Staff Software Engineer — Global Payroll Calculation

Rippling (Netherlands); Virginia; On-site; USD 189,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

Rippling is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead architecture of our payroll calculation systems. You will design scalable, auditable payout workflows and own critical production code for global payroll.

You will collaborate across product, design, payroll operations, and other engineering teams to deliver end-to-end outcomes, mentor engineers, and push the boundary of payroll technology at scale. Experience in distributed systems and a track record of steering large cross‑team initiatives

Qualifications

• Staff-level experience designing and scaling complex production systems where correctness and auditability are critical.
• Strong fundamentals in architecture, data modeling, distributed systems, databases, caching, and reliability.
• Proven track record of setting technical direction and leading complex initiatives across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical strategy for Rippling’s payroll calculation systems.
• Write production code and lead from the front on high‑impact technical initiatives.
• Design frameworks that make payroll logic configurable, versioned, testable, explainable, scalable, and easy to debug.
• Leverage AI to make payroll logic easier to build, validate, explain, and operate, without compromising accuracy, auditability, or control.
• Build systems that support enterprise‑scale payroll for large employers with complex legal‑entity structures and approval workflows.
• Help expand Rippling’s native payroll capabilities across new countries and jurisdictions.
• Drive improvements in distributed systems, database performance, caching, reliability, and operability.
• Partner cross‑functionally with product, design, payroll operations, HRIS, and other engineering teams to deliver end‑to‑end customer outcomes.
• Mentor senior and mid‑level engineers across payroll calculation areas such as platform, earnings, deductions, taxes, and jurisdiction‑specific logic.

Skills

Architecture

Distributed systems

Data modeling

Databases

Reliability

Leadership

Cross-functional alignment

Job description

Rippling is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead architecture of our payroll calculation systems. You will design scalable, auditable payout workflows and own critical production code for global payroll.

You will collaborate across product, design, payroll operations, and other engineering teams to deliver end-to-end outcomes, mentor engineers, and push the boundary of payroll technology at scale. Experience in distributed systems and a track record of steering large cross‑team initiatives