Payroll & Benefits Coordinator

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

As Payroll & Benefits Coordinator, you will be responsible for supporting  on-time payroll processing and effective benefits administration. We are seeking someone detail-oriented to support semi-monthly payroll, ensuring accuracy in all areas while meeting and applying all payroll controls accordingly. Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Payroll & Benefits, you’ll partner closely with the People team to ensure data integrity and support payroll and benefits cycles. You will also serve as a key resource to our employees, efficiently and effectively answering any payroll and benefits questions on a timely basis. 

This is a salaried, non-exempt role that 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: $70,000 - $83,000

A Day in the Life

Payroll Processing

• Prepare semi-monthly payroll for exempt and non-exempt employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Review and reconcile timesheets, PTO balances, and payroll data inputs prior to each pay run
• Process payroll adjustments including new hires, terminations, pay changes, garnishments, and voluntary deductions
• Support preparation of year-end payroll activities including W-2 distribution and reconciliation
• Respond to employee inquiries about pay, deductions, and paycheck reconciliation  in a timely and professional manner

Benefits Administration

• Administer employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k), FSA/HSA, and wellness offerings
• Coordinate open enrollment periods — prepare communications, host informational sessions, and guide employees through elections
• Process enrollments, qualifying life event changes, and terminations with insurance carriers and benefit platforms
• Reconcile monthly benefit invoices and coordinate with Finance to ensure accurate payroll deductions
• Serve as a first point of contact for employee questions about coverage, eligibility, and claims

Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records in the HRIS and payroll system 
• Assist with compliance filings and reporting, including ACA, COBRA, ERISA, and state/local requirements
• Support audits of payroll and benefits data to ensure data integrity
• Monitor and track FMLA and leave of absence documentation in partnership with the HR team

Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with HR Business Partners, Finance, and People Operations on projects and process improvements
• Assist with onboarding new hires by conducting benefits orientations and ensuring timely enrollment
• Generate standard and ad hoc payroll and benefits reports for internal stakeholders

What we’re looking for

• 1-2 years of experience in payroll processing and benefits administration
• Hands-on experience in ADP or comparable HRIS
• Familiarity with employment laws, leave regulations, and benefits compliance 
• Proficiency in Excel / Google Sheets and comfort with HR technology
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, and follow-through
• Strong communication and customer service skills are a must
• Ability to handle confidential data professionally and with discretion

Join a team built on these core values

We change lives

Be a part of a community of innovators working to transform financial outcomes for real people. Your work will make an impact, always laddering up to our mission; to empower people to build wealth with confidence and ease**.**

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 simplify financial services

We’re financial services pioneers, always finding new ways to improve, optimize, and enhance. Constant improvement is in our DNA.

 Our Commitment to Your Total Well-being:

• We offer a competitive suite of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; infertility support and WPATH-aligned transgender health benefits; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); transit benefits and FSA and HSA options
• Ownership: Equity for all employees, including new hire and refresher grants.
• Time: Flexible paid time off, paid parental leave, and a fully paid four-week sabbatical in your sixth year.
• Growth: Company-paid professional coaching for all employees.
• Wealth: Day-one 401(k) match plus matching on qualified student loan payments.

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.