Payroll & HRIS Specialist

About the foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation invests in creative thinkers and problem solvers working to ensure that people, communities, and the planet can flourish. Together with our partners, we are harnessing society’s collective capacity to solve our toughest problems. As a nonpartisan philanthropy, the Hewlett Foundation has made grants in the U.S. and globally for nearly six decades based on an approach that emphasizes dialogue across difference, long-term support, collaboration, and trust.

Globally, we make grants to address both longstanding and emerging challenges like our efforts to advance gender equity and governance, reimagine the economy and society, and reduce the growing threat of climate change. Our U.S. efforts prioritize strengthening democracy, advancing education for all, and supporting community-led conservation. In the San Francisco Bay Area we call home, we make grants to support meaningful artistic experiences in local communities and support regional foundations working on critical issues such as housing. All of our grantmaking also invests in advancing racial justice and in strengthening the effectiveness of our grantees, and of philanthropy itself. The Hewlett Foundation’s assets are approximately $13.9 billion with annual awards of grants totaling more than $600 million. More information about the Hewlett Foundation is available at: www.hewlett.org

The foundation has approximately 130 employees, in programmatic, operational, communications, and investment roles, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Across the organization, our employees are challenged with meaningful work, have the resources for ongoing professional development and learning, and contribute to a collegial and engaging environment where they can thrive. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion as part of our guiding principles and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

About the Human Resources Department

The Human Resources (HR) team supports the foundation's work by creating strategic vision for the organization's HR goals and fostering our evolving organizational culture of collegiality, respect, equity, and inclusion. The team consults with senior management and staff to develop policies, programs, and services that support organizational priorities and individual and team objectives. We support our staff and provide guidance throughout the entire employee lifecycle, aspiring for excellence at all stages.

About the Position

The Payroll & HRIS Specialist is responsible for administering the Foundation’s payroll operations and supporting HR data analytics, reporting, and HRIS system functions. Reporting to the Associate Director, Total Rewards & HRIS, this role ensures payroll accuracy, compliance with federal and state regulations, and consistent data integrity within ADP Workforce Now. The position also collaborates with HR, Finance, IT, and external vendors to support compliance, enhance HR system processes, and produce reports and analytics for informed decision-making.

Essentialdutiesandresponsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Administers end-to-end semi-monthly payroll processing for multi-state employees, including regular, supplemental, and termination pay.
• Processes employee payroll actions in ADP, including direct deposits, tax elections, and pay status updates.
• Calculates and verifies vacation, sick leave, overtime accruals, and employee withholding status for accuracy and compliance.
• Maintains compliance with payroll-related requirements, including:
  • Workers’ Compensation audits and annual filings
  • EEO-1 and California Pay Data (Pay Transparency) reports
  • 403(b) and 457(b) plan audit support, including contribution reconciliation and analysis
  • FMLA reconciliation for unpaid leaves and benefit tracking
  • Administers payroll tax treatment for pre-tax and taxable employee benefits, including commuter, FSA, HSA, adoption, fertility, and surrogacy programs.
  • Accurate domestic partner payroll setup and tax treatment
• Maintains accurate state payroll tax account registrations.
• Prepares Form 990 compensation data support to Finance, including verifying taxable compensation, benefits, and deferral amounts for officers and key employees.
• Conducts quarterly and year-end payroll activities, including reconciliations, W-2 processing, and new-year setup for payroll, benefits, and tax updates.
• Provides ADP self-service and timekeeping system guidance to new hires and managers to support accurate payroll processing.
• Responds to employee and third-party inquiries (e.g., verifications of employment, unemployment insurance, garnishments).
• Maintains payroll documentation, supporting materials for audits, and internal process checklists.
• Coordinates payroll audits conducted every five years, gathering documentation and responding to auditor requests.
• Conducts payroll orientations with new employees.

HRIS & Systems Administration

• Serves as ADP Workforce Now administrator for HR and payroll modules (security roles, approvals, and configuration).
• Uploads and maintains new-hire packets in ADP, syncing data from the applicant tracking system and verifying pay grades.
• Reviews and approves employee data changes in ADP to ensure data integrity and compliance with internal controls.
• Updates and monitors employee status in ADP during leaves of absence and return-to-work actions.
• Documents ADP workflows, maintains user-access lists, and coordinates updates when personnel or approval roles change.
• Performs routine data integrity checks and resolves discrepancies (e.g., duplicate records, missing fields, code tables).

People Analytics & Reporting

• Produces monthly and ad-hoc HR reports, including the monthly headcount report for Finance.
• Build and maintain dashboards in ADP DataCloud (or equivalent) to track headcount, turnover, and pay trends.
• Defines and maintains reporting data dictionaries and documentation for recurring reports.
• Validates data accuracy and consistency across HR and payroll reports.
• Supports preparation of annual Total Rewards Statements by verifying compensation and benefits data for accuracy.

Annual & Project Responsibilities

• Prepares and submits annual compliance filings, including:
  • EEO-1 Report
  • California Pay Data Report
  • Workers’ Compensation Audit
  • 403(b) and 457(b) audit materials
• Coordinates publication of the annual Foundation holiday calendar in collaboration with the CPO and IT.
• Supports HR’s annual budget planning and expense reconciliation process.
• Contributes to special projects such as the HR digitization initiative, process improvement efforts, and cross-functional reporting enhancements.
• Identifies and implements process improvements across payroll, HRIS, and reporting functions to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
• Collaborates cross-functionally to streamline workflows and leverage system capabilities.
• Maintains HR and payroll records in accordance with document-retention standards.

Requiredskillsand knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency in ADP Workforce Now; experience with ADP DataCloud preferred.
• Strong understanding of payroll laws, wage and hour regulations, and benefit taxation.
• Advanced Excel skills and familiarity with HR analytics or dashboard tools.
• Demonstrated accuracy, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Effective communication and customer-service orientation across HR, Finance, IT, and vendor teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of payroll experience, including multi-state payroll (California required).

• Experience with payroll tax treatment for pre-tax and taxable employee benefits.
• Knowledge of 403(b), 457(b), and HSA contribution administration.
• Familiarity with FMLA, COBRA, and other leave or benefit compliance programs.
• Experience supporting HR budgeting, reporting, and vendor invoicing.

PhysicalDemands/WorkEnvironment

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The position is based in Menlo Park, California. Staff are working in a hybrid environment and currently expected to work from the Hewlett Foundation office at least 2-3 times per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays are required). While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to spend extended periods of time at a computer.

The Hewlett Foundation is committed to providing compensation that is competitive within the philanthropic sector. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive . The salary range for this role starts at $100,000-$125,000. Offers are based on the candidate's years of experience and our practice of maintaining salary equity within the foundation.

Please apply online and submit a resume and cover letter explaining how your skills fit this position.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation embraces the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, both internally in our hiring process and organizational culture, and externally, in our grantmaking and related practices. We are an equal opportunity employer, and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.