Global Payroll Leader: US & International

AppLovin; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Unlimited PTO

10 paid holidays per year

Sick leave 80 hours

Job summary

AppLovin is seeking a driven Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets. Lead compliance frameworks, partner cross-functionally, and scale payroll like infrastructure.

You’ll manage tax compliance across the US, SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT, and oversee end-to-end payroll with vendors, HR, and Finance. You will also drive equity-related payroll events, improve controls, and support month-end close.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-country environment; at least 2 years in a lead or manager capacity.
• Deep working knowledge of US payroll tax (federal, state, local) — multi-state is required; experience with CA, NY, or WA is a plus.
• Direct, hands-on experience processing payroll in at least two of the following: Singapore, Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, or Italy.
• Proficiency with Workday HCM/Payroll or equivalent global processor; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills required.
• Track record of managing payroll tax filings, year-end reconciliations, and statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
• Experience processing equity-related payroll transactions (RSU, ESPP, NQ, ISO) in a public company environment.
• Exceptionally detail-oriented with strong reconciliation instincts; you are comfortable building processes to detect errors before they become problems.
• Clear, direct communicator who can translate complex payroll mechanics for a non-payroll audience.
• Comfortable in a lean, high-velocity environment where you own outcomes end-to-end with limited hand-hanging.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll processing across the US (multi-state) and international entities — ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery each cycle.
• Manage relationships with external payroll vendors and in-country service providers; hold them accountable to SLAs and quality standards.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all payroll-related matters across Finance, Accounting, HR, and Legal.
• Handle off-cycle payrolls, manual calculations, retroactive adjustments, and termination runs.
• Maintain deep, current knowledge of payroll tax obligations in each covered jurisdiction — federal/state/local in the US and statutory requirements in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT.
• Ensure timely and accurate filing of all payroll tax returns, year-end forms (W-2, P60, IR8A equivalents), and local employer statutory filings.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes across all jurisdictions; assess impact and implement required changes proactively.
• Partner with Tax and Legal on cross-border employment structures, shadow payrolls, and treaty-related matters.
• Support external payroll audits, tax authority inquiries, and statutory inspections.
• Process and reconcile equity-related payroll events including RSU vesting, ESPP purchase cycles, NQ exercises, and ISO exercises.
• Ensure proper tax withholding and reporting for stock transactions across all jurisdictions, including applicable FBT, social security, and spread income treatment.
• Monitor integrations and manual business processes between Workday HCM and payroll systems (Workday, Cloudpay, local partners).
• Audit input data, validate outputs, and maintain strong internal controls around payroll authorization and data integrity.
• Support month-end close: prepare payroll journal entries, headcount reconciliations, accruals, and benefits reconciliations in coordination with the GL/Accounting team.
• Identify and drive process improvements — automate where possible, document where critical, and eliminate manual workarounds.

Skills

Payroll management

US payroll tax

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Communication

Tools

Workday HCM/Payroll

Job description

AppLovin is seeking a driven Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets. Lead compliance frameworks, partner cross-functionally, and scale payroll like infrastructure.

You’ll manage tax compliance across the US, SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT, and oversee end-to-end payroll with vendors, HR, and Finance. You will also drive equity-related payroll events, improve controls, and support month-end close.