People & Benefits Assistant, US

About us

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Build a newsworthy career at the FT.

Our commitment to a fair and inclusive workplace

At the FT, we are committed to creating a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone has equal opportunity to succeed. We welcome and value different perspectives and strive to ensure all employees are heard and supported. We believe people do their best work when they can be themselves and have the flexibility they need to balance their work and personal lives. We are an equal opportunity employer and align with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination.

The role / Position overview

We are in search of a People & Benefits Assistant, US to join the Financial Times’ Global People team. This role provides critical HR and payroll administrative support for the FT’s US operations. You’ll play an integral role in supporting our people processes and ensuring smooth delivery of benefits, onboarding, offboarding, and HR systems administration.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual looking to grow their HR career in a dynamic, global media environment. You will gain exposure to the full spectrum of the People function, with opportunities to contribute to both US-specific and global HR initiatives. We are seeking someone who thrives in change, embraces innovation, and is eager to make an impact within a collaborative and forward-thinking team.

Key responsibilities

Payroll

• Support Workday HRIS implementation and updates; maintain timely and accurate employee changes.

• Ensure employee data integrity and compliance for payroll processing.

• Lead payroll change documentation workflows and connect with vendors and internal departments.

• Ensure all payroll transactions align with internal policies and government regulations.

• Run compensation and other reports as required.

Benefits

• Process benefit changes for hires, terminations, life events, and COBRA enrollments.

• Serve as primary contact for employee benefit-related inquiries.

• Review and process benefit invoices from vendors.

• Coordinate with benefit vendors and brokers to resolve issues promptly.

• Handle processing of medical leave requests.

Administration

• Lead onboarding and offboarding cycles, including offer letters and final entitlements.

• Support local and global L&D initiatives including event logistics.

• Partner with the Global Mobility team for expat onboarding/offboarding including payroll and immigration documentation.

• Provide guidance to employees on US People policies and procedures.

• Contribute to special projects and general team support as needed.

Required skills / experience

• At least 1 year of relevant Human Resources experience.

• Proficient in interpersonal communication with all levels of the organization and adept at resolving customer service issues optimally

• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.

• Self-starter with excellent prioritization skills and autonomy, who is meticulous and organized.

• Confident communicator with all levels of the organization.

• Proficient in MS Excel and Google Workspace.

• Flexibility to work across global time zones.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with payroll systems.

• Familiarity with Workday HRIS.

• Prior experience in a global, matrixed organization.

What’s in it for you? Our benefits

Our benefits vary by location, but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, health coverage, 401k and company match, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.

We’ve embraced a 50% hybrid working model (averaging two to three days onsite) that fosters trust and remote adaptability while encouraging in-person camaraderie and peer learning. Additionally, we are open to accommodating specific flexible working pattern requests for all roles where feasible.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you wish to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Further information

A reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $68,000–$73,000. To ensure pay fairness, the successful candidate will be offered a salary within the estimated salary range based on a number of considerations including but not limited to: skills; experience and training; certifications; and other business and organisational needs. The disclosed range estimate is for our NYC office and has not been adjusted for other locations.

At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may use AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is crucial that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications. Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be audited to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.