Job Title: Senior Manager, Global Payroll
Reports to (Direct Title): VP of Accounting - Controller
Department: Finance
Location: US-Remote or US-Hybrid
Position SummaryThe Senior Manager, Global Payroll is responsible for managing and strengthening the company's global payroll function for a PE-backed, multi-entity cybersecurity and application security SaaS company. This hands-on leader role oversees payroll execution, controls, vendor coordination, compliance support, audit readiness, process documentation, and practical improvement efforts while partnering across Finance, HR, Legal, Tax, Treasury, FP&A, Enterprise Applications, and external service providers.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities - Manage recurring global payroll operations to ensure employees are paid accurately, timely, and in compliance with applicable company policies and local requirements.
- Oversee payroll inputs, validations, approvals, funding coordination, reconciliations, close support, and post-payroll reporting.
- Support payroll processing for wages, bonuses, commissions, benefits deductions, leaves, terminations, retroactive adjustments, equity-related payroll items, and other compensation changes.
- Maintain payroll controls, documentation, approval evidence, reconciliations, and audit-ready support in partnership with Accounting, HR, Tax, Legal, and external providers.
- Coordinate timely resolution of payroll issues, employee escalations, provider errors, audit requests, and compliance questions.
- Manage day-to-day relationships with global payroll providers, EOR partners, payroll tax providers, benefits administrators, and related third-party service providers.
- Maintain practical vendor routines, including open issue tracking, recurring check-ins, escalation paths, service expectations, and performance follow-up.
- Partner with HR, Accounting, Treasury, Tax, Legal, Procurement, and Enterprise Applications to support payroll execution, funding, reporting, compliance, and employee lifecycle events.
- Recommend practical improvements to provider performance, service quality, process consistency, cost effectiveness, and issue resolution.
- Help improve payroll data flows, integrations, reporting, and controls across payroll, HRIS, ERP, benefits, equity, tax, and treasury processes.
- Identify and support opportunities to standardize processes, reduce manual effort, improve reporting, and strengthen payroll accuracy and governance.
- Maintain useful payroll metrics and reporting, including cycle timeliness, open issues, error trends, off-cycle payments, reconciliation status, and control completion.
- Support payroll-related system changes, provider transitions, integration enhancements, entity expansion, and M&A or transformation activities as needed.
- Lead and develop payroll team members by setting clear expectations, operating rhythms, and accountability for accurate and timely execution.
- Build team depth through cross-training, backup coverage, documentation discipline, and shared operating knowledge.
- Maintain payroll calendars, standard operating procedures, process narratives, approval matrices, and recurring close or compliance checklists.
- Other tasks and activities as assigned.
Required Education/Experience & Skills - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
- 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, including meaningful responsibility for multi-state U.S. payroll and international payroll operations.
- At least 3 years of payroll leadership experience, including oversight of payroll team members, outsourced providers, or cross-functional payroll operations.
- Demonstrated experience managing payroll in a multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction environment with outsourced payroll providers and/or EOR partners.
- Strong working knowledge of payroll tax, wage and hour requirements, statutory deductions, benefits deductions, payroll accounting, reconciliations, and payroll compliance processes.
- Experience supporting controls-focused environments, including audit support, process documentation, reconciliations, evidence retention, and practical process improvement.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain payroll issues clearly to employees, Finance leaders, HR partners, providers, and auditors.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation strongly preferred.
- Experience in SaaS, cybersecurity, technology, software, PE-backed, or global private-company environments preferred.
- Experience with ADP, ADP Celergo, Workday, NetSuite, EOR platforms, or similar payroll/HRIS/ERP environments preferred.
- Experience supporting non-U.S. payroll operations through outsourced providers, in-country partners, or EOR arrangements preferred.
- Experience supporting statutory audit requests, benefit audits, worker classification considerations, global provider management, or payroll-related compliance matters preferred.
- Experience supporting payroll-related entity expansion, provider transitions, system changes, M&A integration, or Finance improvement initiatives preferred.
- Hands-on, delivery-oriented leadership style with strong integrity, discretion, judgment, and a controls-minded approach to governance, audit readiness, and risk mitigation.
- Collaborative, service-oriented, and able to influence across Finance, People, Legal, Tax, Treasury, Enterprise Applications, external providers, employees, and leadership.
- Process improvement mindset with a proactive interest in automation, practical workflow improvements, and scalable payroll routines.
Physical Requirements - General office environment and responsibilities requiring:
- Extensive use of the computer which involves viewing a monitor and keyboarding for most of the workday
- Placing and receiving phone calls
- Occasionally moving and lifting objects up to 20 pounds
- May require up to 10% travel as needed
Pay Range
$130,000-$160,000 USD
