Senior Payroll and Compliance Specialist

Overview

This role is responsible for running multi-state U.S. payroll accurately and ensuring ongoing compliance across a fast-changing regulatory environment. The position supports a distributed workforce of 600–1,000 employees across ~35 states, including 300+ nonexempt/hourly employees.

Responsibilities

• Run multi-state U.S. payroll end to end in an enterprise HRIS (Paylocity or comparable), including:
  • Inputs and timecard corrections
  • Off-cycle and termination pay
  • Garnishments
  • Final review before funding
• Own and manage a U.S. compliance calendar end to end, including 45+ recurring obligations per year across about a dozen jurisdictions.
  • Surface deadlines before they become urgent
  • Oversee EEO-1, OSHA, nondiscrimination testing, and state reporting
  • Manage background checks, I-9 review, required trainings, and policy creation and revision
• Translate legal redlines into usable payroll and workplace policies; collaborate with Legal and outside counsel on handbook language.
• Operate through process improvement and quality checks:
  • Test against known-good output
  • Build in checks that demonstrate ongoing correctness
  • Leave written SOPs behind
  • Build automation and instrumentation to confirm workflows remain clean
• Process and reconcile payroll registers prior to funding; resolve discrepancies with the payroll partner until resolved.
• Serve as the point of contact for employee questions about pay; answer or route questions within one business day when a paycheck doesn’t make sense.
• Manage payroll and compliance controls and maintain an evidence trail that supports annual workers’ compensation and external financial audits.
• Handle annual and periodic compliance workstreams:
  • Take point on the annual “Compliance Refresh” in February, driving completion to 100% across every eligible employee and contractor
  • Partner with Legal and outside counsel on handbook and policy review every two years
• Run compliance screenings that hold up under review:
  • Background check review and escalation
  • Quarterly health exclusion checks

How You Will Make an Impact

• Run two payroll cycles end to end:
  • Weekly for fulfillment center and hourly showroom teams
  • Bi-weekly for corporate and salaried showroom
  • Handle changes for a large hourly population, including new hires, terminations, clawbacks, corrections, direct deposit updates, and ad-hoc termination pay
• Connect payroll and compliance in one seat so decisions reflect downstream impact from register through filing.
• Contribute to payroll redesign for a high-growth environment, with AI and automation built into how the role is defined and measured.

Requirements

• 5–8 years in payroll and compliance, including 3+ years running multi-state U.S. payroll.
• Experience running multi-state U.S. payroll end to end in an enterprise HRIS (Paylocity or comparable).
• Experience owning a compliance calendar covering:
  • EEO-1
  • OSHA
  • Nondiscrimination testing
  • State reporting
  • Background checks, I-9 review, required trainings, and policy creation/revision
• Strong ability to plan backward from pay dates and filing dates; raise flags early when timelines are at risk.
• Ability to explain a paycheck to employees and the underlying numbers to decision-makers who sign off on payroll.
• Familiarity with compliance policies and process documentation, including building SOPs and quality controls.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with California or New York employment law.
  • These are described as the two most demanding states for the role, including same-day final pay, pay data reporting, and local rules that change often.
• CPP, FPC, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR (not required).

Compensation & Benefits

Salary

• Starting salary range: $93,034 to $124,085
• Starting salary is based on location, experience, and qualifications.
• Increases over time are tied to performance, role growth, and internal pay equity.

Benefits

• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement savings plan with company matching and flexible spending accounts
• Generous paid parental leave and PTO
• Winter Wonder Week: the whole company takes a paid week off at the end of the year
• Remote work stipend to set up your office
• Perks for physical, mental, and emotional health, parenting, childcare, and financial planning

Location

Remote work across the United States and Canada. The role supports a distributed workforce across ~35 states.