Who you are

• The ideal candidate is a hands-on payroll professional with strong international aptitude, comfortable navigating multiple tax jurisdictions, Employer of Record (EOR) structures, and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) relationships
• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience, including multi-state U.S. payroll
• Demonstrated exposure to international payroll environments (direct payroll, vendor-supported, or EOR models)
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, reconciliations, and accruals
• Experience working with ADP or similar enterprise payroll platforms
• Comfort managing PEO relationships and understanding their operational implications
• High attention to detail with strong systems aptitude
• Ability to operate effectively across different tax jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks
• Strong Excel and reporting skills
• Experience supporting payroll transitions off PEO structures
• Experience participating in HIS or HRIS implementations
• Familiarity with ERP systems (Sage preferred)
• Exposure to permanent establishment considerations and contractor classification compliance
• CPP, FPC, or international payroll certifications (a plus)
• We're searching for passionate individuals eager to contribute to Alpaca's rapid growth. If you align with our core values—Stay Curious, Have Empathy, and Be Accountable—and are ready to make a significant impact, we encourage you to apply

What the job involves

• We are seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist (Global) to own and operationalize payroll across a rapidly scaling international organization
• This role will centralize payroll operations within Finance and support our continued global expansion, including growth to ~500 employees this year
• This individual will play a key role in supporting potential transitions off the U.S. PEO model, improving payroll controls, and partnering on upcoming Human Resource Information System (HRIS) and ERP initiatives
• This is an operationally focused role with meaningful exposure to strategic projects and system implementations
• Manage end-to-end payroll processing across three global payroll tiers:
• Direct payrolls (U.S., Canada, UK/Wealth Kernel)
• Vendor-supported international payrolls (e.g., Singapore, India, Hungary, Japan, Bahamas)
• Employer of Record (EOR) arrangements
• Serve as primary operational owner of global payroll processes within Finance
• Centralize payroll administration, including transition of new entity payrolls into shared services
• Ensure payroll compliance across multiple tax and employment regimes
• Partner with local consultants and vendors to validate statutory requirements
• Support evaluation and potential transition off the U.S. PEO model
• Maintain and optimize payroll operations through ADP (or future provider)
• Coordinate closely with HR and Finance regarding 401(k), benefits administration, and related payroll implications
• Assist with state unemployment insurance and provincial payroll setup (including Quebec)
• Prepare and support:
• Payroll reconciliations
• Journal entries
• Accruals (PTO, bonuses, commissions, etc.)
• Ensure payroll data integrates accurately with ERP and finance systems
• Partner with Finance to strengthen internal controls and audit readiness
• Support permanent establishment risk monitoring by maintaining clean payroll and contractor classification records
• Partner with Finance and HR to ensure strong integration between HRIS and existing payroll tools
• Help evaluate integration considerations with current ERP (Sage) and future ERP replacement
• Reduce manual work through improved reporting, automation, and system-driven processes
• Ensure payroll data resides in structured system reports, reducing reliance on tribal knowledge
• Work closely with HR on benefits changes (including annual March decision cycles)
• Collaborate with Finance leadership on scalability planning as the company grows
• Provide training and documentation to ensure continuity and process clarity
• Receive transition support from internal team members for UK/Spanish payroll knowledge transfer

Benefits

• Stock Options
• Health benefits from day 1 (internationally, this includes a stipend value to offset medical costs)
• New Hire Home-Office Setup: One-time USD $500
• Monthly Stipend: USD $150 per month via a Brex Card
• Work with awesome people, clients and partners from around the world
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Supplemental health care