Payroll and Benefits Manager

About the Position

We are seeking a Payroll and Benefits Manager that will own U.S. payroll operations and employee benefits administration, with Workday serving as the core platform for both functions. This hands-on role combines day-to-day execution with responsibility for accurate data, strong controls, compliance, vendor performance, and continuous improvement.

You will initially partner with our external payroll resources to bring payroll knowledge and recurring operations in-house. Working closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, IT, and external partners, you will build reliable, well-documented processes that ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, receive responsive benefits support, and can rely on a consistent employee experience.

Duties

Payroll Operations and Accounting

• Own end-to-end payroll for assigned U.S. entities and pay groups, including time and payroll inputs, calculations, validations, exception review, approvals, settlement coordination, and post-payroll activities.
• Maintain the payroll calendar; coordinate regular and off-cycle payrolls, bonuses, corrections, retroactive adjustments, and final pay.
• Review payroll variances and exceptions before finalization; resolve missing or unapproved timecards with managers and research employee pay discrepancies promptly.
• Manage quarter-end and year-end activities, including payroll tax reconciliations, W-2 processing, and coordination of filings, deposits, notices, and amendments with tax providers.
• Coordinate payroll funding with Finance and Treasury and ensure payroll and funding are released only after appropriate review and authorization.

Benefits and Retirement Plan Administration

• Manage day-to-day administration of U.S. medical, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness, and retirement plans, including eligibility, enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminations.
• Lead annual open enrollment, including planning, Workday configuration and testing, employee communications, enrollment validation, and resolution of carrier or system issues.
• Manage relationships with brokers, carriers, retirement plan providers, and other benefits vendors; monitor service quality, resolve escalations, and support renewals and plan recommendations with cost and utilization analysis.
• Reconcile benefit invoices, employee deductions, employer contributions, and retirement plan remittances; resolve discrepancies and coordinate timely payments and contribution submissions.
• Coordinate benefits compliance activities, required notices, reporting, and plan audits with brokers, administrators, counsel, and internal partners, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, and HIPAA requirements, as applicable.
• Coordinate leave administration and related pay and benefits changes with People & Culture and external administrators to maintain accurate records and consistent employee support.
• Serve as the escalation point for payroll, benefits, and retirement plan questions; explain processes clearly and handle sensitive information with discretion.

Workday Ownership and Data Integrity

• Serve as the internal functional owner and subject-matter expert for Workday Payroll and Benefits, with responsibility for related HCM data, workflows, reporting, and interfaces.
• Maintain and troubleshoot functional configuration, business processes, reports, calculated fields, and payroll and benefits integrations; engage specialized resources when needed.
• Partner with IT and other Workday owners on access, enhancements, releases, and production changes; ensure changes are documented, tested, approved, and validated.
• Audit employee, time, pay, and benefits data across Workday and provider systems; develop reports that identify errors and exceptions before they affect employees or financial results.

Controls and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain documented payroll and benefits controls, segregation of duties, approval requirements, reconciliations, and audit evidence; support internal and external audits.
• Monitor applicable federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and benefits requirements and implement operational changes with appropriate internal and external guidance.
• Own the Payroll Playbook and benefits procedures; document critical processes, system dependencies, and troubleshooting steps, and establish cross-training and backup coverage.
• Manage external payroll, benefits, and Workday resources; transition recurring payroll responsibilities internally and use outside support for specialized expertise or additional capacity.
• Automate manual processes and reporting, track accuracy, timeliness, reconciliation, and issue resolution, and develop scalable processes that support growth and acquisitions.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, human resources, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Seven years of progressive U.S. payroll experience, including independent ownership of complex, multi-state payroll and demonstrated leadership of payroll operations, projects, or service providers
• Three years of hands-on U.S. benefits administration experience, including open enrollment, carrier coordination, retirement plans, reconciliations, and employee support
• Strong knowledge of payroll accounting, payroll tax administration, payroll-to-GL reconciliations, and controls, along with a working knowledge of U.S. benefits compliance requirements
• Strong analytical skills and Excel proficiency; ability to investigate complex discrepancies, document processes, prioritize competing deadlines, and communicate clearly with employees and business partners

Desired Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation
• Three years of Workday Payroll experience
• Prior Workday implementation, configuration, or optimization experience
• Experience in a multi-entity or acquisition-driven business

Good to Know

• Onsite in San Diego, CA
• Salary Range: $111,000 - $146,000, yearly + comprehensive benefits