Payroll & Benefits Administrator

About the Company

SonderMind is focused on making therapy more accessible and tailored to individual needs, using technology to connect patients with appropriate in-network therapists and support clinicians in delivering strong care outcomes. The organization builds mental healthcare tools and services around note-taking, secure telehealth, outcome tracking, messaging, and direct booking.

About the Role

As a Payroll and Benefits Administrator on the People Operations team, you will own payroll processing from start to finish for a growing employee base, with especially close attention to California wage-and-hour compliance. The role is centered in UKG and combines accurate payroll execution with responsive benefits administration in a fast-paced, people-first environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Run semi-monthly payroll for the full employee population using UKG Pro and Workforce Management tools, while staying aligned with applicable state wage-and-hour laws.
• Review payroll information before each close to catch mistakes, mismatches, and missing data.
• Handle employee questions about pay and quickly work through payroll-related issues.
• Address payroll matters such as taxes, garnishments, and system setup or configuration concerns.
• Assist managers with timecard checks, approval steps, and UKG timekeeping problems.
• Administer employee benefits processes, including enrollments, qualifying life changes, terminations, carrier file transfers, and general employee support.
• Keep employee data current in UKG, including compensation, deductions, and tax withholding details.
• Contribute to year-end activities such as W-2 support, commission letter handling and delivery, and reconciliations.
• Support the company’s 401(k) program, including reporting review and reconciliation work tied to compliance.
• Take on additional tasks as needed based on business priorities.

Success Milestones

• By 30 days, you should be onboarded in UKG and able to complete a full payroll cycle with supervision and consistent accuracy across employee groups.
• By 60 days, you should be running payroll with limited support, correctly applying California-specific rules such as final pay, meal and rest break premiums, and SDI, while identifying exceptions early.
• By 90 days, you should be working independently, owning payroll end to end, resolving discrepancies without escalation, and keeping compliance on track across states.
• By 1 year, you should have a strong record of punctual, accurate payroll with no compliance misses, contribute ideas to improve UKG processes, and be a dependable internal resource for California payroll questions.

What We're Looking For

• 1-2 years of practical payroll processing experience, including complete payroll cycles.
• Experience with UKG, such as UltiPro or UKG Pro, and familiarity with Kronos or similar HRIS and payroll systems.
• Working knowledge of California payroll rules, including overtime, meal and rest break premiums, and final pay requirements.
• Understanding of core federal payroll requirements such as FLSA, tax handling, and W-2 reporting.
• Comfort using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for audits and reconciliation work.
• Strong eye for detail and the ability to spot and fix payroll errors.
• Clear critical-thinking and problem-solving ability, with a willingness to investigate issues thoroughly.
• An associate degree or higher in Accounting, Business, or a related area, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with multi-state payroll is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary range for this position is $68,000 to $75,000.

• Flexible hybrid work approach.
• At least three weeks of PTO each year.
• Free therapy coverage for eligible employees enrolled in the medical plan.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans, plus HSA with a $1,100 company contribution and FSA options.
• Company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, and AD&D coverage.
• Salary top-up during short-term disability leave for up to seven weeks after the waiting period.
• Eight weeks of paid parental leave, with the possibility of 8-16 weeks total if STD also applies.
• 401(k) plan with 100% match on contributions up to 4% of base pay, vesting immediately.
• Annual travel to Denver for the Shift gathering.
• Fourteen company holidays.
• Company shutdown period between Christmas and New Year.
• Supplemental life insurance, pet insurance, commuter benefits, and additional offerings.

Application and Hiring Information

This role is open on an ongoing basis and will remain available until filled. The company uses technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support recruiting activities such as scheduling, note-taking, transcriptions, organizing candidate details, and outreach. Final hiring decisions are made by human recruiters and hiring managers, not by automated systems. If you need an accommodation, an alternate process, or want to discuss the review of a recruiting decision, you may contact talent@sondermind.com.

Equal Opportunity

SonderMind follows equal opportunity employment practices and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or childbirth-related conditions, religion, veteran or military status, marital status, domestic partnership status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law.