Sr. Manager, Payroll and Benefits
$135k - $155k USD
About Betterment
Betterment is a leading, technology-driven financial services company that offers investing, savings and retirement solutions for retail investors and investment advisors as well as financial wellness solutions, including a 401(k) for small and medium-sized businesses. Our team is passionate about our mission, to empower people to build wealth with confidence and ease. We’re headquartered in NYC and offer hybrid NY-based positions (four days/ week in-office, with no required office days during the summer and winter holidays).
About the role
We’re seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll and Benefits to lead and operate our payroll and benefits processes end to end. This is a hands-on role focused on operational excellence, regulatory compliance, strong internal controls, and a high-quality employee experience at scale.
You will personally manage payroll processing and oversee the day-to-day administration of benefits programs. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working in the details, ensuring things run smoothly, and building reliable, well-controlled processes.
You’ll partner closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors to ensure payroll and benefits operations are compliant, timely, and employee-friendly.
This role is based out of our NYC office. Below we've reflected the base salary range we would offer for this position. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Betterment’s total compensation package for employees.
- New York City: $135,000 - $155,000
We offer a competitive equity package, health, dental and vision benefits, life and AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, EAP, commuter and parking benefits FSA/HSA, and 401(k) with employer match as well as a flexible PTO policy. This job may also be eligible for variable compensation in the form of a company incentive bonus. For jobs based out of our NYC HQ, we require in office attendance Monday through Thursday, weekly.
What you’ll do
- Own and execute end-to-end multi-state U.S. payroll processing ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance
- Manage regular and off-cycle payroll, including bonuses, equity, terminations, and other complex pay scenarios
- Own payroll tax compliance end-to-end, including federal, state, and local withholding, remittance, registrations, reconciliations, audits, and resolution of tax notices
- Oversee quarterly and annual payroll tax filings (941s, state equivalents, FUTA, SUTA) and ensure timely and accurate reporting
- Partner with Finance and external advisors on payroll tax strategy, risk mitigation, and process improvements
- Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, accruals, journal entries, and close activities
- Maintain strong internal controls and documentation to support compliance and audit readiness
- Oversee administration of health, retirement, leave, and ancillary benefit programs
- Lead open enrollment planning and execution, including vendor coordination and employee communications
- Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and applicable federal and state regulations
- Manage relationships with brokers and third-party administrators to ensure service quality and operational effectiveness
- Serve as an escalation point for complex payroll and benefits issues
- Continuously improve payroll and benefits workflows, systems configuration, and data integrity
- Monitor regulatory changes and implement necessary updates
What we’re looking for
- 7+ years of progressive, hands-on payroll and benefits experience in a multi-state environment
- Demonstrated experience independently running payroll operations
- Deep knowledge of U.S. payroll tax regulations and benefits compliance
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- High level of discretion when handling confidential employee data
- Experience with enterprise HRIS and payroll platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar systems)
- CPP, CEBS, or related certifications preferred
What being at Betterment means for you
We change lives
Join a community of innovators working to transform financial outcomes for real people. Your work will make an impact, always laddering up to our mission: making people's lives better.
We set audacious goals
We set them for the company, our customers, and ourselves—and we won’t stop until we reach them. We don’t just show up; we give our all, then celebrate our wins.
We value all perspectives
When we collaborate, we're at our best. We believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes and strive to uphold our supportive and inclusive community.
We invest in you with:
- A competitive suite of benefits, including: medical, dental, and vision insurance; life and AD&D insurance; STD and LTD benefits, including infertility support and World Professional Association for Transgender Health approved benefits; and generous parental leave.
- Flexible paid time off (and encouragement to use it!)
- Meaningful opportunity for community building through our 7 Employee Resource Groups
- Empowerment to own and lead change and affect the business
- Dedicated professional development opportunities
- Lunch from our in-house chef at our NYC headquarters
What happens next
We’ll take a few weeks to review all applications. If we’d like to spend more time with you, we’ll reach out to arrange next steps, which will include 3-4 sets of meetings with your future colleagues.
In the interview process, we’ll look to learn more about your skills, experiences, capabilities, and motivators. Many of our questions will be aimed at understanding how you might operate here at Betterment. Depending on the role, we may ask you to complete a case study exercise or technical assessments, as we want to collect a robust set of data points to better inform our decisions.
On average, it takes us around 3-5 weeks to make a hiring decision, depending on your availability and sense of urgency. As a best practice, we aim to interview at least 2-3 final round candidates before making a hiring decision. Please note that, as we usually receive an overwhelming number of applications for open positions, we’re unable to offer individual feedback during the interview process.
We recognize that interviewing for a new role is a big deal. We appreciate you considering Betterment as the next step in your career, and our Recruiting Team is here to support and advocate for you through the interview process!
Betterment is dedicated to providing accommodations to candidates upon request. If you need accommodations at any point throughout the interview process, please reach out to your recruiter.
Please note that in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
Come join us!
We’re an equal opportunity employer and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. We strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), sexual orientation, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, predisposing genetic characteristic, domestic violence victim status, arrest records, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
E-Verify Statement
Betterment participates in E-Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration, and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. Please note that we do not use this information to pre-screen job applicants.
E-Verify Notice
E-Verify Notice (Spanish)
Right to Work Notice
Right to Work Notice (Spanish)
CPRA Language - CA Applicants ONLY
We collect and store personal information for the purposes of candidate tracking (for this role and future opportunities). The information you provide in the course of completing your application will be kept for up to 24 months. We use tools provided by third-party service providers but do not share candidate information for any purpose other than for recruiting. To access the data that is collected, request deletion or to make updates to your candidate profile, please email team.hire@betterment.com.