Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the United States, is seeking to add a Payroll & Benefits Specialist to our team.



The Payroll & Benefits Specialist owns end-to-end payroll processing, benefits systems administration, and compliance reporting. This role ensures accurate, timely payroll and benefits administration while maintaining strong internal controls, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance. The role is highly detail-oriented and partners closely with HR leadership while operating independently. Partners closely with the HR Manager on employee-facing payroll and benefits issues, utilizing the HR Manager as the primary escalation point for employee concerns, and escalating manager, compliance or risk issues to the HR Director.

Essential Responsibilities

Payroll Administration 

•           Process full-cycle payroll accurately and on schedule, including audits, reconciliations, and off-cycle payments. 

•           Maintain payroll controls, documentation, and audit trails. 

•           Address payroll discrepancies and resolve issues promptly. 

•           Support final pay processing, retroactive adjustments, and wage compliance. 

•           Ensure compliance with applicable wage and hour laws and payroll regulations, including California requirements. 

 

Benefits Systems & Reconciliation 

•           Administer benefits deductions and ensure accurate integration with payroll. 

•           Perform payroll-to-benefits reconciliations and carrier invoice audits. 

•           Maintain benefits eligibility and system configurations in HRIS. 

•           Partner with HR Manager on benefits changes and escalations. 

 

HRIS & Data Management 

•           Maintain HRIS records related to payroll and benefits (job changes, pay changes, terminations). 

•           Configure HRIS updates related to policies, benefits, and compliance requirements. 

•           Ensure data accuracy and integrity across systems. 

 

Compliance & Reporting 

•           Support and prepare required compliance reporting (ACA, EEO-1, etc.). 

•           Serve as point of contact for audits and external agency requests (e.g., SMETA). 

•           Coordinate payroll-related data for LOA vendor and ensure accurate pay/benefit impacts. 

•           Manage employment verifications and related documentation. 

•           Support workers’ compensation claims administration by coordinating payroll, benefits, and HRIS updates related to covered injuries.

•          Serve as liaison with workers’ compensation carriers and insurance partners for documentation, reporting, and audits.

•          Ensure accurate wage reporting and benefits continuation for active WC claims.

 

Vendor & Partner Coordination 

•           Act as operational point of contact for payroll, benefits carriers, and LOA vendor. 

•           Partner with HR Director on vendor governance and issue resolution. 

 

Requirements

The successful candidate’s background includes:

•           Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, HR, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience) 

•           5-7 years of payroll and benefits administration experience 

•           Strong knowledge of wage and hour laws, payroll compliance, and benefits administration 

•           High attention to detail and strong analytical skills 

•           Experience with HRIS and payroll systems (multi-state and IBS or UKG experience preferred) 


Summary:

Established in 2007 in Northern California by wine industry veterans Rebecca Faust and Bruce Lundquist, Rack & Riddle was founded with the mission to craft superior sparkling wines. Through years of steadfast dedication and thoughtful expansion, Rack & Riddle has become the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the United States with 3.5 million cases of capacity. An exceptional winemaking team dedicated to the mastery of sparkling wine supported by state-of-the-art technology, delivers turnkey grape-to-bottle, wine-to-bottle, and private label sparkling wine services with tank sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000 gallons. Four modern wineries located in Healdsburg, Geyserville and Lodi specialize in Méthode Champenoise, Charmat, and in-line carbonation solutions producing the best of all things sparkling. The company prides itself on being an upstanding member of the communities in which it operates and is committed to operating fairly, ethically, and sustainably.


Rack & Riddle is a drug-free workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer.


This role's compensation is anticipated to fit within the stated range. These figures represent what we reasonably expect to pay for this position, but the actual compensation offered will depend on numerous job-related factors, including but not limited to candidate skills, knowledge, and education.