Head of Payroll

Conexus; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Conexus, based in Long Beach, CA, is seeking a Director of Payroll to build and lead a scalable payroll function during rapid growth. You will own end-to-end payroll operations, oversee a growing team, and serve as the functional owner of Rippling for payroll, time and attendance, and related integrations.

This role partners with Legal, Finance, and Equity Administration to ensure accurate equity compensation processing, tax compliance, and audit readiness across multi-state and potentially

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership in a high-growth or scaling environment.
• Proven experience building and managing payroll teams through periods of rapid headcount growth.
• Deep hands-on experience with Rippling Payroll and HRIS (required).
• Strong experience supporting equity compensation programs and payroll tax implications.
• Expertise in multi-state payroll compliance.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll for a growing, multi-state employee population.
• Lead, mentor, and scale the payroll team.
• Establish and continuously improve payroll processes, controls, and documentation.

Skills

Payroll leadership

People management

Systems thinking

Attention to detail

Tools

Rippling

Job description

We're looking for a Director of Payroll to build and lead a modern, scalable payroll function as the company continues rapid growth. This role will own end-to-end payroll operations, oversee a growing payroll team, and serve as the functional owner of Rippling for payroll, time & attendance, and related integrations. You'll also partner closely with Legal, Finance, and Equity Administration to ensure accurate processing of equity compensation across payroll.

This is a highly visible role that blends operational excellence, systems leadership, and cross-functional partnership.

Compensation is DOE, they are open to Senior Manager OR Director level, 160-210k + Equity

What You'll DoPayroll Leadership & Operations

• Own end-to-end payroll for a growing, multi-state (and potentially global) employee population, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness
• Lead, mentor, and scale the payroll team, including hiring, training, and developing payroll managers and specialists
• Establish and continuously improve payroll processes, controls, and documentation to support rapid headcount growth
• Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues, audits, and employee inquiries

HRIS & Systems Ownership (Rippling)

• Act as the Payroll owner for Rippling, including configuration, testing, upgrades, and optimization
• Partner with People Ops, HRIS, and IT on integrations with benefits, time tracking, finance, and equity platforms
• Drive automation, reporting, and process efficiencies to reduce manual work and improve data integrity
• Lead payroll-related system implementations, enhancements, and migrations as the company scales

Equity & Compensation Programs

• Oversee payroll processing for equity-related compensation, including stock options, RSUs, ESPP, bonuses, and other incentive programs
• Partner with Finance, Legal, and external equity administrators to ensure accurate taxation and reporting of equity events
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and international tax requirements related to equity compensation
• Support audits and filings related to equity payroll transactions

Compliance, Controls & Partnerships

• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations
• Own payroll audits, tax filings, reconciliations, and relationships with external vendors and tax authorities
• Partner closely with Finance on GL reconciliation, accruals, and payroll-related reporting
• Collaborate with People, Legal, and Total Rewards on policy design, pay programs, and employee communications

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership in a high-growth or scaling environment
• Proven experience building and managing payroll teams through periods of rapid headcount growth
• Deep hands-on experience with Rippling Payroll and HRIS (required)
• Strong experience supporting equity compensation programs and payroll tax implications
• Expertise in multi-state payroll compliance
• Strong project management, systems-thinking, and process improvement skills
• Ability to operate at both a strategic and hands-on level in a fast-paced environment

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting pre-IPO or public company payroll environments
• Exposure to SOX controls and payroll-related audits
• Experience implementing or scaling HRIS/payroll systems