Payroll & Benefits Manager

Progressive experience and expertise in payroll administration or Total Rewards operations, including ownership of end-to-end payroll processing. Demonstrated ability to evaluate processes, strengthen controls, and proactively improve payroll and benefits operations over time.

Strong experience managing payroll in a complex or multi-entity environment.

Experience administering employee benefits programs and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Experience tracking benefits participation, utilization, and cost trends and preparing reporting that supports program oversight and decision-making.

Advanced proficiency in HRIS systems; ADP Workforce Now experience preferred.

Advanced Excel proficiency with the ability to analyze payroll and workforce data, reconcile complex datasets, and support reporting and workforce analytics.

Manage administration of employee benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, FSA/HSA, and wellness programs.

Administer benefits enrollment processes including new hires, open enrollment, qualifying life events, and terminations.

Ensure benefits programs comply with applicable federal and state regulations including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and related requirements.

Use benefits data to identify trends and provide recommendations that improve program effectiveness, employee understanding, and cost management

Support administration of the organization’s self-funded medical plan by monitoring claims reporting, reviewing plan performance, and coordinating with vendors and advisors.

Maintain strong relationships with benefit brokers, carriers, and administrators to ensure programs run smoothly and issues are resolved quickly.

The Payroll & Benefits Manager owns payroll, benefits administration, and leave programs for Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and Tacoma Defiance. This role ensures more than 400 employees across multiple entities and payroll cycles are paid accurately and on time and receive the benefits they depend on.

The position oversees payroll processing, benefits administration, leave programs, HRIS payroll transactions, and required regulatory reporting. In addition to administering these programs, the Payroll & Benefits Manager monitors benefits participation, utilization, and cost trends and uses data and analysis to identify insights, inform decisions, and recommend improvements to program performance over time.

This role operates with a high degree of ownership and accountability for outcomes across payroll and benefits operations. The Payroll & Benefits Manager maintains strong processes, clear controls, and reliable workforce data while continually evaluating opportunities to improve systems, streamline workflows, and strengthen the employee experience. Success in this role requires both attention to detail and a proactive, analytical mindset—someone who not only executes programs effectively but seeks to understand how they can operate better.

Payroll and benefits operations are foundational to employee trust and organizational stability. By ensuring accuracy, compliance, and operational consistency, this role helps create confidence in the programs employees rely on and supports the continued growth of the organization.

The Payroll & Benefits Manager is part of the People & Culture team, which is responsible for building the systems, programs, and workplace that allow our people to perform at their best. Our success is measured by strong employee trust, operational excellence, and our ability to support the performance of our clubs. In this role, the manager serves as a trusted operational partner within the team—bringing curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement to the way payroll and benefits programs evolve over time.