Payroll & Benefits Administrator

At IDEO, we use design to create new products, services, experiences, tangible strategies, and creative capabilities. As the Payroll & Benefits Administrator on our Talent team, you will be a steady engine behind the employee experience. In this role, you will ensure our payroll, retirement, and benefits programs run accurately, compliantly, and with care. You will partner closely with People and Finance to manage biweekly payroll, 401(k) administration, open enrollment, reporting, and global mobility logistics—bringing both rigor and empathy to the details that matter most.

• Manage biweekly payroll processing, ensuring accuracy and timeliness within ADP
• Oversee W2 preparation and year-end payroll activities
• Conduct NDX testing and support payroll compliance audits
• Execute and review quarterly payroll adjustments
• Administer our 401k program, including enrollments, compliance testing, and vendor coordination
• Lead operational execution of open enrollment, partnering on communications and education
• Support global mobility processes for employees relocating across markets
• Partner with the Finance team on payroll-related financial reporting, reconciliations, and forecasting inputs
• Identify opportunities to streamline systems and improve clarity across compensation and benefits processes
• Monthly benefits billing reconciliation
• Manage expense report approvals 
• Ad hoc projects as needed

• Experience managing biweekly payroll with accuracy and care, ideally using ADP or a similar system
• Working knowledge of U.S. payroll compliance, including W-2 preparation and year-end activities
• Experience administering 401(k) and employee benefits programs, including enrollments and vendor coordination
• Comfort supporting open enrollment operations and benefits billing reconciliation
• Ability to partner with Talent and Finance on payroll reporting, reconciliations, and adjustments
• Experience maintaining audit readiness and payroll compliance processes
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple operational workflows simultaneously
• A collaborative, service-oriented approach when working across People, Finance, and external partners
• Curiosity and initiative to improve systems and streamline payroll and benefits processes

• Detail as craft — You understand that precision builds trust.
• Systems thinker — You see payroll and benefits as interconnected ecosystems, not transactions.
• Calm under deadlines — Quarter-end and year-end moments don’t rattle you.
• Human-centered operator — You balance compliance with empathy.
• Collaborative partner — You move fluidly between People, Finance, and external vendors.

IDEO is a place where you can solve diverse, complex challenges for our clients and their organizations, alongside thoughtful, intelligent individuals who lead with curiosity, empathy, and humility. We intentionally craft moments that allow our community to pause, create, and connect. We encourage our community to bring their whole selves to work, respect the need for work-life balance, and allow for autonomy in the design process and your career.