It was on October 24, 1932, when the nation’s first Krystal restaurant opened its doors on the corner of Seventh and Cherry Streets in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee amid the harsh financial times of the Great Depression. Its founders, Rody Davenport Jr. and J. Glenn Sherrill, believed that despite the severe economic upheaval of the times, people would patronize a restaurant that was kept spotlessly clean, provided courteous service and offered a good meal at the lowest possible price. Proving this theory true, the restaurant’s first customer, French Jenkins, ordered six Krystals and a cup of coffee, all for the bargain price of 35 cents.

Krystal is also keeping an eye to the future as the company invests in new restaurant designs, develops new, unique menu items and expands into new markets across the South – upholding its legacy as a Southern icon by offering that one-of-a-kind taste and the personal connection you can’t find anywhere else.

Industry: Restaurants
Company Size: 5,001-10,000 employees

Krystal Restaurants LLC

Savvy Admin PROD

The Payroll and Benefits Manager is responsible for the full administration of payroll, tax, garnishment, compensation, and employee benefits programs across the organization. This role ensures accurate, timely payroll processing and oversees all health and welfare benefit plans, retirement programs, and related compliance functions. The Payroll and Benefits Manager bridges day-to-day operational excellence with strategic thinking, partnering closely with Finance, HR, and senior leadership to deliver programs that attract, retain, and reward employees while remaining competitive and fiscally sound. This position requires a detail-oriented, analytically strong professional with deep expertise in both payroll systems and benefits plan management and compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

**Essential Responsibilities**

- Manages end-to-end payroll operations including data collection, calculation, approval, and timely issuance of paychecks or direct deposits for all employees across municipalities based on restaurant locations.

- Maintains and updates payroll records by reviewing and approving changes in exemptions, deductions, and tax withholding.

- Prepares payroll reports summarizing earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability, and non-taxable wages for Finance and HR leadership.

- Determines and approves payroll liabilities including federal, state and local income taxes, social security, unemployment, and workers compensation.

- Balances payroll accounts and resolves discrepancies in a timely and accurate manner.

- Maintains payroll guidelines by developing, writing, and updating policies and procedures.

- Complies with all federal, state, and local payroll regulations by continuously monitoring legislative changes and advising management on corrective action.

- Maintains employee confidence by protecting the confidentiality of all payroll operations and sensitive employee data.

-  Ensure adherence to all legal requirements related to garnishments and wage orders, actively monitoring any updates or changes in legislation to maintain compliance.

- Verify that all applicable tax rates—federal, state, and local—are accurately entered and maintained within the payroll system to ensure correct withholding for employees.

- Prepare, review, and submit payroll tax filings, ensuring accuracy and completeness to meet deadlines and avoid penalties, while also keeping clear records of all submissions.

- Maintain a comprehensive understanding of labor laws is essential, particularly those regulations that pertain to State, Local and Federal guidelines regarding overtime pay, minimum wage standards, and payout requirements

- Leads payroll staff through recruiting, selection, onboarding, and ongoing training and development.

- Schedules and assigns team responsibilities to ensure operational requirements are consistently met.

**Benefits Administration**

- Manages, plans, develops, implements, administers, and communicates all benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, retirement (401k), and voluntary supplemental offerings.

- Drives innovation around benefit solutions that align with business objectives, ensures cost-effectiveness, market competitiveness and internal equity.

- Leads the annual benefit plan renewal process, incorporating market research and cost analysis to ensure programs remain competitive and financially sustainable.

- Leads the annual benefit plan budgeting process in close partnership with Finance.

- Manages the overall relationship with benefit vendors, brokers, and consultants including reviewing, editing, and negotiating contract terms and performance guarantees.

- Oversees internal and external audits and ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state benefit regulations, including ERISA.

- Researches legislative requirements and enforces adherence across all employee benefit plans and programs.

- Develops, markets, and communicates all benefit program implementations and changes to employees at all levels.

- Creates and executes written project plans identifying scope, deliverables, tasks, accountabilities, and due dates.

- Anticipates future benefit needs and recommends strategies to meet the needs of rapidly scaling or evolving teams.

- Envisions and formulates action plans for process improvements, service delivery enhancements, and cost savings.

- Provides guidance, advice, and training to HR professionals on benefits programs and compliance matters.

- Ensure job evaluation and position pricing systems are established and actively managed to ensure fair pay and alignment with the company’s strategic goals.

- Oversee compensation policies and procedures that are regularly monitored to assess their effectiveness and competitiveness, taking into account current market trends, relevant market data, and the company’s objectives.

- Conduct coaching and guidance are provided to company leadership regarding pay decisions, interpretations of policies and guidelines, and job evaluations. This includes developing innovative solutions for specific compensation-related programs.

- Ensure all incentive compensation and bonus programs are managed proactively and collaboratively with the Finance Department to ensure effective implementation.

- Oversee the company’s compensation plans and policies, adhering to all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, ensuring compliance and protecting the organization from potential legal issues.

**Education And Experience Requirements**

-  Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related field required.

- Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive experience managing both payroll and benefits functions, including health and welfare, retirement (401k), compensation management and voluntary programs.

- Proven experience in multi-location, multi-state payroll processing and tax compliance.

- Expert knowledge of federal and state regulations governing payroll and benefit plans, including ERISA, FLSA, FMLA, and ACA; ERISA knowledge required.

-  Advanced proficiency with UKG Pro (UltiPro) or ADP Workforce Now HRIS/Payroll systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

- Strong analytical competence including benefits modeling, scenario planning, and payroll reconciliation.

- Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple concurrent projects while meeting deadlines.

- Professional certification such as CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist), CPM, or similar designation is a strong plus.

- This position will be based in the Atlanta Office on a Hybrid Schedule.

**Knowledge/Skills/Abilities**

- Planning and Organizing- Accomplishes goals through establishing priorities and organizing the workload to meet deadlines in a timely fashion. Manages time wisely and effectively prioritizes multiple, competing tasks. Plans, organizes, and actively manages meetings for maximum productivity.

- Communication- Establishes, monitors, and improves communication channels that foster open communications, within the team and across the organization. Matches the right medium (e.g., phone, email, etc.) to the message and uses good judgment in sharing information. Superior written communication skills.

- Results-Oriented- Influences events to achieve or exceed goals. Is dedicated to achieving outcomes without compromising core processes, values, or procedures. Conveys a sense of urgency to make things happen - wants results. Respects the need to balance short-term and long-term goals. Has the energy / work ethic to maintain the pace required to produce company results.

- Problem Solving/Decision Making - Considers options and alternative courses of action to make rational and realistic decisions in a timely manner. Asks open-ended questions to gather information and listens carefully to responses. Uses resources to gather collective ideas on issues to better arrive at a timely decision. Utilizes computer skills and tools such as Excel, Microsoft Word, and Power Point effectively to fulfill the position requirements.

Payroll and Benefits Manager

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