Payroll and Benefits Manager

About the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF):

MHASF is a mental health peer-run nonprofit located in downtown San Francisco serving people and agencies across the Bay Area since 1947. As mental health consumers ourselves, we center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs, and believe that dignity and recovery in mental health are something everyone can experience. Our staff is dedicated to creating spaces for learning and healing around stigmatized and under-resourced areas in mental health—hoarding and cluttering behavior, peer employment support, wellness & nutrition, community-based crisis response, service navigation, and more. MHASF strongly-encourages people with lived experience of mental health challenges to apply and grow with us! 

Department: Human Resources

Job Status: Full-Time (40 hours/week), Exempt

Hours & Location:

• General business hours are 9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday
• Hybrid schedule: Minimum 2 days in office but can change depending on payroll needs
• Occasional extended hours during peak periods (e.g., year-end, open enrollment) 

Salary: $75,000 - $85,000 per year

Benefits:

• 100% Employer Paid Medical: Kaiser HMO or Blue Shield PPO
• 100% Dental, vision, life & long-term disability coverage; EAP
• Over 30+ days of PTO including: 10 vacation-days (to start), sick-days, personal days, and major holidays
• Health and Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Check, and 403(b) options available
• Ongoing access to MHASF continuing education and skill-building workshops- all training time paid
• Excellent opportunity for advancement-over 70% of our staff have been promoted internally at least once!

Reports To: Employee Relations Manager

Overview of Position:

The Payroll and Benefits Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing the organization’s payroll and employee benefits programs. This role ensures accurate and timely payroll processing, compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and the effective administration of benefits programs including health insurance, retirement plans, and leave policies. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, highly organized, and experienced in both payroll systems and benefits administration, as well as HR generalist experience. 

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Management 

• Oversee and process bi-weekly payroll for all employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations 
• Maintain payroll records and reports, ensuring confidentiality and data integrity 
• Manage year-end processes including W-2s, tax filings, and audits 
• Resolve payroll discrepancies and respond to employee inquiries in a timely manner 

Benefits Administration 

• Administer employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, 401(k), and leaves of absence  
• Serve as the primary point of contact for benefits vendors and brokers 
• Coordinate annual open enrollment and communicate benefits changes to employees 
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable regulations 

Compliance & Reporting 

• Stay current with changes in payroll and benefits laws and regulations 
• Prepare and submit required reports to government agencies 
• Support internal and external audits related to payroll and benefits 

Team Collaboration & Support 

• Partner with HR, Finance, and other departments to ensure seamless operations 
• Provide training and guidance to HR staff on payroll and benefits procedures 
• Continuously evaluate and improve payroll and benefits processes 

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the above list of responsibilities is intended to provide a general overview of duties to be assigned and in no way is a comprehensive list of position duties and responsibilities.  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field preferred 
• 3+ years of experience in payroll and benefits administration. 
• Strong knowledge of payroll systems and HRIS platforms, specifically Paycom 
• In-depth understanding of federal and state payroll and benefits regulations 
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills 
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or similar certification is a plus 

Physical Requirements 

The position requires long periods of work at a desk, which may involve sitting or standing and the use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and desk phone. The office building and between floors of the building, and to travel short distances (under 1 mile) is required. Other physical tasks may involve reaching, pulling, pushing, bending, climbing a stepladder, use of a dolly to move items weighing up to 50 lbs., and lifting and carrying up to 20 lbs. 

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Mental health challenges can affect anyone at any time, regardless of identity or background, and consequently the communities we serve are highly diverse. As a peer-run organization, we also recognize the importance of lived experience as an irreplaceable form of expertise and as a basis for building trust and providing effective services. We welcome and strongly encourage people from historically marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups, including people who identify as disabled or neurodivergent, to apply to work with us. 

MHASF is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other factor not related to ability to successfully fulfill the requirements of the position.