Senior Payroll Accountant

Lyft; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great medical, dental, and vision

Mental health benefits

Family building benefits

Child care and pet benefits

401(k) with company match

Discretionary paid time off for salar­

15 days PTO for hourly team members

18 weeks parental leave

Subsidized commuter benefits

Lyft credits and Lyft Pink

Job summary

Lyft is seeking a Payroll Accountant to own payroll journal entries for the US HQ and North American subsidiaries, from prep to booking. You will prepare payroll accruals, close monthly and quarterly books, and ensure GAAP compliance while maintaining strong internal controls.

The role requires 4+ years in general ledger accounting with 2+ years in payroll, advanced Excel, and experience with Workday/Oracle/ADP GlobalView.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA is a plus.
• 4+ years of general ledger accounting experience, including 2+ years in payroll accounting.
• Hands‑on experience owning month‑end close in a fast‑paced, multi‑entity environment.
• Strong command of GAAP and internal controls.
• The ability to work independently, stay organized, and hit deadlines without sacrificing accuracy.
• Clear, friendly communication and collaboration with cross‑functional partners.
• A deep respect for confidentiality and data integrity.
• Advanced Excel skills (lookups, pivot tables, and clean, reviewable workpapers).
• Experience with finance and payroll systems such as Workday, Oracle, ADP GlobalView, or similar.
• Nice to have: experience at a public company and familiarity with SOX controls; payroll system implementation or process improvement projects.

Responsibilities

• Own payroll-related journal entries for US HQ and North American subsidiaries, from preparation through booking.
• Prepare payroll accruals, including monthly payroll, bonus, workers’ compensation, PTO, and commissions.
• Complete month-end and quarter-end close activities on schedule, in line with our internal close calendar.
• Reconcile and analyze payroll-related GL accounts in accordance with GAAP and Lyft’s accounting policies, and perform flux analysis to explain monthly and quarterly movements.
• Investigate and resolve reconciling items in partnership with FP&A and the Payroll team.
• Build a deep understanding of our pay classes, pay codes, and payroll processing activities so you can connect what happens in payroll to what lands in the GL.
• Keep payroll records organized and audit-ready, and help maintain and strengthen our internal controls.
• Identify opportunities to streamline or automate recurring close work, and help bring them to life.
• Support ad hoc projects as they come up.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Independent work

Deadline-driven

Cross-functional collaboration

Advanced Excel

Payroll systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Oracle

ADP GlobalView

Job description

At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.

Responsibilities:

• Own payroll-related journal entries for our US (HQ) and North American international subsidiaries, from preparation through booking.
• Prepare payroll accruals, including monthly payroll, bonus, workers’ compensation, PTO, and commissions.
• Complete month-end and quarter-end close activities on schedule, in line with our internal close calendar.
• Reconcile and analyze payroll-related GL accounts in accordance with GAAP and Lyft’s accounting policies, and perform flux analysis to explain monthly and quarterly movements.
• Investigate and resolve reconciling items in partnership with FP&A and the Payroll team.
• Build a deep understanding of our pay classes, pay codes, and payroll processing activities so you can connect what happens in payroll to what lands in the GL.
• Keep payroll records organized and audit-ready, and help maintain and strengthen our internal controls.
• Identify opportunities to streamline or automate recurring close work, and help bring them to life.
• Support ad hoc projects as they come up.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA is a plus.
• 4+ years of general ledger accounting experience, including 2+ years in payroll accounting.
• Hands‑on experience owning month‑end close in a fast‑paced, multi‑entity environment.
• Strong command of GAAP.
• The ability to work independently, stay organized, and hit deadlines without sacrificing accuracy.
• Clear, friendly communication and a collaborative approach with cross‑functional partners.
• A deep respect for confidentiality and data integrity.
• Advanced Excel skills (lookups, pivot tables, and clean, reviewable workpapers).
• Experience with finance and payroll systems such as Workday, Oracle, ADP Globalview, or similar.
• Nice to have
  • Experience at a public company and familiarity with SOX controls.
  • Experience supporting a payroll system implementation or process improvement project.

Benefits:

• Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled
• Mental health benefits
• Family building benefits
• Child care and pet benefits
• 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future
• In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible
• Subsidized commuter benefits
• Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership

Lyft is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace that fosters belonging. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

Lyft highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office 3 days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Lyft considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Your recruiter can share more information about the various in-office perks Lyft offers. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid

The expected base pay range for this position in the Seattle area is $80,960 - $101,200, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.