Senior Payroll & Compliance Lead (US) – Automation Focus

OpenGov; California; On-site; USD 173,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare options

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Wellness stipends

Job summary

OpenGov is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to own US payroll end-to-end, ensuring accuracy and compliance across all jurisdictions. This in-office role leads the payroll function, partners with Finance, HR, and Legal, and may expand to equity administration.

The role requires 8+ years of US payroll experience, including people management, and hands-on Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance proficiency. Office locations include San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, or Boston.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• 8+ years US payroll experience, including 3+ years managing payroll staff.
• Hands-on experience with Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to deliver accurate payroll on tight deadlines with advanced Excel/Sheets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with cross-functional collaboration experience.
• Comfortable using AI-native tools to accelerate workflows.
• Ability to work in office in San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, or Boston.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end US payroll processing, ensuring accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance across all jurisdictions.
• Manage payroll tax compliance and resolve issues with federal/state/local authorities.
• Partner with HR on 401(k), HSA, and FSA administration and ensure accurate deductions and remittances.
• Provide tax information and withholding calculations for RSU settlements and potentially administer RSU process.
• Manage quarterly and year-end employment tax reporting (W-2, 1099, 940/941).
• Own payroll general ledger reconciliations and support month-end close; oversee payroll audits.
• Design and maintain payroll controls and audit readiness across processes and systems.
• Improve processes and automate where appropriate to scale with headcount.
• Supervise and develop the lead payroll specialist.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Advanced Excel/Google Sheets

AI tools proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance or equivalent experience

CPP or FPC certification (preferred)

Tools

Workday Payroll

ADP SmartCompliance

Job description

OpenGov is seeking a Senior Manager, Payroll to own US payroll end-to-end, ensuring accuracy and compliance across all jurisdictions. This in-office role leads the payroll function, partners with Finance, HR, and Legal, and may expand to equity administration.

The role requires 8+ years of US payroll experience, including people management, and hands-on Workday Payroll and ADP SmartCompliance proficiency. Office locations include San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, or Boston.