Interim People Operations & Payroll Specialist

Description

The role Lunavi needs an experienced People Operations and Payroll professional for a 6 to 9 month contract. You'll keep payroll, benefits, 401(k), HRIS, and front-line employee support running cleanly while we plan the long-term shape of the People team.

This is a hands-on operational role. No recruiting. You'll work directly with the Head of People and partner closely with Finance/Accounting, leadership, employees, Paylocity, our benefits broker and carriers, and our retirement plan providers.

We're a lean People team at a company that moves fast. The work is real and it doesn't wait. If you like running a clean payroll and being the person employees trust with their questions, keep reading.

About Lunavi Lunavi helps organizations navigate what's next. We bring full-stack technology expertise across cloud, data, and AI, from modernizing infrastructure and migrating to Azure to building next-gen applications and deploying AI at scale. We also operate our own data centers. We're a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with teams across the U.S. and Canada.

The People team keeps all of that running for the people behind it. This role is at the center of that work.

Engagement details • Structure: Contract engagement. Direct independent contractor (1099) or through a staffing partner, depending on fit

Term: 6 to 9 months, with the option to extend

Start: As soon as possible

Location: Remote. Preference for the Phoenix, Arizona or Cheyenne, Wyoming area

Hours: Up to 40 hours per week. Payroll deadlines and employee support need coverage during core business hours, roughly 8 to 5 Arizona or Mountain time, Monday through Friday

Rate: Competitive hourly rate, based on experience

Works directly with: Head of People

Key partners: Finance/Accounting, Paylocity, leadership, benefits broker and carriers, 401(k) plan providers

What you'll own Payroll

Prepare and process regular payroll in Paylocity.

Review changes, deductions, earnings, bonuses, reimbursements, and other inputs before every run.

Resolve timecard and payroll exceptions.

Check payroll reports for accuracy before submission.

Keep payroll records and documentation current.

Work payroll tax notices and issues with Paylocity and Finance.

Support multi-state payroll.

Help with year-end, including W-2 preparation and reconciliation.

Maintain HRIS administration and assist our Canada payroll administrator.

Maintain payroll controls and segregation of duties.

Escalate final payroll approval and sensitive payroll changes to the Head of People and Finance/Accounting.

Benefits

Be the first call for employee benefits questions.

Process enrollments, changes, qualifying life events, and terminations.

Coordinate with our broker and carriers.

Help run annual open enrollment.

Reconcile eligibility and enrollment data.

Support COBRA and other continuation processes.

Keep benefits records and employee communications current.

401(k) and retirement plan

Handle routine plan administration with our recordkeeper and third-party administrator.

Answer employee questions on enrollment, contributions, loans, and plan basics.

Monitor payroll deductions and plan file feeds.

Support plan reporting and reconciliation.

Coordinate participant transactions with the plan providers.

Keep administrative documentation current.

Any transaction that touches your own payroll, benefits, or retirement account is reviewed and approved by the Head of People or another authorized plan fiduciary.

HRIS and People Operations

Maintain employee records in Paylocity.

Process compensation, job, manager, department, location, and status changes.

Support/process onboarding and offboarding administration.

Maintain personnel files and employee documentation.

Run routine HRIS workflows.

Pull HR and payroll reports on request.

Keep employee data accurate across systems.

Coordinate with IT and other teams on onboarding and separations.

Employee support

Monitor the People inbox and respond to routine questions.

Help employees with payroll, benefits, PTO, HRIS, and general policy questions.

Help with onboarding and offboarding communication in the People inbox

Be timely, clear, and professional. Every time.

Escalate employee relations, performance, discipline, accommodation, leave, and other sensitive matters to the Head of People.

Leave and administrative support

Handle the administrative side of employee leaves.

Maintain leave documentation and system records.

Coordinate with third-party leave and disability administrators.

Support compliance reporting and routine People projects.

Maintain People team calendars, trackers, documentation, and recurring processes.

Requirements

• What we're looking for
• •Strong hands-on payroll administration experience. • Paylocity experience, strongly preferred. • Benefits administration experience. • Experience supporting 401(k) or retirement plan administration. • Working knowledge of payroll taxes and multi-state payroll. • Strong HRIS and employee-data management skills. • Experience with onboarding, offboarding, and day-to-day People Operations. • You manage recurring deadlines without being chased. • Discretion and confidentiality. Non-negotiable. • Sharp attention to detail. • A service mindset with employees. • You can step into a live environment and get productive fast with limited training