Sr. Manager, Payroll and Total Rewards

Overview

This role requires candidates to be located in the United States.

The organization is seeking a Senior Manager of Payroll and Total Rewards to manage payroll operations and total rewards programs for a growing multi-state and multi-country workforce. This position is a generalist role responsible for base pay, bonus, benefits, perks, 401(k), and the payroll and systems infrastructure that supports these functions.

Reporting directly to the VP of People, this individual will partner closely with Finance and Legal teams to operationalize total rewards strategies, administer payroll and benefits programs, and ensure compliance across jurisdictions. This is a fully remote, individual contributor role with high visibility and requires proactive management and continuous improvement.

The estimated salary range is $129,000 to $167,500, plus an annual bonus, stock options, and benefits.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations

• Lead the end-to-end migration from the current HRIS to a new payroll platform, including data mapping, parallel validation, cutover, and decommissioning.
• Serve as the internal project owner for the migration, managing vendor implementation teams, setting timelines, and keeping Finance and People teams informed.
• Deliver a comprehensive payroll runbook prior to go-live.
• Manage US and Canada payroll operations across all active states and provinces, including multi-state tax account setup, registrations, mispayment and penalty resolution, and ongoing compliance.
• Maintain the HRIS as the single source of truth, build and maintain integrations across payroll, HRIS, and Finance systems, and manage all related vendor relationships.
• Support Finance with annual audits and diligence related to payroll, benefits, and people compliance.

Total Rewards

• Develop and administer US benefits programs covering medical, dental, vision, and ancillary plans, including plan design, administration, and employee support.
• Manage the benefits broker as a strategic partner and lead annual renewals and open enrollment.
• Oversee 401(k) administration and compliance, including nondiscrimination testing, advisor and recordkeeper management, and safe harbor analysis.
• Maintain compensation structures, including pay bands and ranges; administer bonus programs; and process new hire, promotion, and merit changes in partnership with VP of People and Finance.
• Manage perks and stipend programs and support the annual budget process with accurate total rewards inputs.
• Support pay transparency execution, including published ranges and required disclosures across US and Canadian jurisdictions.
• Communicate total rewards clearly to employees and candidates, helping them understand the full value of base pay, bonus, benefits, equity, and perks.

Requirements

• 4 to 8 years of combined payroll and total rewards or benefits experience in a multi-state environment, preferably within a SaaS company or startup.
• Strong generalist skills across payroll, tax compliance, benefits administration, 401(k), and compensation programs.
• Hands-on experience with payroll platforms such as Gusto, Rippling, and/or Paylocity, ideally having led or co-led a platform migration.
• Proven ability to set up and manage multi-state tax accounts and navigate state payroll compliance.
• Experience managing benefits brokers and leading annual renewals and open enrollment.
• Working knowledge of 401(k) administration and compliance.
• Familiarity with compensation structures, pay bands, ranges, and bonus administration.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to independently manage complex implementations.
• Experience collaborating closely with Finance on headcount, total rewards inputs, and audit support.
• Ability to work effectively in ambiguous environments and build processes where none exist.
• Commitment to quality and thoroughness.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience in cross-functional collaboration.
• Proactive in anticipating and addressing issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to Canadian payroll operations or international payroll platforms.
• Experience transitioning employees from Employer of Record (EOR) arrangements to direct entity payroll.
• Knowledge of pay transparency compliance across multiple US states or in Canada.
• Familiarity with equity administration and total rewards benchmarking tools and market surveys.
• Experience with 401(k) safe harbor analysis and plan design.
• Experience supporting companies through Series C/D scaling.
• Experience working with remote and distributed teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $129,000 to $167,500 plus annual bonus and stock options.
• Fully remote work arrangement.
• Fully paid employee premiums for Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.
• 401(k) program.
• Monthly stipends for education, well-being, and work-from-home expenses.
• Non-accrual paid time off.
• Opportunities for growth.
• Company retreats.
• Medical and family/parental leave.

Location

• Candidates must be located in the United States.