Payroll Specialist

Summary

Anaconda builds the open-source and AI tooling that data scientists and developers around the world rely on. We're looking for a Payroll Specialist to make sure our people are paid accurately and on time in every country we operate in, and to make the way we do it faster and smarter.

This role is for someone who knows global payroll cold and is just as comfortable in the systems and data behind it. You'll run payroll, and you'll also use AI and automation to cut manual work, catch errors before they reach an employee, and keep up with rules that change country by country.

What You'll Do

Run global payroll

• Process payroll for employees in the US and multiple other countries, working with our finance and people teams and with in-country agencies and providers
• Calculate wages and other compensation, including equity-based awards and variable pay
• Manage multi-currency payroll, including exchange rate handling
• Handle garnishments, benefits deductions, off-cycle runs, and other special adjustments
• Keep payroll compliant with international, federal, and local tax and labor rules, and prepare and file payroll tax reports, including quarterly and annual filings
• Support audits tied to workers' compensation, 401(k), and other benefits, with accurate reporting
• Administer leaves of absence in-house, including pay and benefits deductions during leave, coordination with state and statutory programs, and a clean return to payroll

Make the process smarter

• Build pre-payroll checks that flag anomalies in hours, deductions, currency, and new hire or termination data before payroll closes, using AI tools, spreadsheet automation, or light scripting
• Use AI to track regulatory and statutory changes by country and turn them into concrete actions, confirming each against primary sources and our tax and legal advisors
• Document how payroll actually runs: calendars, reconciliation templates, onboarding and offboarding checklists, and a living knowledge base for common questions
• Work with People Systems and Finance to improve how data moves between our HRIS, payroll, benefits, and general ledger, and fix the root cause when it breaks

Partner across the company

• Be the first point of contact for employee payroll questions. Use AI-assisted tools to answer faster, and handle anything sensitive personally
• Design and maintain the policies and procedures that connect payroll with onboarding, offboarding, and variable compensation
• Maintain a current view of global headcount costing, with open hiring requisitions layered in, so Finance and People can plan with real numbers

What You Need

• 5+ years managing payroll for 500+ employees across multiple countries
• Working knowledge of US and international payroll tax, labor law, and statutory reporting
• Hands-on experience administering leaves of absence (FMLA, state paid family and medical leave, parental, and international statutory leave) and handling the payroll and benefits impact of each
• Hands-on experience with a global payroll or HRIS platform, and strong Excel or Google Sheets skills (lookups, pivots, reconciliations)
• Regular use of AI tools in your work. You can tell us what you've used them for, where they saved time, and where you didn't trust the output and checked it
• A systems mindset: you understand how data flows between HR, payroll, benefits, and finance systems, and you troubleshoot integration and sync issues instead of working around them
• Sound judgment with confidential data, including what belongs in an AI tool and what doesn't
• The ability to explain a pay question to an employee and a variance to Finance, clearly and without jargon
• You work well independently and with a distributed, global team

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Experience with Rippling
• Experience with Optum for HSA/FSA administration
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Global Payroll Professional (GPC), or equivalent certification
• Experience with tax withholding and reporting on equity compensation across countries
• Experience in a fast-paced startup, or at an open-source, AI, or data science company

Why You'll Like Working Here:

• You'll thrive in a high-performance environment where results are recognized and rewarded
• Your work directly contributes to shaping the future of data science, machine learning, and AI in the enterprise.
• You'll work alongside a collaborative team that values diverse, thoughtful discussion, clarity and candor.
• You'll be supported by a culture that puts employees first - with flexible hours, a fully remote setup, and a genuine commitment to your wellbeing and growth.

The application deadline for this role is 12/15/2026; applicants will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the role is filled.

The base salary range for this role is $91,000 - $115,000 for candidates in New York City and San Francisco, and $68,500 - $100,000 for other US-based team members, along with annual bonus potential, equity participation, and benefits.

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual compensation is determined by various factors, including work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter will provide more specific details on the salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

In addition to base salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Flexible Vacation Policy
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Short Term and Long Term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Monthly Wellness Stipend
• Employee Assistance Program and Mental Health Resources

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Anaconda, Inc. (“We”, “Us”) are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Notice sets out the basis on which the personal data collected from you, or that you provide to Us, will be processed by Us in connection with Our recruitment processes.

By clicking “Submit Application”, you acknowledge you have read our Privacy Policy and that Anaconda can retain your application data for up to 1-year, unless otherwise stated.  For the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) ”) and the version of the GDPR retained in UK law (the “UK GDPR”) the Data Controller is Vanessa Macilwaine.

Anaconda is an EEO/AA employer M/F/V/D.