Payroll, Global Payroll & Compliance Manager

About Snorkel At Snorkel, we believe meaningful AI doesn’t start with the model, it starts with the data. We’re on a mission to help enterprises transform expert knowledge into specialized AI at scale. The AI landscape has gone through incredible changes since 2015, when Snorkel started as a research project in the Stanford AI Lab, to the generative AI breakthroughs of today. But one thing has remained constant: the data you use to build AI is the key to achieving differentiation, high performance, and production-ready systems. We work with some of the world’s largest organizations to empower scientists, engineers, financial experts, product creators, journalists, and more to build custom AI with their data faster than ever before. Excited to help us redefine how AI is built? Apply to be the newest Snorkeler! Payroll, Global Payroll & Compliance Manager Redwood City, CA (Hybrid); San Francisco, CA (Hybrid); United States (Remote) About Snorkel At Snorkel, we believe meaningful AI doesn’t start with the model, it starts with the data. We’re on a mission to help enterprises transform expert knowledge into specialized AI at scale. The AI landscape has gone through incredible changes between 2015, when Snorkel started as a research project in the Stanford AI Lab, to the generative AI breakthroughs of today. But one thing has remained constant: the data you use to build AI is the key to achieving differentiation, high performance, and production-ready systems. We work with some of the world’s largest organizations to empower scientists, engineers, financial experts, product creators, journalists, and more to build custom AI with their data faster than ever before. Excited to help us redefine how AI is built? Apply to be the newest Snorkeler! About The Role We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Payroll, Global Compliance & Benefits Manager to own and scale our payroll, compliance, and benefits operations as Snorkel continues to grow globally. This role will serve as the primary subject matter expert for U.S. and international payroll operations, payroll accounting, multi-state and global compliance, employee benefits administration, regulatory filings, bonus and commission processing, payroll tax compliance, and payroll-related audits. You will partner closely with Finance, People Operations, Legal, and external service providers to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance across all jurisdictions in which we operate. The ideal candidate combines deep payroll expertise with a proactive compliance mindset. They thrive in fast-paced startup environments, are highly detail-oriented, and take pride in building scalable processes while ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. This is a hands-on role requiring both strategic thinking and operational excellence. What You'll Do Payroll Operations Own and manage end-to-end payroll processing for U.S. employees, ensuring accurate and timely payroll execution. Oversee and coordinate international payroll operations across multiple countries, including employees, contractors, and Employer of Record (EOR) populations. Serve as the internal payroll expert and primary administrator for Rippling. Partner with international payroll providers, EOR partners, and local advisors to ensure payroll is processed accurately and compliantly across all jurisdictions. Administer semi-monthly payroll cycles, including salary, bonuses, commissions, equity-related payroll impacts, fringe benefits, deductions, garnishments, relocation benefits, and final pay calculations. Review payroll changes for accuracy, completeness, and compliance prior to payroll submission. Ensure consistency and integrity of payroll data across all payroll systems and providers. Partner closely with People Operations to ensure employee lifecycle events are accurately reflected in payroll systems. Continuously improve payroll processes, controls, and documentation to support company growth and scalability. Bonus & Commission Administration Own or support the calculation, validation, and payroll processing of employee bonus and commission programs. Partner with Finance, Revenue Operations, and Sales leadership to ensure commission calculations align with approved compensation plans. Review bonus and commission payouts for accuracy and completeness before payroll processing. Support commission and bonus accrual calculations and related accounting entries. Payroll Accounting & Financial Close Prepare and reconcile payroll-related journal entries. Maintain payroll-related balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules. Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities related to payroll, benefits, commissions, bonuses, and employee-related liabilities. Reconcile payroll reports to the general ledger and investigate discrepancies. Partner with Accounting and Finance teams to ensure accurate payroll-related financial reporting. Support annual compensation-related disclosures and audit requests. Compliance & Regulatory Filings Own payroll compliance across federal, state, local, and international jurisdictions. Ensure timely and accurate payroll tax filings, registrations, renewals, and remittances. Manage multi-state payroll compliance requirements, including withholding accounts, unemployment registrations, and state agency reporting. Oversee state and local business registrations and annual compliance requirements. Coordinate and support annual business property filings, including California Form 571-L and similar state and local reporting obligations. Manage San Francisco business registrations, annual reports, and related compliance filings. Ensure timely completion of annual payroll reporting requirements, including W-2 processing and employee tax documentation. Partner with internal and external stakeholders to maintain compliance with int