Equity and Payroll Lead

Alexander Chapman; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Alexander Chapman Ltd is seeking an Equity & Payroll Lead to own and elevate our global compensation, cap table management, and payroll execution. Reporting into Finance leadership and partnering with Strategic Finance and People Ops, this high-autonomy role will own multi-jurisdiction payroll, equity administration, stock option plans, and audit-ready compensation workflows.

The ideal candidate has deep payroll and equity operations experience in fast-growing tech environments, familiarity with

Job description

A fast-scaling, tier-one VC-backed tech platform is expanding its central operational and financial infrastructure. Following rapid headcount expansion and ahead of upcoming growth milestones, the business is carving out a dedicated Equity & Payroll Lead seat to own and elevate the infrastructure behind global compensation, cap table management, and payroll execution.

Reporting directly into Finance leadership and partnering closely with Strategic Finance and People Ops, this is a lean, high-autonomy seat. You will take full ownership of global multi-jurisdiction payroll, equity administration, stock option plans, and audit-ready compensation workflows, ensuring flawless execution while serving as a knowledgeable resource for employees on all things equity and pay.

Key Execution Focus

• Global Payroll Infrastructure & Compliance: Own end-to-end payroll operations for multi-state and international headcount, managing complex tax setups, benefit subledgers, local regulatory requirements, and international platform vendors.
• Equity Administration & Cap Table Strategy: Oversee cap table operations end-to-end via Carta or similar tools, managing option grants, vesting schedules, 409A valuation readiness, exercise workflows, and employee equity education.
• Systems Integration & Workflow Automation: Audit existing payroll subledgers and equity tech stacks, implementing modern automated tools to streamline reconciliations, reduce manual touchpoints, and accelerate close alignment.
• Cross-Functional Comp Alignment: Partner closely with Strategic Finance and People Ops on incentive plan structures, compensation benchmarking, executive comp line items, and audit-ready financial reporting.

The Archetype

• The Foundation: Deep operational foundation in multi-jurisdiction payroll execution and equity administration within modern tech environments; Certified Equity Professional (CEP) or strong practical equity expertise is a major plus.
• The Startup Operator: ~4–7+ years of hands-on, in-house experience managing equity and payroll operations inside a high-growth, VC-backed SaaS or tech platform undergoing international or multi-state expansion.
• Systems & Employee-Centric Mindset: Deep familiarity across modern systems (e.g., Carta, Rippling, Deel, ADP, NetSuite). Strong analytical posture paired with an approachable, human communication style to demystify stock ownership and comp for employees.

Why This Seat Matters

• Frontline Operational Ownership: Directly lead two of the most sensitive and critical pillars for employee satisfaction and trust, how people are compensated and how they hold a stake in the business.
• Unblocked Autonomy: Total leverage to evaluate software, redesign equity/payroll workflows, and build scalable compensation architecture without corporate red tape.