Associate, Payroll Operations

Vestwell•Austin, NY

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

Vestwell is the financial technology company powering the savings economy. Our platform redefines how people save for retirement, education, and healthcare. We are expanding our Operations team with entry-level Operations Associates who are passionate about changing the retirement Fin-Tech space. This role requires exceptional attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple priorities. You will be key to powering transactions on the platform, ensuring it runs at full speed, and exercising independent judgment in resolving complex, high-impact operational issues that affect client outcomes and regulatory compliance. A self-starter mentality is essential, with the ability to dive into challenges, evaluate multiple courses of action, and find creative solutions within established operational and regulatory frameworks.

Requirements

Strong Excel proficiency (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs) to analyze data and support operational decision-making.
Comfort working in a start-up 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; a high degree of accuracy and sound judgment is required.
Ability to manage time effectively, balance competing priorities, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
Strong verbal and written communication skills to clearly document findings, explain recommendations, and escalate issues appropriately.
Problem-solving skills, including the ability to research, analyze, and apply judgment to determine appropriate 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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Regularly exercise independent judgment on matters of significance that materially affect payroll accuracy, participant eligibility, deferrals, data integrity, and client outcomes.
Independently identify, investigate, and resolve complex, high-priority issues within established operational, regulatory, and ERISA-related frameworks.
Evaluate multiple potential courses of action, assess risk, urgency, and business impact, and determine appropriate remediation and escalation paths.
Apply policies and standards with discretion to fact-specific situations, prioritize work, and communicate effectively.
Drive resolutions to completion, including direct interaction with internal partners and external stakeholders.
Develop and maintain internal and client-facing knowledge bases.
Identify opportunities for incremental process improvements and raise recommendations through appropriate channels.
Support and guide team members by monitoring workload volume, exercising discretion in day-to-day prioritization, and ensuring timely and accurate remediation of complex operational issues.
Collaborate with teams across Vestwell to surface operational insights, document trends, and contribute input on platform enhancements and procedural efficiencies.
Maximize team efficiency through timely completion of assigned tasks and projects, using independent judgment to triage, sort, and assign incoming work.
Identify, investigate, and resolve discrepancies in high-priority payroll, deferrals, eligibility, and related activities by applying established processes and exercising discretion in analysis, escalation, and resolution.