What are the responsibilities and job description for the Payroll Specialist position at Concordia Plans?
Payroll Specialist
At Concordia Plans we care for those who serve by providing excellent retirement, healthcare, and benefit services. The Payroll Specialist is a newly created position responsible for supporting payroll functions for multiple nonprofit ministries
Concordia Plans has a reputation for outstanding culture, most recently winning the 2024 Top Workplaces USA award, with additional special awards for Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation & Benefits and Purpose & Values. This honor goes to the country’s best employers with high performing people-first cultures. Our recent history of employment excellence also includes being awarded the 2023 Top Workplaces USA award, the Top Workplaces 2021 - 2024 St. Louis Post-Dispatch awards and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition’s 2020 Business Health Culture Award. Established more than 50 years ago providing service in 6,000 communities throughout the United States, we are mission focused professionals united to care for those caring for our community.
At Concordia Plans we are focused and flexible. Embracing the new normal, pioneering ways to continue to support work life balance in our family first culture. We offer competitive compensation with a benefit package, including a pension plan, 403(b), health insurance at no cost to the employee, and much more. With this exciting opportunity you can combine experience, talent, and passion as part of our team at Concordia Plans serving the workers of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod.
General Summary
The Ministry Solutions Payroll Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting payroll functions for multiple nonprofit ministries by working as a liaison with a national payroll vendor to process payrolls accurately and on time. The Ministry Solutions Payroll specialist will collaborate with others on the implementation and onboarding processes into a payroll platform on behalf of employers, enter employee information and be a resource for ministries participating in the My Admin Partner (MAP) program.
Essential Job Functions
At Concordia Plans we care for those who serve by providing excellent retirement, healthcare, and benefit services. The Payroll Specialist is a newly created position responsible for supporting payroll functions for multiple nonprofit ministries
Concordia Plans has a reputation for outstanding culture, most recently winning the 2024 Top Workplaces USA award, with additional special awards for Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation & Benefits and Purpose & Values. This honor goes to the country’s best employers with high performing people-first cultures. Our recent history of employment excellence also includes being awarded the 2023 Top Workplaces USA award, the Top Workplaces 2021 - 2024 St. Louis Post-Dispatch awards and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition’s 2020 Business Health Culture Award. Established more than 50 years ago providing service in 6,000 communities throughout the United States, we are mission focused professionals united to care for those caring for our community.
At Concordia Plans we are focused and flexible. Embracing the new normal, pioneering ways to continue to support work life balance in our family first culture. We offer competitive compensation with a benefit package, including a pension plan, 403(b), health insurance at no cost to the employee, and much more. With this exciting opportunity you can combine experience, talent, and passion as part of our team at Concordia Plans serving the workers of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod.
General Summary
The Ministry Solutions Payroll Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting payroll functions for multiple nonprofit ministries by working as a liaison with a national payroll vendor to process payrolls accurately and on time. The Ministry Solutions Payroll specialist will collaborate with others on the implementation and onboarding processes into a payroll platform on behalf of employers, enter employee information and be a resource for ministries participating in the My Admin Partner (MAP) program.
Essential Job Functions
- Develop and maintain trusted relationship with existing ministry clients and members to enhance customer experience and retention.
- Effectively present information and provide high-touch support to clients to manage on-going day to day processing, including consultative direction, analysis, best practices and issue resolution.
- Serve as a point of contact for employee and employer payroll related questions and requests and provide resolutions in a timely manner to ensure positive ministry and employee relations.
- Manage multiple priorities across multiple timelines to ensure payroll processing and other deliverables meet deadlines.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external vendor partners to ensure best in class customer service and customer solutions in order to meet performance objectives and customers’ expectations.
- Design processes and seek out opportunities in current processes for continuous improvement, efficiencies, and improved customer experience.
- Responsible for the preparation, maintenance and documentation of payroll procedures and practices.
- Responsible for the timely and accurate processing of payroll for multiple employers.
- Manage new employer set-up into the payroll system.
- Review timecard completion on behalf of ministries and partner to ensure accurate and timely gathering of information.
- Manage payroll accruals to include calculation for vacation and other paid time off.
- Balances payroll tax returns, tax deposits and Forms W-2 against payroll records, ensuring deadlines are met.
- Provide general ledger reports for payroll records and assist with reconciliation if needed
- Responsible for confidential payroll document retention and secure submission of files and payments to vendors.
- Oversee and collaborate with internal departments and ministries to enroll and terminate worker benefit coverage as needed.
- Provide and/or coordinate with internal resources member or employer educational needs on plans, benefits or services as needed.
- Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree from accredited business or accounting school or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
- 3-5 years of payroll processing experience preferred
- 1-2 years of benefit experience preferred
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
- Experience utilizing payroll software
Competencies
- Data management: mathematical skills, attention to detail and disciplined systematic organization.
- Problem solving: uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems, is excellent at objective analysis, and engages others in analyzing and developing solutions.
- Results oriented: steadfastly pushes self for results, self-motivated with the ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks with minimal supervision, maintains focus on organizational goals.
- Systems fluency: command of system and collaborative tools (websites, social media, SharePoint), skilled in use of MS Office suite
- Communications: ability to articulate information simply and concisely in person, over the phone and in writing, and to reflect Concordia Plans values (integrity, compassion, excellence, stewardship, accountability) in all internal and external communications.
- Independent: Ability to work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and departments.
- Teamwork: participates fully on assigned and adjunct teams, fosters a collaborative spirit, builds collaborative networks with internal staff and vendor representatives.
- Change management: is energized by change and welcomes new opportunities, quickly learns and adapts to change, personal maturity to evaluate and manage uncertainty and stress effectively. Ability to blend creativity and improvisational thinking with sensitivity to tradition and history.
- Customer orientation: demonstrates a high commitment to the organizational mission by applying concepts and principles of the Integrity Service program or similar values-based customer service program; is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
- Learning agility: learns new skills easily, climbs learning curve rapidly, and applies new knowledge quickly.
- Sensitivity: practices high level of confidentiality, serve as liaison with individuals. Ability to relate well with employees and vendors, maintaining appropriate balance between compassion, encouragement, and accommodation in all interactions.
- Organizational savvy: ability to navigate effectively in highly regulated industry and with complex organizations required; experience navigating LCMS structure and operations.
- Shows Humility: Allows others to serve in the capacity to which they have been called.
- Assumes Ownership: Takes responsibility for one’s actions and objectives.
