Senior Payroll Specialist

What You'll Do:

As CoreWeave continues its rapid growth and global expansion, our Finance Operations organization is scaling to support an increasingly complex global workforce. Payroll is a mission-critical function that ensures employees are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time while enabling the business to scale efficiently. This role will play a key part in optimizing payroll operations across the United States and Canada while driving automation, process improvements, and system enhancements that support one of the fastest-growing public companies in the AI infrastructure space.

We are seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and collaborative Senior Payroll Specialist to join our Finance Operations team. This individual will own end-to-end payroll processing across the United States and Canada while serving as a subject matter expert for Workday Payroll, payroll compliance, and cross-border payroll operations. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys solving complex payroll and compliance challenges, and is passionate about improving processes through automation and technology. This role offers broad exposure across Payroll, HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Equity Administration, and external vendors while providing the opportunity to help scale payroll infrastructure supporting a rapidly growing global organization.

In this role, you will:

• Own end-to-end bi-weekly payroll processing for employees across the United States and Canada using Workday Payroll
• Process complex payroll transactions, including equity events such as RSU vesting, NSOs, ISOs, and other stock-based compensation activities
• Manage multi-state and cross-border payroll tax compliance, including federal, state, provincial, and local tax requirements
• Establish and maintain payroll tax accounts while ensuring compliance with US and Canadian payroll regulations
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, Equity Administration, Legal, and Workday system administrators to ensure payroll accuracy and operational excellence
• Research and resolve payroll inquiries while providing exceptional internal customer support through the payroll ticketing system
• Support month-end payroll accounting activities, including journal entries, general ledger reconciliations, and reporting
• Collaborate with internal and external auditors to support SOX compliance, payroll audits, and control documentation
• Create, maintain, and continuously improve payroll standard operating procedures and internal controls
• Drive process improvements, automation initiatives, and AI-enabled solutions that improve payroll efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Support Workday Payroll enhancements, system testing, configuration updates, and continuous optimization initiatives

Who You Are:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field
• 7+ years of progressive payroll experience supporting complex US and Canadian payroll operations, including experience in a senior or lead capacity
• Advanced hands-on experience with Workday Payroll required; Workday HCM experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience processing high-volume payrolls (1,000+ employees) with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong knowledge of US and Canadian payroll tax regulations, including multi-state taxation, CRA remittances, T4 processing, provincial tax requirements, and ROE filings
• Experience processing complex equity compensation transactions, including RSUs, stock options (NSO/ISO), ESPP purchases, and related supplemental tax withholding
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, journal entries, general ledger reconciliations, month-end close, and SOX controls
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, upgrades, configurations, and optimization initiatives
• Advanced Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, and data analysis
• Experience leverag