Payroll Lead

Sierra; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible (unlimited) paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Retirement plan dependent on country of employment

Discretionary benefit stipend

Job summary

Sierra in San Francisco is on the lookout for a Payroll Manager to take ownership of global payroll operations. You will ensure accuracy and compliance while designing scalable systems that support corporate growth.

Your role will involve managing payroll across various regions and collaborating closely with Finance and People teams. The ideal candidate should have over 10 years of experience in payroll, preferably in tech companies, and familiarity with payroll systems such as ADP and Workday.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of payroll experience, ideally within high-growth, global technology companies.
• Strong understanding of U.S. multi-state payroll, as well as experience supporting international payroll.
• Expertise in payroll compliance, tax regulations, and year-end filings.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end global payroll operations across U.S. and international regions.
• Build scalable payroll systems and workflows, partnering with multiple teams.
• Ensure full payroll compliance with federal, state, and international regulations.

Skills

Payroll Compliance

Analytical Skills

Communication

Attention to Detail

Education

10+ years' payroll experience in tech

CPP or similar certification

Tools

ADP

Gusto

Workday

Job description

What you’ll do

At Sierra AI, we’re building a fast-scaling company where clarity, excellence, and a world-class employee experience matter deeply. As our Payroll Manager, you will own and evolve Sierra’s global payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and an exceptional experience for employees across multiple regions. You’ll design scalable systems, partner closely with Finance and People teams, and help build the foundation that supports Sierra’s growth.

• Manage end-to-end global payroll operations across the U.S. and international regions, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant payroll processing.

• Build scalable payroll systems and workflows , partnering with Finance, People Ops, and Legal to automate processes, maintain data integrity, and support company growth.

• Ensure full payroll compliance with federal, state, and international regulations, including tax filings, statutory requirements, audits, and year-end reporting.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to employees and leaders , providing clear guidance on payroll, taxes, and equity, while managing third-party vendors for quality and accuracy.

• Analyze payroll data and maintain documentation , using insights to forecast costs, drive process improvements, and support global expansion and workforce planning.

What you’ll bring

• 10+ years of payroll experience, ideally within high-growth, global technology companies.

• Strong understanding of U.S. multi-state payroll, as well as experience supporting international payroll (EMEA and/or APAC preferred).

• Expertise in payroll compliance, tax regulations, and year-end filings (W-2s, 1099s, bonuses, equity withholding, etc.).

• Experience working with payroll and HR systems such as ADP, Gusto, Rippling, Workday, Deel, or similar.

• Excellent analytical skills with a high level of accuracy, attention to detail, and strong documentation habits.

• Clear communicator with the ability to partner effectively with executives, Finance, Legal, and employees at all levels.

• A proactive, systems-minded approach excited to build and improve processes in a fast-paced, scaling environment.

Even better…

• Experience supporting global expansion and new entity setup.

• Familiarity with equity compensation, including tax and withholding implications.

• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or similar certification.

• Experience designing or managing scalable payroll audits and controls.

What we offer

We want our benefits to reflect our values and offer the following to full-time employees:

• Flexible (unlimited) paid time off

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits for you and your family

• Life insurance and disability benefits

• Retirement plan dependent on country of employment

• Parental leave

• Fertility and family building benefits through Carrot

• Lunch, as well as delicious snacks and coffee to keep you energized

• Discretionary benefit stipend giving people the ability to spend where it matters most

• Free alphorn lessons

These benefits are further detailed in Sierra's policies, may vary by region, and are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefits plans. Eligible full-time employees can participate in Sierra's equity plans subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies.

Be you, with us

We're working to bring the transformative power of AI to every organization in the world. To do so, it is important to us that the diversity of our employees represents the diversity of our customers. We believe that our work and culture are better when we encourage, support, and respect different skills and experiences represented within our team. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. We strive to evaluate all applicants consistently without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.