Associate, Payroll Operations

Overview

Join Vestwell as an Associate, Payroll Operations to help power our fintech platform that supports over 350,000 businesses and 1.5 million savers across the U.S. Vestwell offers retirement plans, student loan repayment benefits, and savings accounts for education, emergencies, and individual needs.

The Associate operates independently on complex payroll accuracy, participant eligibility, deferrals, data integrity, and compliance with ERISA, regulations, and Vestwell’s operational frameworks. You will investigate and resolve high‑priority operational issues, assess risk, and determine remediation and escalation paths while interacting with internal teams and external stakeholders. Your judgment directly supports Vestwell’s compliance obligations, operational continuity, and client experience.

• Exercise independent judgment while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on payroll accuracy, eligibility, deferrals, and data integrity.
• Develop and maintain internal and client‑facing knowledge bases; identify opportunities for incremental process improvements; raise recommendations based on investigative analysis and trend identification.
• Prioritize a high volume of complex operational issues; determine urgency, client impact, and escalation paths; ensure timely remediation.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to surface operational insights, document trends, and contribute to platform enhancements and procedural efficiencies informed by recurring issues and operational scenarios.
• Triage incoming work across platforms based on urgency and service‑level expectations; maximize team efficiency by completing tasks and projects on time.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve discrepancies in payroll, deferrals, eligibility, and related activities by applying established processes and exercising discretion to ensure data accuracy and regulatory compliance.

• Strong Excel proficiency (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs) to analyze data and support operational decision‑making.
• Comfort working in a startup environment with autonomy over task execution and prioritization while operating within established policies and procedures that require judgment in interpretation and application.
• Exceptional analytical and detail‑oriented aptitude and a high degree of accuracy and sound judgment.
• Ability to manage time effectively, balance competing priorities, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision while independently determining sequencing and urgency.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to document findings, explain recommendations, and appropriately escalated issues.
• Problem‑solving skills, including researching, analyzing, and applying judgment to determine next steps or escalation paths.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of formal education and work experience.
• 1 year of relevant experience in Financial Services, Operations, or SaaS industries.

• Payroll system experience.
• Proficiency with productivity tools, especially JIRA.
• Retirement industry experience including exposure to ERISA‑governed processes or regulated operational environments.

Remote or hybrid in one of Vestwell’s offices (New York City, Austin, King of Prussia, or Phoenix). Base salary $60,000‑$72,000 plus bonus pool and equity.

Competitive health coverage, generous vacation, 401(k) plan.

Our process includes screening, interview panels, and reference checks. Contact  for inquiries.