Global Payroll Compliance Manager

Muck Rack is the leading SaaS platform for public relations and communications professionals. Our mission is to enable organizations to build trust, tell their stories, and demonstrate the unique value of earned media. Muck Rack’s AI-powered, comprehensive, and integrated platform streamlines the PR workflow to help businesses generate positive media coverage, monitor mentions to manage brand reputation, and analyze PR’s impact on business outcomes. By combining media database, monitoring, and reporting into one dynamic platform, we empower teams to collaborate seamlessly, pitch effectively, and analyze results faster and more efficiently.

Founder-controlled, fully distributed, and growing sustainably, Muck Rack has received several awards for its unparalleled culture and product from organizations like Inc., Quartz, G2, and BuiltIn. We value resilience, transparency, ownership, and customer devotion, and infuse these values into everything we do. 

We’re seeking a detail-oriented and compliance-driven Global Payroll Compliance Manager to oversee payroll processes and ensure accuracy, consistency, and regulatory compliance across all regions and entities. In this role, you’ll own payroll execution, reporting, and compliance for U.S. and international employees, while partnering with Finance, Talent Operations, and external vendors to deliver a seamless payroll experience.

You’ll be responsible for managing payroll workflows, documentation, maintaining compliance with federal, state, and international tax laws, domestic and international employment compliance and supporting related benefit and reporting programs (e.g., 401(k), stipends, state tax, and global mobility).

What you’ll do:

• Independently own and execute global payroll operations, ensuring accuracy and timeliness across all employee groups and countries
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and international tax and labor regulations, including payroll reporting, filings, and documentation 
• Maintain all federal, state, and international employment compliance
• Manage U.S. payroll compliance items such as 401(k) support, state tax setup, and stipends payment processes
• Administer global payroll (e.g., UK payroll, Canadian payroll, Bulgarian payroll), ensuring accuracy and alignment with local laws and company policies
• Lead preparation for and participation in related audits, collaborating with Finance, Legal, and other internal partners as needed
• Support year-end and quarterly reporting, including W-2, 1099, and global equivalents.
• Partner with the Talent Operations team to support new hire setup, compensation changes, and terminations
• Collaborate with external vendors and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for process automation and system improvements. Drive all vendor and platform consolidation as the payroll subject matter expert
• Own global compliance projects, such as payroll vendor contract management, international payroll integrations, and expansion readiness, including researching and standing up international entities
• Ensure a positive employee experience by responding promptly and professionally to payroll and tax-related inquiries
• Own all aspects of employment-related compliance administration, including unemployment claims, verification of employment requests, and workers’ compensation cases
• Serve as the primary point of contact for relevant agencies, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant responses
• Maintain records and documentation in accordance with legal requirements and company policy

How success will be measured in this role:

• Accurate and timely execution of payroll across all entities and pay cycles
• Zero major compliance or audit findings across U.S. and international operations
• Successful implementation of process and system improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy
• Strong collaboration with internal partners and external vendors
• High employee satisfaction with payroll accuracy and responsiveness

If the details below describe you, you could be a great fit for this role:

• 7+ years of global payroll and compliance experience and deep experience with mergers and acquisitions
• Deep knowledge of U.S. federal and state tax regulations and global payroll practices
• Strong understanding of U.S. federal and state and global employment law
• Experience managing external payroll providers (e.g., ADP, Deel, Papaya Global, or similar) and related vendor relationships effectively
• Experience managing equity programs
• Meticulous, analytical, and highly organized, with a strong focus on accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance
• Comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, remote-first environment
• Excellent commun