Senior Payroll & Compensation Specialist

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Arizona, +18 more states.

📋 Description

• Take full ownership of processing regular, off-cycle, special, and final payrolls in Rippling for employees across more than 20 states.

• Conduct audits of payroll inputs and results, which include employee changes, timekeeping, deductions, garnishments, reimbursements, bonuses, PTO payouts, and other payroll-related activities.

• Oversee the setup and payment of international contractors in various countries.

• Act as the main point of contact for payroll inquiries and address issues related to pay, withholding, deductions, and other payroll concerns.

• Keep up-to-date with federal, state, and local payroll regulations.

• Manage payroll tax registrations and account maintenance across relevant jurisdictions.

• Serve as the internal payroll subject-matter expert for Rippling, overseeing payroll workflows, controls, documentation, and system configurations.

• Collaborate with the Director of HR to implement and enhance the compensation framework.

• Benchmark roles utilizing Payscale and other market resources.

• Assist with job leveling and pricing initiatives.

• Maintain accurate compensation data, salary ranges, market benchmarks, job-leveling records, and documentation.

• Support annual compensation planning and review processes.

• Analyze compensation data for market positioning, internal equity, pay trends, and discrepancies.

• Administer promotions, market adjustments, bonuses, and other changes related to compensation.

• Prepare payroll reconciliations, funding information, approval packages, journal entry support, compensation reports, and documentation for audits.

• Identify payroll or compensation discrepancies, trends, and control gaps, and implement necessary improvements.

• Partner with HR, Finance, Compliance, and business leaders to ensure the maintenance of accurate, compliant, and scalable processes.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 4 years of hands-on, end-to-end payroll experience.

• At least 2 years of independent management of payroll for a complex, multi-state U.S. workforce.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field is preferred; relevant experience may substitute for a degree.

• Significant experience in supporting compensation processes such as market benchmarking, job pricing, salary ranges, compensation analysis, annual compensation cycles, or pay adjustments.

• Familiarity with compensation benchmarking tools and market data for evaluating competitive pay; Payscale experience is highly preferred.

• Solid understanding of market positioning, job leveling, salary ranges, geographic differentials, internal equity, and benchmarking.

• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including wage payment, final pay, payroll taxes, deductions, garnishments, recordkeeping, and year-end reporting.

• Experience handling hourly and salaried employees, including timekeeping, variable pay, bonuses, and other payroll-related wage and hour aspects.

• Excellent analytical and spreadsheet skills.

• Ability to reconcile complex data, identify trends, and convert payroll and market data into actionable insights.

• Capability to independently resolve complex payroll issues while appropriately escalating strategic or higher-risk matters.

• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, discretion, and communication when dealing with confidential payroll and compensation information.

• All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

• Certification such as FPC, CPP, CCP, or progress toward a relevant certification is a plus.

• Experience with payroll processing for employees in California is advantageous.

• Experience in supporting compensation frameworks, job architecture, leveling structures, salary range methodologies, annual compensation review cycles, or familiarity with Rippling payroll is a bonus.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with 100% employer-paid dental/vision and a modest monthly medical premium for employees; dependents can be added at the employee's cost.

• Generous paid time off.

• Paid sick leave.

• Six (6) company-paid holidays each year.

• Two (2) floating holidays.

• Paid parental leave after six months of service for eligible employees.

• 100% company-paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance.

• Referral bonuses up to $1,500.

• 401(k) or Roth plans with up to a 4% company match after one year of service.

• $300 monthly product stipend for Paleovalley for employees.