Position Summary:The Payroll Manager reports to the Associate Director, Accounting Operations, and is responsible for accurate and timely payroll processing, accounting and other accounting functions related to employee benefit plans. This role also supports related monthly close activities, SOX compliance, and financial statement audits.
Responsibilities:- Manage the semi-monthly, multi-state payroll processing ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to internal deadlines including W-2s, tax filings, and benefits (health insurance, 401(k), FSA, stock compensation).
- Manage ad hoc payroll processing as needed for stock compensation transactions and mid-period employee exits.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax and labor regulations, as well as internal controls expectations such as SOX compliance, while staying current with evolving legislation and industry best practices.
- Lead and execute payroll audits, including ongoing reconciliations of payroll accounts, tax withholdings, benefits contributions, and other deductions.
- Prepare and analyze payroll reports, conduct audits to identify discrepancies or issues.
- Work cross-functionally to support compliance and operation of employee benefit plans, such as 401(k), and take a lead role in managing required plan audits.
- Act as the primary escalation point for complex payroll issues, investigating and resolving discrepancies, and addressing concerns from employees and other departments such as HR and external providers.
- Partner with Accounting and HR to ensure payroll operations are well-documented, audit-ready, and aligned with evolving compliance expectations as the company scales.
- Champion continuous process improvement; identify opportunities to automate workflows, reduce errors, and scale payroll operations.
- Assist with the application and registration for new tax IDs as needed.
- Maintain and monitor earnings and deductions codes used for payroll processing and the related GL account mapping on the ADP GL Report.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field preferred.
- 5+ years' experience in payroll and equity accounting, with biotech or life science industry and public-company experience preferred.
- Experience with ADP Workforce Now payroll system.
- Experience with Equity Edge Online.
- Experience with ERP systems, preferably NetSuite.
- Strong knowledge of payroll tax laws, and labor regulations.
- Ability to multitask and work under pressure to meet strict deadlines.
- Ability to work independently and in a team.
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
- Experience working with auditors and SOX compliance.
Vera Therapeutics is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices and we strive to provide employees with total compensation packages that are market competitive. The exact base pay offered for this role will depend on various factors, including but not limited to the candidate's geography, qualifications, skills, and experience.
For this role, the anticipated base pay range is
$125,000-$155,000 USD
