Sr. Manager, Payroll

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision & dental

401(k) retirement plan

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Parental leave

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Employee discounts

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. Manager, Payroll to lead and optimize payroll operations for 25,000+ employees. The role partners with the Head of Payroll, CFO, and Corporate Controller to drive compliance, process improvements, and SOX controls in a fast-paced environment.

The candidate will manage US and international payroll activities, oversee audits, and implement automation to scale payroll processing. Onsite in Hawthorne with a focus on accuracy and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of finance experience with 5+ years in payroll.
• 4+ years in a supervisory role managing direct reports.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
• Hands-on experience with UKG (Ultimate Software) and Workday.
• Experience supporting international payroll operations.

Responsibilities

• Build a world class payroll process for global employees.
• Identify and drive process improvements, automation initiatives, and internal control enhancements.
• Develop and maintain documentation of current payroll processes for US and global entities.
• Support payroll-related projects, including system implementations and integrations.
• Assist with end-to-end payroll processing for all US employees (weekly/biweekly).
• Support annual payroll compliance reporting for the US, including W-2s.
• Ensure monthly close payroll deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Support SOX requirements for US payroll, including control documentation and testing.
• Lead internal and external audits related to payroll.

Skills

Payroll leadership

SOX compliance

UKG / Ultimate Software

Workday

Regulatory compliance

Tools

UKG Ultimate Software

Workday

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SR. MANAGER, PAYROLL

The Sr. Manager, Payroll is a key member of the finance team and plays a critical role in ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll operations for our rapidly growing workforce. This position combines hands‑on payroll expertise with strategic process improvement, SOX compliance, and audit management in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment. Payroll is centrally organized for SpaceX in the US, supporting over 25,000 employees. This role will be supporting the Head of Payroll for SpaceX and will directly interact with the CFO and Corporate Controller. Significant growth potential is expected for this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build a world class payroll process for global employees
• Identify and drive process improvements, automation initiatives, and internal control enhancements
• Develop and maintain documentation of current payroll processes and procedures for both US and global entities
• Support payroll-related projects, including system implementations, integrations, and process transformations
• Assist with end-to-end payroll processing for all US employees on a weekly and biweekly basis, including exempt, non-exempt, and equity compensation
• Support annual payroll compliance reporting for the US, including the preparation, review, and audit of W-2s
• Ensure all monthly close payroll deliverables are completed accurately and on schedule
• Support SOX requirements for all US payroll, including control documentation, testing, monitoring, and remediation
• Lead internal and external audits related to payroll, serving as the primary point of contact

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of professional experience in finance with 5+ years in payroll
• 4+ years in a supervisory role managing direct reports

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience working in finance organizations of fast-moving entrepreneurial companies - "run it like you own it" mentality
• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, tax requirements, and compliance obligations
• Hands‑on experience with UKG (Ultimate Software) and Workday
• Experience supporting international payroll operations
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Demonstrated expertise in SOX compliance and internal control frameworks

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness to work long hours and weekends when needed to meet critical deadlines
• This position is based in Hawthorne, CA, and requires being onsite - remote/hybrid will not be considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay range:
Sr. Manager, Payroll: $175,000.00 - $250,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

• Access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
• Short and long‑term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Various other discounts and perks
• Accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation
• Eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year
• Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out [e-mail] .