Accounting Manager, Baseten

• 5+ years of experience in payroll, with direct ownership of full-cycle multi-state payroll processing
• Hands-on accounting background: prepare journal entries, manage accruals, reconcile balance sheet accounts, and contribute to a month-end close
• Experience in a high-growth environment where you built processes, not just ran them
• Working knowledge of multi-state payroll tax compliance including 941s, 940s, SUI filings, and state registrations
• Experience with a modern payroll and HRIS platform (Rippling, Workday, ADP, or equivalent)
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with People Ops, Finance, and external vendors
• High attention to detail and a strong instinct for catching errors before they become problems

Desirable

• We're hiring our first dedicated Payroll and Accounting Manager - a role that sits at the intersection of two functions that are usually separate. You'll own full-cycle payroll operations end-to-end, and you'll also own the accounting behind it: the journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and month-end close work
• This is a build-from-scratch opportunity. Payroll today is handled across multiple team members with other primary responsibilities. You'll be the first dedicated owner: establishing processes, implementing controls, and scaling the function as we grow
• Lead our PEO exit and implement an in-house payroll platform - participating in the full project from vendor selection and system configuration through parallel testing, employee communication, and go-live
• Design and document our end-to-end payroll process from scratch, including maker/checker approval workflows, cycle-over-cycle audit checks, and non-exempt employee timekeeping procedures
• Own the monthly payroll accounting close - preparing all journal entries, accruals (bonuses, commissions, severance, signing bonuses, referral bonuses), and balance sheet reconciliations
• Build a compliance program that covers multiple states and jurisdictions, proactively managing nexus registration as we expand into new states
• Partner with People Ops on comp cycles, leave management, 401(k) updates, and benefits funding coordination - serving as the connective tissue between payroll and the broader people function
• Payroll operations
• Own full-cycle, multi-state semi-monthly payroll processing for U.S. employees, and coordinate with our global EOR platform for international employees
• Process all payroll changes: new hires, terminations, compensation changes, leave adjustments, and tax withholding updates driven by life events or state moves
• Manage comp change cycles, off-cycle payroll runs, and final day pay calculations
• Handle one-off transactions such as special bonuses and true-ups
• Manage 401(k) contribution updates and coordinate payroll funding with People Ops
• Conduct payroll change audits each cycle before processing
• Accounting and month-end close
• Prepare and post all payroll-related journal entries and record payroll bank transactions in the accounting system
• Own payroll accruals: bonuses, commissions (including capitalized commission), severance, referral bonuses, signing bonuses, and accrued payroll
• Execute month-end payroll accrual close and reconcile balance sheet accounts for all payroll and compensation liabilities
• Maintain prepaid and deferred compensation entries
• Prepare stock-based compensation related journal entries and equity rollforward
• Perform compensation flux and variance analysis vs. budget
• Compliance
• Maintain federal, state, and local payroll tax compliance across all active U.S. jurisdictions
• Manage all quarterly and annual payroll tax filings - federal and state withholding, SUI, W-2 reconciliations, and Secretary of State obligations
• Register tax accounts and manage nexus analysis as we expand into new states
• Respond to tax notices promptly to avoid penalties
• Process and systems
• Lead the in-house payroll / HRIS implementation
• Design and document scalable payroll workflows and controls, including maker/checker approval processes
• Establish non-exempt employee payroll processes covering timekeeping, overtime, and applicable compliance requirements
• Ensure data integrity across HRIS and the general ledger
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to reduce manual effort and error risk