Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Job Title: Payroll and Benefits Specialist (view PDF)
Department: Human Resources
Reports to: Human Resources Manager
Salary Range: $34- $38/ hour
Location: Hybrid-Remote (San Francisco Office: 2-4 days a month; Camp: 2-3x a year)

About Tawonga

Tawonga’s mission is to provide educational and recreational programs for children, adults and families that foster self-esteem, lifelong friendships and community, connections with nature, and positive Jewish identity and spirituality. We run programs at our residential campsite next to Yosemite National Park and in the Bay Area, serving 5,000 people annually.

About Camp Tawonga’s Culture

At Camp Tawonga, we are a caring, collaborative, joyous group of professionals who take great pride in fulfilling our mission and having fun while doing it. We have deep respect for our community, the children and the families who participate in our programs; for the natural world; and for the Jewish value of “tikkun olam” – repairing the world. Our team has taken many different paths to arrive at Tawonga, from growing up as campers at Camp to being brand new to working at a summer camp or even a nonprofit. We are a Jewish organization, and we welcome and are inclusive of all staff and community members, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. We are committed to JEDI ( justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) and the ongoing reflection, learning and action required to be aligned with these values.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Camp Tawonga is an Equal Opportunity Employer, values diversity and is committed to being an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, and to hiring people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and women. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and organizational need.

Job Purpose and Description

The Payroll and Benefits Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring timely and accurate administration of payroll processes, management of benefits programs, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. In addition to these responsibilities, the Payroll and Benefits Specialist supports month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, and assists with annual financial audits. This position works closely with Human Resources (HR), Finance, and Camp Tawonga staff and reports to the HR Manager, contributing to the overall financial accuracy and integrity of Camp Tawonga’s operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Payroll Processing

Manage biweekly and off-cycle payroll processing for year-round, temporary, and seasonal employees.
- Work collaboratively with HR Manager to ensure accuracy of ADP payroll system, including hires, terminations, employee payroll changes, including promotions, terminations, and status updates
- Ensure accurate processing of payroll adjustments, deductions, garnishments, and child support orders, etc.
- Manage and ensure accuracy of other contributions or deductions (e.g. employee portion of benefits, payroll taxes, retirement contributions, etc.)
- Monitor timesheets, vacation balances, and time-off approvals to ensure payroll accuracy.
Employee Support: Respond to payroll-related questions and concerns from staff.
Compliance, Auditing & Reporting: Ensure full payroll compliance, including support with filing of payroll tax returns, support annual audits (e.g., Workers Compensation) and ensure accurate payroll records are maintained.
- Coordinate with Finance & HR on payroll-related reconciliations and reporting
Systems & Process Improvements: Collaborate with HR and Finance teams to improve payroll processes and user experience.
Prepare month-end close tasks related to payroll and benefits.

Receipts and Reimbursements

Process part-time staff reimbursements for approved expenses in alignment with organizational policies
Review, validate, and reconcile receipts for reimbursements, ensuring timely processing
Ensure reimbursements are accurately reflected in payroll and financial records
Address inquiries regarding reimbursement policies and processes from staff and management

Benefits Administration

Coordinate daily, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual benefits processing
Oversee maintenance of employee benefit files and keep benefits information (e.g. dependents, plan selections, deductions, etc.) accurate and up to date
Review and process monthly benefit invoices for HR Manager approval
Serve as secondary primary organizational contact after HR Manager for plan vendors and third-party administrators
Maintain all data, including historical data, related to benefits
Ensure timely compliance with applicable benefits-related regulations
Support HR Manager with annual open enrollment process, trainings, presentations of information/materials, and other internal needs to ensure staff understand and best utilize benefits offerings
Employee Support: Provide guidance on benefits-related questions and concerns from staff

Team Support

Support with annual ACA, 403b, and other related audits
Support with governmental and other compliance projects and/or tasks
General support and assistance to Chief Operations Officer
General ongoing support and assistance to Finance and Accounting department as necessary
Assist other departments with administrative projects and back up on phones
Support summer camp operations by interacting with families during some assigned bus departures and returns, along with other Bay Area year-round staff
Support Bay Area programs by interfacing with families at Tawonga’s annual Erev Rosh Hashanah celebration in the Bay Area once per year, with other Bay Area year-round staff
Support summer camp operations by checking Tawonga’s “info@tawonga.org” email outside of normal business hours on a few scheduled evenings over the summer. This responsibility is shared with other Bay Area year-round staff.
Other duties as assigned at the discretion of the Chief Operations Officer, Senior Finance Director and Accounting Manager to support departmental and/or agency initiatives

Audit

Support Accounting Manager and Senior Director of Finance with document retrieval, and other key aspects of annual external audit
Support with other internal and external audits as necessary

Month-, Quarter-, and Year-End Close and Reporting

Professional Development

Research and participate in relevant, ongoing, continuous professional development as it pertains to the role and/or business needs (e.g., training materials, coursework, webinars, etc.)

Training, Experience, Skills, and Qualities

Required

Experience with HRIS systems such as GoCo, ADP, Workday, UKG, or similar platforms.
Minimum 2 years of direct payroll processing and benefits administration experience
Proficient with MS Excel/Google Sheets (Pivot tables, vlookup, and managing/manipulating large data sets)
Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations related to payroll and benefits (e.g., FMLA, COBRA, ACA)
Ability to hold sensitive information professionally and in confidence
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions in routine situations

Preferred

Non-profit payroll and benefits experience
Experience with ADP
Ability to communicate clearly, compassionately, and concisely with people from various backgrounds

Supervision

This position reports directly to the Human Resources Manager
This position will occasionally indirectly report to the Accounting Manager as appropriate

Software

This position will heavily use the following types of software:

Google Suite
ADP
Ease
Quickbooks Online
Ramp

Physical Demands

The physical demands listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made that enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

Typing, writing, reading, hearing, and speaking
Use of hands and fingers to operate office equipment, especially a computer
Standing, walking, kneeling, and frequent sitting with some lifting up to 30 pounds

Worksite

This role is a hybrid-remote position. Camp Tawonga will provide a company laptop, mouse, keyboard, and reasonable accommodations as needed to ensure the employee can work from home. It is expected that this position attends scheduled in-person meetings and events (approximately 2-4 times a month). Tawonga maintains a collaborative, team-oriented culture, and requirements to work in-person may increase in the future. Occasionally, this position will support the program team(s) on site at our camp location near Groveland (2-3 times a year).

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties and/or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice based on the needs of Camp Tawonga.

Compensation and Benefits

This position is a full time non-exempt, year-round, and benefited position. The pay range for this position is $34-$38 an hour. Camp Tawonga oﬀers a competitive compensation package which includes medical, dental, life insurance, retirement with company match and contribution, and paid sick, holiday, and vacation leave.

To Apply

To ensure consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume explaining your qualifications for and interest in the position. Send applications to applications@tawonga.org with Payroll and Benefits Specialist in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and Tawonga is seeking to hire for this position as soon as possible.