Senior Payroll Accountant - Hybrid, GAAP Close Expert

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

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.