Global Payroll Lead

Nclusion, Inc.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with a match

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Competitive compensation & equity

Flexible PTO

In-office lunch, team events & culture

Job summary

Nclusion, Inc. is seeking a Payroll Lead in Palo Alto to own US payroll operations end-to-end. This role focuses on accuracy, timely processing, and improving payroll procedures in a fast-changing environment.

You will collaborate with People Ops, Accounting, and external providers, manage month-end closes, and support audits while maintaining compliance across jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years payroll processing experience in small to midsize organizations.
• Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, including local tax and labor laws.
• Experience booking payroll journal entries and account reconciliations.
• 1–2 years of NetSuite experience.
• Hands-on experience with payroll platforms; Rippling preferred.
• Strong self-management and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced Excel skills (XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, pivot tables, formulas).
• Experience with Equity Administration & related tax processing.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and reconcile US payroll end-to-end, with the opportunity to oversee international payrolls.
• Coordinate with payroll support across time zones to ensure accuracy and timely processing.
• Monitor payroll taxes across jurisdictions and advise on location decisions.
• Partner with People Ops, Operations, Accounting, and external payroll providers to improve workflows.
• Serve as the first point of contact for US payroll inquiries.
• Process one-time payments, leave payments, fringe benefits, and retirement contributions.
• Own month-end close activities and payroll journal entries reconciliations.
• Generate and analyze payroll reports to surface trends and improvements.
• Provide backup support to local Payroll Analysts.
• Support 401(k), payroll tax, and audits.

Skills

Payroll processing

Payroll compliance

Journal entries

NetSuite

Payroll platforms

Rippling

Excel (Advanced)

Equity administration

Tools

NetSuite

Rippling

Gusto

ADP

Workday

Job description

About the Role

The Payroll Lead at Nclusion will manage day-to-day payroll processing for all employees, ensuring every teammate is paid accurately and on time while helping shape and improve our payroll procedures and systems in a fast-changing environment. This is an individual-contributor role with no direct reports, though you'll be the primary owner of all US payroll operations and may take on specialized international payroll responsibilities as the company grows.

This role is based in our Palo Alto office, where we spend four days a week working together as a team, with one day from home.

What You’ll Do

• Prepare and reconcile US payroll end-to-end, with the opportunity to take on specialized oversight of select international payrolls
• Coordinate with our payroll support team across time zones to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely processing
• Monitor payroll tax requirements across jurisdictions to keep the company compliant, and advise People Ops and leadership on tax implications when evaluating new hire locations or resource planning decisions
• Partner closely with People Ops, Operations, Accounting, and external payroll providers to identify and improve payroll workflows
• Serve as the first point of contact for US payroll inquiries, delivering an excellent employee experience
• Accurately and timely process one-time payments (bonuses, commissions, severances), leave-of-absence pay, fringe benefits, and retirement contributions
• Own month-end close activities, including preparation and reconciliation of payroll journal entries and related balance sheet accounts
• Generate and analyze payroll reports to surface trends and inform process improvements
• Provide backup support to local Payroll Analysts as needed
• Support 401(k), payroll tax, and other employee-related audits

What You Bring to the Table

• 7+ years of payroll processing experience at small to midsize organizations
• Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, including local payroll tax and labor law requirements across jurisdictions, to ensure the company stays compliant and to inform resource planning as the company grows or hires in new locations
• Experience booking payroll-related journal entries and performing account reconciliations
• 1–2 years of NetSuite experience
• Hands-on experience with payroll platforms; Rippling strongly preferred, though candidates with experience with comparable systems (Gusto, ADP, Workday, etc.) who are quick learners will be considered
• Strong self-management skills, with the ability to prioritize and drive projects to completion in a fast-paced environment
• Advanced Excel skills (XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, pivot tables, formulas)
• Experience with Equity Administration & related tax processing

Benefits and Perks

• 401k with a match!
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Competitive compensation & equity – We believe in sharing success.
• Flexible PTO – We focus on impact, not tracking vacation days. We encourage a minimum of 14 days.
• In-office lunch, team events & culture

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $125,000 – $145,000 per year.