Payroll Manager

Who you are

• You have 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including full ownership of multi-state payroll cycles
• You have hands-on experience with Rippling HCM
• You have strong working knowledge of payroll compliance requirements across all US states; direct experience in California, New York, Texas, and/or Florida is a plus
• You have experience working cross-functionally between People/HR and Finance teams, with excellent stakeholder communication skills
• You have a solid understanding of payroll accounting concepts, including how payroll expenses flow into month-end close
• You have demonstrated experience processing commission and bonus payouts in partnership with cross-functional business teams
• You're highly detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable managing competing deadlines
• Experience supporting headcount planning or workforce cost forecasting with a Strategic Finance/FP&A team, prior experience in a high-growth or remote-first organization, and/or a CPP certification are all a plus

What the job involves

• Steno is growing! We’re looking for a Payroll Manager to join our winning team, which is revolutionizing the court reporting industry every single day. We’re a diverse team from all over the country and we’re crazy about redefining the boundaries of an outdated industry
• In this role, you will own end-to-end payroll operations for our 500+ person, multi-state workforce, serving as the trusted bridge between Finance and the People team
• You’ll manage full-cycle payroll processing, multi-state compliance, and vendor relationships, while partnering with Finance on month-end reporting and headcount planning
• We’re looking for someone with hands-on Rippling HCM experience and deep multi-state payroll compliance knowledge who’s comfortable operating as a trusted liaison across teams
• Own and execute the full payroll cycle for all US and international employees and contractors, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and local requirements
• Administer and maintain payroll operations within Rippling HCM, including pay runs, tax setup, deductions, and employee data integrity
• Act as the primary liaison between the People and Finance teams, ensuring payroll-related information (new hires, terminations, pay changes, leaves, commission/bonus data) flows accurately with no gaps or delays
• Partner with department and business unit leaders to process commission and bonus payouts, ensuring calculations, approvals, and timing align with plan documents and policy
• Lead payroll compliance across all US states and applicable federal requirements, including wage and hour law, tax and unemployment insurance obligations, unclaimed property, and benefits-related payroll reporting
• Serve as subject matter expert on multi-state payroll compliance, with particular depth in California, New York, Texas, and Florida
• Manage year-end payroll processes, including W-2 preparation, tax filings, and audits
• Respond to payroll-related inquiries from employees and managers, resolving discrepancies quickly and professionally
• Maintain and improve payroll policies, procedures, and internal controls; identify opportunities to automate or streamline processes
• Partner with Finance to explain and reconcile payroll expense changes at month-end close, providing variance context and supporting documentation
• Work with the Strategic Finance team on headcount planning, providing payroll cost data, forecasts, and scenario modeling as needed
• Support internal and external audits related to payroll, tax, and compliance
• Support other ad hoc payroll-related projects as needed