Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Your Job

We are looking for a detail-oriented and service-driven Payroll and Benefits Specialist to manage accurate and timely payroll, benefits and administrative processes for Costa Rica. This role is critical in ensuring payroll accuracy, benefits administration, compliance with legal and tax requirements, confidentiality of data, and high-quality support to employees and stakeholders.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted payroll and benefits advisor, working closely with HR, Finance, internal stakeholders, and external vendors to deliver efficient, compliant, and employee-focused payroll services, benefits, time and attendance, and the employee services administered by the position.

What You Will Do

Payroll Processing & Accuracy

• Process weekly and bi-weekly payroll and filings within the agreed timelines.
• Ensure high accuracy in payroll inputs, including overtime, deductions, new hires, and full and final settlements.
• Review and validate employee timecards and attendance records.
• Maintain an up-to-date personnel database with accurate salary information.

Employee Experience 

• Manage onboarding and offboarding activities effectively.
• Draft and manage employment verification letters within 24 hours of request and prepare employment and salary certifications requested for banks, universities, social security institutions, FCL processes, and other applicable purposes.
• Maintain accurate employee information and documentation in the applicable HR, payroll, and timekeeping systems, including approved hires, terminations, salary changes, promotions, manager changes, leaves, and employee status changes.
• Ensure consistency between payroll, timekeeping, compensation, benefit, and applicable employee records
• Serve as a first point of contact for routine employee questions related to payroll, compensation, benefits, time and attendance, HR systems, employee records, and the employee services administered by the position.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve payroll process efficiency.
• Build strong working relationships with HR, Finance, other departments, and payroll vendors.
• Act as a payroll and benefits advisor to other departments when needed.
• Work with external payroll vendors to troubleshoot and optimize payroll systems

Reporting, Finance Support & Audit Readiness

• Prepare for and support internal and external payroll audits.
• Ensure payroll records are accurate, compliant, and audit ready.
• Prepare recurring reports and indicators related to payroll, labor costs, overtime, attendance, absenteeism, compensation, benefits, and other information relevant to the processes administered by the position
• Reconcile information across payroll, timekeeping, HR, benefit, and accounting systems to maintain data accuracy
• Provide documentation and reports for internal reviews, payroll audits, compliance reviews, compensation surveys, and applicable external reporting
• Analyze payroll and workforce data to identify discrepancies, trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement
• Maintain payroll calendars, process documentation, control records, and standard operating procedures
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, document, or automate payroll, compensation, benefit, and employee service processes

Compliance & Payroll Systems

• Ensure payroll and benefit practices comply with legal requirements, company policies, and procedures.
• Use payroll software and systems effectively to process payroll.
• Conduct training sessions for supervisors on time and attendance systems.
• Prepare system guidance materials, manuals, to support supervisors in managing timesheets.
• Maintain payroll controls, supporting documentation, approval records, reconciliations, and audit trails.
• Coordinate payroll-related registrations, updates, reporting, and statutory requirements with the CCSS, INS, and other applicable institutions.

Benefit Administration

• Maintain accurate employee, salary, and benefit information and process approved compensation and benefit changes
• Administer employee enrollments, changes, documentation, communications, and follow-up related to medical insurance, life insurance, employee assistance programs, and other applicable benefits
• Acts as the employee contact for benefits.
• Work with HR on benefit renewals.
• Assist HR with data for salary reviews, compensation analyses, market surveys, salary projections, and other Total Rewards processes

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• 7-10 years of experience in Payroll and Benefits administration.
• Highly contribution motivated with high level of integrity.
• Highly accurate and detail oriented.
• Strong in payroll operations, benefits and employee data confidentiality.
• Knowledgeable about payroll compliance, legal requirements, and tax-related obligations.
• Able to work effectively with HR, Finance, supervisors, employees, and external vendors.
• Customer-focused, responsive, and clear in communication.
• Comfortable using payroll systems and supporting others through training or guidance.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Working knowledge of Costa Rican payroll practices and statutory requirements, including CCSS, INS, employee deductions, leaves, settlements, and applicable reporting obligations
• Experience administering compensation and benefit transactions, including employee enrollments, approved changes, data validation, and employee inquiries
• Experience maintaining employee movements and payroll-related records in an enterprise HR information system
• Experience reconciling information across payroll, timekeeping, HR, benefit, and accounting records
• Experience preparing payroll or workforce reports and using Microsoft Excel to validate and analyze employee and payroll data
• Working proficiency in English and Spanish

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience using TRESS for time and attendance management and payroll processing
• Experience managing weekly and biweekly payroll populations in a manufacturing environment
• Experience supporting payroll audits, accounting reconciliations, or compliance reviews

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Who We Are

Molex, a Koch company, is a global leader in electronics and connectivity solutions. We create products and technologies that enable essential applications across a variety of markets, working with our customers to develop innovative, high-performance solutions.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.