Payroll Manager

Applovin; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits 100% company paid

Employee stock purchase plan

Parental leave

Retirement benefits

Flexible time off

Life and disability coverage

Team events

Job summary

AppLovin is seeking a Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets. The role is hands-on in building compliance frameworks, partnering cross-functionally, and ensuring payroll runs are accurate, on time, and scalable.

You will be a subject matter expert on payroll tax and statutory compliance across geographies, manage vendor relationships, and support month-end close and equity-related payroll events in a high-velocity environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-country environment.
• Lead or manager experience in payroll operations.
• Experience with equity-related payroll events (RSU, ESPP, NQ, ISO).

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll processing US multi-state and international entities.
• Partner with Finance, Accounting, HR/PeopleOps to support month-end close and audits.
• Manage relationships with external payroll vendors and in-country providers to meet SLAs.
• Ensure compliance with payroll tax obligations and regulatory filings across jurisdictions.

Skills

Multi-country payroll

Leadership

Workday HCM/Payroll

Excel/Google Sheets

US payroll tax knowledge

APAC payroll

CPP certification

Education

CPP Certification

Tools

Workday HCM/Payroll

NetSuite

Job description

• AppLovin is looking for a driven Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets
• This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives on building compliance frameworks from the ground up, partnering cross-functionally, and making payroll run like infrastructure — accurate, on time, and scalable
• You will be the subject matter expert on payroll tax and statutory compliance across our primary geographies: United States, Singapore, Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, and Italy
• You will manage vendor relationships, own the end-to-end payroll cycle, and work closely with Finance, Accounting, and HR/PeopleOps to support month-end close, audit readiness, and equity-related payroll events
• Own end-to-end payroll processing across the US (multi-state) and international entities in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT — 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
• Serve as a trusted resource for HR/PeopleOps on all payroll implications of compensation decisions, new hires, LOAs, and terminations
• Partner with Accounting Ops on payroll-related reconciliations and audit support
• Respond to employee escalations and payroll inquiries promptly and with clarity

Benefits

• 100% company paid health benefits for employees & dependent
• Phone bill covered for business usage
• Access to mental health and wellness provider
• Flexible time off
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Retirement benefits with company matching
• Parental leave program
• Life and disability coverage
• Family forming & women’s reproductive health benefits
• Team-centric company events and more!

Clear, direct communicator who can translate complex payroll mechanics for a non-payroll audienceDirect, hands-on experience processing payroll in at least two of the following: Singapore (CPF, IRAS IR8A), Germany (Lohnsteuer, SV contributions), Ireland (PAYE/PRSI/USC/ASC), Cyprus (PAYE, GHS contributions), or Italy (INPS, IRPEF, busta paga)Comfortable in a lean, high-velocity environment where you own outcomes end-to-end with limited hand-holdingProficiency with Workday HCM/Payroll or equivalent global processor; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills requiredDeep working knowledge of US payroll tax (federal, state, local) — multi-state is required; experience with CA, NY, or WA is a plus6+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-country environment; at least 2 years in a lead or manager capacityTrack record of managing payroll tax filings, year-end reconciliations, and statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions simultaneouslyExperience processing equity-related payroll transactions (RSU, ESPP, NQ, ISO) in a public company environmentExceptionally detail-oriented with strong reconciliation instincts — you are comfortable building processes to detect errors before they become problemsAPAC payroll experience beyond Singapore (e.g., Japan, South Korea, Australia, or India)CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent international credentialExperience supporting payroll for a company that went through rapid international expansion or M&APrior exposure to NetSuite in a payroll accounting context