Payroll Manager

Decagon; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Life & Disability

Retirement (401K)

Parental Leave

Fertility benefits

Wellness stipend

Office lunches

Vacation policy

Job summary

Decagon is seeking a high-impact Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations, payroll accounting, and stock administration for a fast-growing startup. You will ensure accurate, compliant, and timely payroll while building scalable processes that support rapid expansion.

This in-office role partners with Sales, People, Legal, and Operations to drive payroll excellence across U.S. and international entities, with ownership of tax, equity, and disclosures in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of progressive payroll experience with full ownership of U.S. and international payroll.
• Payroll tax fluency, including registrations, multi-state nexus, and year-end forms.
• Deep knowledge of payroll compliance, tax regulations, and reporting requirements.
• Working knowledge of equity compensation mechanics: ISO/NSO, exercises, dispositions, withholding, and reporting. Carta experience is a plus and the ability to pick it up quickly is not optional.
• Comfort closing the books on your own work: journal entries, accruals, reconciliations.
• Rippling experience is helpful
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to independently reconcile and resolve discrepancies.
• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset with comfort operating in a fast-moving startup environment

Responsibilities

• Run end-to-end payroll for the U.S. and international entities, including new hires, terminations, bonuses, commissions, and equity compensation.
• Own stock administration in Carta: grants, exercises, terminations and repurchases, and the tax and reporting that follows
• Close payroll and equity every month: accruals, reconciliations, support for stock comp expense, and the schedules auditors ask for
• Get payroll tax right across states and countries, including new registrations, mobile employees, and year-end filings
• Write the documentation and build the controls this function is missing, and automate the parts that shouldn't be manual
• Expand into broader accounting operations over-time: own T&E policy, process, and compliance; take on accounts payable and month-end reconciliations as capacity allows

Skills

Payroll experience

Payroll tax

Payroll compliance

Equity compensation

Journal entries/closing

Rippling

Attention to detail

Ownership mindset

Tools

Carta

Rippling

Job description

About Decagon

Decagon is the leading conversational AI platform empowering every brand to deliver concierge customer experiences.

Our technology enables industry-defining enterprises like Avis Budget Group, Block’s Cash App and Square, Chime, Oura Health, and Hunter Douglas to deploy AI agents that power personalized, deeply satisfying interactions across voice, chat, email, SMS, and every other channel.

We’re building a future where customer experiences are being redefined from support tickets and hold music to faster resolutions, richer conversations, and deeper relationships. We’re proud to be backed by world-class investors who share that vision, including a16z, Accel, Bain Capital Ventures, Coatue, and Index Ventures, along with many others.

We’re an in-office company, driven by a shared commitment to excellence and velocity. Our values — Just Get It Done, Invent What Customers Want, Winner’s Mindset, and The Polymath Principle — shape how we work and grow as a team.

About the Team
The Accounting team at Decagon is at the center of our growth, building the financial foundation that powers a rapidly scaling startup. We ensure accurate, timely financial reporting in accordance with U.S. GAAP while designing scalable processes and strong controls that support expansion across teams and geographies. Partnering closely with Sales, People, Legal, and Operations, we drive thoughtful spend management, contract oversight, and payroll excellence—balancing precision with agility in a fast-moving environment where our work directly enables the company’s next stage of growth.

About the Role
We’re looking for a high-impact Payroll Manager to build the finance engine that keeps our company scaling. You’ll own global payroll operations, payroll accounting, and stock administration transforming these core operations into smooth, scalable systems that support a fast-moving, high-growth team. This is a high-impact individual contributor role responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll while helping build the processes and controls needed to support a rapidly scaling organization.

In this role, you will

• Run end-to-end payroll for the U.S. and international entities, including new hires, terminations, bonuses, commissions, and equity compensation

• Own stock administration in Carta: grants, exercises, terminations and repurchases, and the tax and reporting that follows

• Close payroll and equity every month: accruals, reconciliations, support for stock comp expense, and the schedules auditors ask for

• Get payroll tax right across states and countries, including new registrations, mobile employees, and year-end filings

• Write the documentation and build the controls this function is missing, and automate the parts that shouldn\'t be manual

• Expand into broader accounting operations over-time: own T&E policy, process, and compliance; take on accounts payable and month-end reconciliations as capacity allows

Your background looks something like this

• 4-6 years of progressive payroll experience, with full ownership of U.S. and international payroll

• Payroll tax fluency, including registrations, multi-state nexus, and year-end forms

• Deep knowledge of payroll compliance, tax regulations, and reporting requirements.

• Working knowledge of equity compensation mechanics: ISO/NSO, exercises, dispositions, withholding, and reporting. Carta experience is a plus and the ability to pick it up quickly is not optional.

• Comfort closing the books on your own work: journal entries, accruals, reconciliations

• Rippling experience is helpful

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to independently reconcile and resolve discrepancies

• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset with comfort operating in a fast-moving startup environment

Even better if you have

• Have worked in a hyper growth company

• Have stood up payroll in a new country

• Have worked directly with external auditors on payroll and equity testing

• Have exposure to AP, AR, or T&E operations

Compensation

$160,000 - $190,000 + equity

Benefits

We proudly offer the following benefits for our full-time employees:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits for you and your family

• Life Insurance and Disability Benefits

• Retirement Plan (e.g., 401K, pension)

• Parental Leave

• Fertility and family building benefits through Carrot

• Monthly stipend to support your wellness, lifestyle, and work-life balance

• Daily lunches and snacks in the office to keep you at your best

• Take what you need vacation policy (subject to local requirements; UK employees receive 25 days of statutory leave)

These benefits are described in more detail in Decagon’s policies, may vary by location, and can change at any time according to applicable compensation and benefits plans.