The Role
The Payroll & Benefits Manager oversees payroll and benefits programs, ensuring accuracy and compliance, while providing strategic direction and leadership in partnership with HR and Finance.
Summary Generated by Built In
Join a team that’s transforming mental healthcare. Founded by psychiatrists, Headlight is more than a company: it’s a movement. A movement that exists on the front lines of the mental health crisis, transforming the way people access care and the way clinicians deliver it. In order to help people in their time of need and ensure that every person who comes to us has options, we are transparent about our capabilities, treatments, and coverage, we champion innovation, and we leverage our rich data to continuously implement better ways of delivering care. Our mission is simple but powerful: Improving lives, one session at a time.
Our highly skilled and principled clinical team enjoys autonomy and institutional support so they can put their focus where it should be: on improving patient outcomes. Our clinicians want to do more than help individual clients, so they work to affect the system as a whole, elevating standards of care so that their efforts reverberate far beyond what they could do in private practice.
As the most trusted behavioral health partner in the Western U.S., we’ve established deep relationships that give us unparalleled access, interoperability, and first-priority referrals. This exclusivity, combined with our best-in-class coordinated care and feedback loops, results in superior outcomes and cost savings.
Our services are convenient, accessible, and expert, combining personalized client engagement with advanced technology to enhance, not replace, human connection. Indeed, we hold that human-to-human relationships are indispensable, so from the match to the session to the time between sessions, we provide whole person care so nobody falls through the cracks and there is a brighter path forward for all.
The Payroll & Benefits Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing all payroll and employee benefits programs to ensure accuracy, compliance, and exceptional service delivery. This role provides leadership and strategic direction for payroll and benefits administration, including retirement plans, while partnering closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors. The position requires strong analytical skills, regulatory expertise, and the ability to develop and execute action plans to resolve complex payroll and benefits issues.
Our Pillars
- Make things easier.
- Forge genuine connections.
- Elevate the standard.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Oversee end-to-end payroll processing to ensure accurate and timely payment of wages, bonuses, and deductions
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements
- Review and approve payroll reports, reconciliations, and audits
- Develop, document, and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex payroll discrepancies and system issues
- Partner with Finance to ensure proper accounting, funding, and reconciliation of payroll liabilities
- Serve as the primary escalation point for payroll-related inquiries and issues
- Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, and process improvements
- Manage all employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and leave programs
- Oversee open enrollment planning, communications, and execution
- Ensure accurate enrollment, changes, and terminations across all benefit plans
- Reconcile benefit vendor invoices and resolve discrepancies
- Maintain compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA)
- Act as the primary liaison with brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators
- Manage the company’s 401(k) and retirement plans in compliance with ERISA and IRS regulations
- Oversee employee enrollments, contributions, employer match processing, loans, and distributions
- Reconcile retirement plan contributions between payroll and plan providers
- Coordinate annual compliance testing, audits, and required filings (e.g., Form 5500)
- Partner with plan advisors and TPAs to ensure plan effectiveness and compliance
- Provide leadership and guidance on retirement plan education and communications
- Lead, mentor, and develop payroll and benefits staff (as applicable)
- Establish performance standards, workflows, and accountability measures
- Identify risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for continuous improvement
- Develop and implement corrective action plans to address recurring payroll or benefits issues
- Support special projects, system implementations, audits, and cross-functional initiatives
Payroll Management
Benefits Administration
401(k) / Retirement Plan Administration
Leadership & Strategy
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll and benefits administration
- Prior management or lead experience strongly preferred
- Hands-on experience administering 401(k) or retirement plans
- Experience with HRIS and payroll systems (e.g., ADP, Workday, Paychex, UKG)
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)
- Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
- Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) or Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA)
- SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP or PHR / SPHR
- Advanced knowledge of payroll operations and benefits administration
- Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and risk management
- Proven ability to troubleshoot issues and develop actionable solutions
- Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
- High attention to detail with strong analytical and organizational abilities
- Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and professionalism
Education & Experience
Certifications (Preferred)
Skills & Competencies
Benefits
- Medical, Dental and Vision on the first of the month after employment
- Paid Vacation, Sick, and Holiday time
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential counseling services, resources, and support to help you navigate personal or professional challenges.
- 401(k) plan with company contribution
- Opportunity to work in a cutting-edge healthcare technology environment
- Professional development opportunities and training
- Collaborative and supportive work culture
- Impactful role contributing to the enhancement of patient care and healthcare processes
If you need any accommodations for your interview please email [email protected] prior to scheduling.
Not meeting all the requirements? Research indicates that women, communities of color, and historically underrepresented individuals are often hesitant to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. We are committed to cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and genuine workplace. If you're enthusiastic about this position but your previous experience doesn't precisely match every qualification listed, we enthusiastically encourage you to submit your application. You could be the ideal candidate for this role or others!
Headlight is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness and seeks to create a working environment reflective of this commitment. We seek to provide a diverse clinician base to support the diversity of our clients. Headlight supports and respects diversity of people, culture, and ideas throughout our organization. Headlight thrives to be a welcoming, diverse and discrimination- and harassment-free workplace.
By applying for this position, you consent to receive future communications from Headlight via email or text regarding this application and related employment opportunities. You may opt-out at anytime by contacting us directly.
Job Postings on Indeed and other job boards may post with total compensation (base + bonus). For the exact base salary range please check our website or our job-site
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field
- 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll and benefits administration
- Prior management or lead experience
- Hands-on experience administering 401(k) or retirement plans
- Experience with HRIS and payroll systems (e.g., ADP, Workday, Paychex, UKG)
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The Company
What We Do
Headlight is a mental healthcare provider founded by psychiatrists that offers a full-circle approach to mental wellness, including therapy, medication management, and support groups. They operate through both virtual and in-person sessions, aiming to simplify access to care and improve patient outcomes by combining personalized clinical engagement with advanced technology. They are recognized as a trusted behavioral health partner in the Western U.S.
