Payroll Staff Accountant

About the Role Sift is hiring a Staff Accountant to own end-to-end payroll operations for a multi-state and global employee population. This role sits within the Finance & Accounting organization and is designed for a detail-oriented payroll professional who can run bi-weekly and monthly payroll cycles with precision, maintain accounting accuracy through timely journal entries and reconciliations, and partner cross-functionally with Finance and HR to support a growing organization. The ideal candidate brings deep multi-state payroll experience, comfort with ADP, and a continuous improvement mindset — someone who's as focused on building better processes as they are on getting every cycle right. Responsibilities Payroll Processing • Process bi-weekly payroll for a multi-state employee population and monthly payroll for a global employee population, including pay calculations, validations, audits, and finalization • Maintain payroll accuracy for earnings, deductions, garnishments, taxes, retro adjustments, leave pay, and off-cycle payments • Support year-end activities including W-2 preparation, audits, and payroll calendar planning Accounting & Reconciliation • Post payroll-related journal entries to the General Ledger and perform payroll reconciliations, resolving variances in a timely manner • Partner with Finance on payroll reporting and balancing • Review, code, and approve employee expense reports and corporate card transactions; post related journal entries and perform reconciliations Reporting & Systems • Create and enhance payroll reports and dashboards to support operational needs, trend analysis, and leadership requests • Support system enhancements, testing, and implementations, including upgrades, configuration changes, process documentation, and user support Process & Controls • Maintain documentation, SOPs, and internal controls aligned with company policy and audit expectations • Assist with continuous improvement initiatives that streamline payroll workflows, strengthen controls, and improve the employee experience • Take on ad hoc projects and requests as assigned Minimum Qualifications - 3–5 years of hands-on payroll processing experience, including bi-weekly payroll cycles - Multi-state payroll experience with a proven ability to research and apply changing payroll laws and regulations - Experience with ADP Workforce Now - Strong Excel skills, including lookups, pivot tables, and data validation - High attention to detail, strong sense of ownership, and a commitment to accuracy and confidentiality - Ability to manage competing priorities and meet payroll cutoff timelines Collaborative, service-oriented communicator who can explain payroll topics clearly to non-payroll stakeholders - Continuous improvement mindset with comfort learning new tools and processes Nice to Have - ERP experience, Netsuite preferred - Expense Software experience (Navan, Expensify, Brex) Let’s build it together: At Sift, we are intentionally building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We believe that diversity drives innovation, equity is a fundamental right, and inclusion is a basic human need. We envision a place where all Sifties feel secure sharing their authentic selves and diverse experiences with their teams, their customers, and their community – ultimately using this empowerment and authenticity to build trust and create a safer Internet. This document provides transparency around how Sift handles the personal data of job applicants: https://sift.com/recruitment-privacy A little about us: Sift is the AI-powered fraud platform securing digital trust for leading global businesses. Our deep investments in machine learning and user identity, a data network scoring 1 trillion events per year, and a commitment to long-term customer success empower more than 700 customers to grow fearlessly. Global brands rely on Sift to unlock growth and deliver seamless consumer experiences. Visit us at sift.com http://sift.com and follow us on LinkedIn https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=XHeK0v8NcNrEkwcDe8QxwpZeCkdQqNyKlni83U-CUmrprdKXWpVlYOAbVzwe2OmlwIUN-q4HXk4hf_dazpHx2NMM1CW_SYj740q9mxXNQI4=.