Payroll and Benefits Manager (remote US)

Payroll and Benefits Manager

Savara Inc. is seeking a remote Payroll and Benefits Manager to oversee the organization’s payroll functions and day-to-day operations of group benefit programs. This role ensures timely, accurate, and compliant payroll practices for Savara’s US operations. A keen attention to detail, strong ability to maintain confidentiality, and understanding of compliant payroll and benefits administration practices are key to this role’s success.

Core Responsibilities

Payroll

• Implements, maintains, and reviews payroll processing systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, and other deductions, creating a consistent employee experience across geographies.
• Processes bi-weekly non-exempt payroll and semi-monthly exempt US payroll.
• Reviews payroll pre-process in Savara’s other countries on a monthly basis.
• Processes special payrolls for equity, bonuses, etc. as needed.
• Ensures accurate and timely processing of payroll updates including new hires, terminations, and changes to pay rates.
• Ensures timesheets are completed timely and accurately.
• Prepares and maintains accurate records and reports of payroll transactions.
• Manages the end-to-end leave of absence process from a payroll perspective, including calculating pay adjustments, managing benefit deductions/arrears, coordinating with third-party administrators, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Maintains SOX compliance for all payroll activities.
• Ensures compliance with company documented policies, federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices.
• Defines and maintains a payroll schedule for all employees.
• Participates in audit process as it relates to payroll.
• Answers employee questions as it relates to payroll, escalating as needed.
• Liaises with third-party payroll tax manager, ensuring compliance as a multi-state employer.

Benefits and Leave Administration

• Administers benefits processing, including enrollments, COBRA, terminations, changes, compliance testing, distributions, and other employee changes.
• Manages yearly open enrollment period from the back end, ensuring systems and materials are accurate and prepared timely.
• Reconciles benefits on a monthly basis, running reports to ensure accuracy of enrollments and billing.
• Completes annual ACA filing.
• Maintains materials for benefits orientations, open enrollment and summary plan descriptions.
• Coordinates 401(k) annual notices, responds to employee questions, and conducts nondiscrimination testing.
• Manages the full lifecycle of employee leaves of absence (LOA) from initial notification and eligibility determination to documentation, tracking, and the return-to-work process, ensuring compliance with FMLA, ADA, state and local regulations, and company policy.
• Answers employee questions about their benefits and LOA.

HR Systems

• Manages Savara’s US HRIS, ADP Workforce Now, and benefits enrollment platform, Employee Navigator.
• Ensures data integrity and privacy of sensitive employee information.
• Identifies and recommends updates to software, systems, and procedures.
• Creates and maintains user guides for all HR systems.

Other duties and projects as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of experience managing multi-state payroll processes.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred.
• Experience running equity payroll for publicly traded companies preferred.
• A keen attention to detail and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Strong working knowledge of payroll compliance and leaves of absence within the US.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience managing broker and vendor relationships preferred.
• Experience within Life Sciences preferred.

Work Schedule and Location

This role is remote within the US and requires availability to work US Eastern Time Zone. Travel to the office outside of Philadelphia may be required based on business need.

Savara Provides Comprehensive Benefits Including

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Account for health care and dependent care expenses and Health Savings Account
• Paid time off and paid holidays, including Dec 24-Jan 1
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) with highly competitive match
• Life, AD&D, STD and LTD insurance coverage
• Other supplemental insurance programs

Savara’s compensation for this role will include a base salary, bonus, and equity. The role will be filled at a Manager or Senior Manager level. The base salary range for this role is $105,000 to $140,000.

About Savara

Savara is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare respiratory diseases. The company's lead program, molgramostim nebulizer solution, is in Phase 3 development for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP). Savara's management team has extensive experience in rare respiratory diseases and pulmonary medicine, advancing product candidates to approval and commercialization.

Key skills/competency

• Payroll Processing
• Benefits Administration
• HRIS Management
• ADP Workforce Now
• Multi-state Payroll
• Compliance (SOX, ACA, FMLA, ADA)
• Leave of Absence Management
• Vendor Management
• Confidentiality
• Life Sciences Industry