You'll be empowered to own your function, improve processes, and directly shape the employee experience across the organization.

Apply here or email us at:

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