Payroll Manager

What you'll do

• Own end-to-end payroll for ~300 employees across ~30 states (exempt and non-exempt) in Rippling, ensuring accuracy across onboarding, variable compensation (commissions/bonuses), and offboarding
• Own payroll accounting, including preparing payroll journal entries in NetSuite and resolving variances between payroll and the general ledger
• Perform monthly, quarterly, and year-end payroll account reconciliations across wages, taxes, benefits, 401(k), and other payroll liability and expense accounts
• Support month-end and quarter-end close by preparing payroll accruals (bonus, commissions, PTO, payroll taxes) and related variance analysis
• Reconcile payroll tax filings to the general ledger, resolve tax notices and discrepancies, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage-and-hour laws, payroll tax obligations, and year-end filings such as W-2s and 1099s
• Design, document, and maintain robust payroll processes and internal controls, including preparer/reviewer segregation, so we can scale cleanly
• Register the company with state agencies for employment purposes and serve as liaison for audits and inquiries from tax agencies, unemployment agencies, and 401(k) administrators
• Prepare payroll schedules and supporting documentation for external audits, including year-end financial statement and 401(k) audits
• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll questions and issue resolution for employees and managers
• Identify and implement ways to automate, streamline, and scale payroll and payroll-accounting processes

What you bring

• 5+ years of payroll experience, with a strong foundation in payroll accounting and general-ledger reconciliation
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP, payroll tax regulations (federal, state, and local), and multi-state payroll compliance
• Hands-on experience with HRIS / payroll processing systems and with accounting/ERP systems such as NetSuite
• Strong reconciliation skills, with a demonstrated ability to investigate variances, find root causes, and put sustainable solutions in place
• Advanced Excel / Google Sheets skills and comfort working with large data sets across multiple sources
• Exceptional attention to detail and a strict sense of confidentiality when handling sensitive employee, compensation, and financial data
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and an excellent collaborator with employees, managers, auditors, and external vendors
• Ability to work autonomously, take ownership, and manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, rapidly growing environment

Bonus points

• Experience at a fast-paced, high-growth company
• Hands-on experience with Rippling and/or NetSuite
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification, or CPA / progress toward CPA
• Experience supporting external and 401(k) audits

Compensation and benefits

• Salary range: $100,000 - $110,000
• Meaningful equity
• Generous medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Work-from-home stipend
• Parental leave
• Generous PTO