Global Payroll Operations Lead

Cognition; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognition in San Francisco is seeking a Payroll Operations Manager to own and scale our global payroll function. You will ensure employees, contractors, and commissions are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time across all countries we operate in, working closely with Finance, People Operations, Tax, and Legal.

You’ll design and implement scalable processes, manage payroll providers and EORs, coordinate registrations and filings, and administer 401(k) contributions and other deductions to

Qualifications

• 5+ years in payroll or finance operations in a high-growth environment.
• Deep domestic and international payroll experience, including cross-border matters.
• Strong knowledge of US payroll tax compliance.
• Experience with enterprise payroll platforms (ADP/Workday/Rippling).
• Based in San Francisco and willing to work from the office 5 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Own global payroll end-to-end across US and international jurisdictions.
• Design scalable payroll processes, controls, and documentation.
• Manage vendor relationships with payroll providers and EORs.
• Coordinate payroll tax registrations, filings, and notices; work with local advisors.
• Oversee 401(k) contributions and other payroll deductions.

Skills

Payroll management

Finance operations

Vendor management

US payroll compliance

International payroll

Tools

ADP

Workday

Rippling

Job description

Cognition in San Francisco is seeking a Payroll Operations Manager to own and scale our global payroll function. You will ensure employees, contractors, and commissions are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time across all countries we operate in, working closely with Finance, People Operations, Tax, and Legal.

You’ll design and implement scalable processes, manage payroll providers and EORs, coordinate registrations and filings, and administer 401(k) contributions and other deductions to