Senior Specialist, Payroll & Benefits

Egen is a fast-growing, entrepreneurial company with a data-first mindset. We bring together top engineering talent and advanced technology platforms to help clients drive action and impact through data and insights. We are committed to being a place where the best people choose to work, dedicated to continuous learning, and focused on solving complex problems. ### About the role We are seeking an experienced Senior Specialist/Manager, Payroll & Benefits to own and modernize our end-to-end global payroll, health and welfare benefits programs, and foundational HRIS operations. Reporting directly to the Head of People Operations, you will lead our total rewards execution across the U.S. (~300 employees), Canada (~50 employees), and the U.K./EU (~25 employees). You will have support from and mentor a team of two People Operations team members based in India, ensuring operational precision, cross-border compliance, and a seamless employee experience. ### Key Responsibilities **Global Payroll Operations** - Oversee the end-to-end delivery of semi-monthly and monthly global payrolls for 375+ employees across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe. - Manage administrator relationships and processing within Paychex (U.S.), Payworks (Canada), and / EOR platforms (U.K. & EU). - Ensure exact calculations for multi-jurisdictional tax withholdings, garnishments, variable compensation (bonuses, commissions), and equity/severance payouts. - Direct and review the day-to-day payroll execution and data entry handled by two India-based People Operations specialists. **Benefits Administration & Management** - Lead annual Open Enrollment for U.S. and Canadian entities, including plan design review, broker management, system configuration, and employee communications. - Manage day-to-day administration of medical, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k)/RRSP match, FSA, HSA, and commuter plans. - Partner closely with Finance on monthly bill reconciliation for self-funded health and welfare plans, benefit funding schedules, and leave-of-absence tracking. - Evaluate and align regional benefit offerings in the U.K. and EU to ensure competitive local positioning and statutory compliance. **Compliance & Audits** - Maintain full compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local labor and tax laws (e.g., ACA reporting, ERISA, 5500 filings, non-discrimination testing, Canadian ROEs, U.K. P60/P11D). - Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external payroll, benefits, financial, and workers' compensation audits. **HRIS & Systems Optimization** - Act as the functional admin for HRIS and payroll tools, optimizing workflows and integration points between HRIS, ATS, and financial platforms. - Ensure high data integrity across all employee records, job changes, compensation, and status updates. - Build, analyze, and distribute recurring labor cost, headcount, leave, and total rewards analytics for executive leadership. ### Qualifications: - **Experience:** 6-8+ years of combined experience in payroll and benefits administration, with at least 2+ years in a manager capacity overseeing international operations. - **Global Footprint:** Demonstrated hands-on experience running U.S. payroll alongside Canadian and European/U.K. payrolls (direct platforms or EOR/PEO models). - **Technical Mastery:** Advanced proficiency in Paychex, Payworks, (or similar global payroll tools), and modern HRIS environments. Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, data modeling). - **Benefits Expertise:** Strong working knowledge of U.S. self-funded and fully-insured plans, 401(k) administration, and Canadian statutory benefit structures. - **Leadership:** Proven ability to manage, train, and delegate effectively to global/offshore support teams across time zones.