Sr. Manager, Global Payroll

Your role
As the Sr. Manager, Global Payroll, you will be the strategic operational lead for our global payroll function. Reporting to our Director of Accounting, you will own the end-to-end payroll lifecycle for a high-growth, global workforce of over 1,000 employees. Your mission is to evolve our payroll department from a functional necessity into a world-class center of excellence, ensuring flawless execution across the US, Canada, EMEA, and APAC.

You are a technical and process expert who thrives in the complexity of multi-state tax laws and SOX-compliant environments. Beyond the numbers, you are a leader—you’ll mentor a dedicated team and partner cross-functionally with People Ops, International Accounting, Legal, and Finance to streamline our processes and prepare us for our next phase of scale.

This position reports to our Director, Accounting and has the opportunity to be based in our San Ramon, CA Office.

What you’ll do 

• Oversee all aspects of Dialpad’s global payroll, ensuring 100% accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with local labor laws and statutory requirements.
• Serve as the subject matter expert and final escalation point for all payroll issues, including those related to tax, benefits, garnishments, leave of absence, and equity.
• Lead quarter-end and year-end payroll processes, including tax reporting, compliance filings, and W-2/equivalent statement delivery globally.
• Ensure strict compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and labor laws in the US, and all equivalent statutory requirements in international jurisdictions.
• Develop, implement, and maintain SOX-compliant internal controls, documentation, and governance frameworks for all global payroll processes to ensure audit and IPO readiness.
• Manage and/or support payroll-related audits (e.g., external financial, 401k, Workers' Compensation).
• Oversee tax registrations, amendments, and adjustments globally, partnering closely with the Tax department.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Accounting, Finance, People Operations (HRIS/Benefits/Compensation), and Legal to streamline end-to-end payroll processes and data integration, and troubleshoot complex issues.
• Own the month-end close activities for payroll, including the review and approval of payroll-related journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, and variance analysis for all regions.
• Drive strategic initiatives such as payroll system operational and reporting upgrades, workflow automation, and expansion into new countries/entities.
• Embrace and lead AI transformation within the Payroll organization.
• Lead a high-performing team of payroll specialists, fostering a culture of professional growth, accountability, and high-touch service levels (SLAs).

Skills you’ll bring

• 10+ years of experience in payroll management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing global payroll operations.
• Strong proficiency with Workday Payroll software (3+ years) is required.
• Expertise in US multi-state tax regulations and labor laws, complemented by a solid understanding of international practices (specifically Canada, EMEA, and APAC).
• Proven experience in managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience in public or pre-IPO environments with a strong command of SOX controls and IPO readiness preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, complex formulas) with the ability to translate raw data into actionable financial insights.
• Strong working knowledge of the payroll implications for equity-based compensation, including for stock options and RSUs.
• A track record of successfully managing and scaling teams in a fast-paced, high-growth setting.