Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Summary Pottawattamie County Auditor's office is excited to announce the hiring of a Payroll/Benefits Specialist. The Payroll/Benefits Specialist is a full-time, non-exempt position. Responsible for assisting with the administration of County benefits, the accurate preparation of the County payroll, and maintenance of personnel health records. Essential Functions Prepare, verify and balance the County payroll, step and grade system and related financial records according to established departments, state, county and federal requirements. Prepare and maintain require county, state and federal reports and documents including, but not limited to, FMLA, Unemployment, IPERS, HIPAA, EEP, W-2's and Labor Statistics Reports; forward all applicable materials to County employees and agency representatives. Enter data regarding payroll deductions, according to established procedures. Make deposits, write payroll checks and balance spreadsheets for withholding taxes, social security, insurance and pension deductions according to established procedures; distribute payroll checks to appropriate personnel. Prepare, balance and maintain accurate records of leave balances and salary adjustments for County employees; make adjustments to payroll as necessary; forward leave balances records to employees and Department Heads. Maintain and distribute required information regarding employee benefit programs, life insurance, health insurance, and COBRA; forward related information to all County employees, Department Heads, and associated agency representatives. Coordinate open enrollment and participation of new and current employees; coordinate with agency representatives and schedule meetings in order to explain coverage and plan changes. Assist employees in completing enrollment applications, claim forms, change of coverage forms, etc; coordinate the data entry of applications and other forms to ensure accuracy. Prepare and make premium payments for all the Flex Plan, disability insurance plans and life insurance plan according to established procedures. Perform other duties as directed or as the situation dictates. Maintain an accurate and up to date file system of all official County information including, but not limited to employee personnel records and identification numbers, labor agreements and policy manuals, plus Bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. Maintain employee personnel and medical records; assist employees who request to review personnel or medical files. Assist State Auditor in obtaining necessary documentation for county audit. Prepare and forward reports for Juvenile Detention and County payroll to state and federal departments, according to established procedures. Update and maintain all payroll forms; distribute to appropriate personnel as needed. Essential Knowledge, Experience, and Ability Knowledge of and ability to learn employee benefit programs including FMLA, pension, health, dental, and life insurance, and long-term disability as related to governmental agencies. Knowledge of and ability to utilize basic finance principles and procedures. Knowledge of and ability to learn applicable sections of the Code of Iowa and state and federal guidelines. Ability to learn and apply a working knowledge of County, federal and state policies including, but not limited to FMLA, Worker's Compensation, Unemployment, IPERS, HIPPA, EEO, Labor Statistics and health plans. Aptitude to perform mathematical calculations utilized in the preparation of payroll and budgets. Skilled at communicating effectively both orally and in writing; ability to explain and interpret county benefits plans and programs. Builds to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, government officials, supervisors and fellow employees. Maintains focus to manage frequent interruptions while using good judgement and maintaining work efficiency. Upholds strict confidential information of all departmental communications, documents and transactions with sensitivity and discretion. Facilitates effective coordination with the Payroll and Benefits Specialist. Ability to plan and organize a personal work schedule, set priorities and meet deadlines. Essential Education, Certification, and/or Licenses Must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Two years' experience working in payroll and benefits or any combination of training and experience that will provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform job duties. Apply Online Department Auditor's Office Salary $33.16 - $33.99/hour

Job Type Full-time Location Courthouse:

227 South 6th Street, Council Bluffs Posted 4/1/2026 Apply Online