Anthropic· Finance· San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA
Senior Payroll Manager
Classified Tasks (28)
Automate 0%Augment 64%Human-Only 36%
Augment (18)
AI assists, human decides
Own full-cycle payroll processing for all US entities, including multi-state, multi-frequency, exempt and non-exempt populations
operational
Process complex equity compensation (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs), ensuring accurate tax withholding and timely reporting
technical
Manage high-volume payments including bonuses, commissions, severance, and equity events
operational
Oversee quarter-end processes, W-2 preparation, year-end reconciliations, and resolution of federal and state tax notices
operational
Maintain Workday payroll configuration and perform hands-on payroll tasks in Workday
technical
Identify automation opportunities within Workday payroll configuration
analytical
Lead optimization initiatives to improve payroll processes
leadership
Build out and maintain Canada payroll standard operating procedures (SOPs)
administrative
Partner with Corporate Accounting on payroll journal entries, accruals, and month-end close
analytical
Support audit readiness and maintain internal and systems controls related to payroll
administrative
Contribute to the compliance initiative for managing payroll tax obligations across the US and Canada
analytical
Champion and drive adoption of AI tools within the payroll function
leadership
Identify high-value AI use cases for reconciliation, anomaly detection, and reporting
analytical
Lead or support process improvement projects that reduce manual effort and increase accuracy
leadership
Improve the employee payroll experience through process enhancements
operational
Document payroll processes
administrative
Build standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the payroll team
administrative
Contribute to the team's knowledge infrastructure and documentation
administrative
Human-Only (10)
Requires human judgment
Oversee Canada payroll operations in partnership with the PwC Global Payroll Platform
operational
Develop expertise in CRA compliance, T4s, Records of Employment, and multi-province processing
technical
Partner with the international payroll team to integrate Canada into the global compliance posture
communication
Manage 1–2 direct reports on the US payroll team
leadership
Set clear expectations for direct reports
leadership
Provide regular feedback to direct reports
leadership
Invest in the growth and development of direct reports
leadership
Build a team culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement
leadership
Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and employee inquiries
communication
Work closely with Tax, Benefits, People Systems, and Employment Legal to ensure payroll data integrity and compliance
communication
Job description
About Anthropic Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems. About the role You'll own US and Canada payroll operations end-to-end — hands-on in Workday, close to the details — while also managing and developing 1–2 direct reports on the US team. You'll report directly to the Head of Global Payroll and be a key leader in making sure North American payroll keeps pace with Anthropic's growth. Strategic importance: You'll be a key contributor to our compliance initiative — our framework for managing payroll tax obligations across US & Canada. You'll also be part of the team driving AI adoption within payroll: we're actively building out how AI tools can improve reconciliation accuracy, error detection, and reporting workflows. This isn't a future initiative — it's happening now. Responsibilities US Payroll Operations Own full-cycle payroll processing for all US entities — multi-state, multi-frequency, exempt and non-exempt populations Process complex equity compensation including RSUs, ISOs, and NSOs, ensuring accurate tax withholding and timely reporting Manage high-volume payments: bonuses, commissions, severance, and equity events Oversee quarter-end, W-2 preparation, year-end reconciliations, and resolution of federal and state tax notices Maintain and continuously improve Workday payroll configuration — identify automation opportunities and lead optimization initiatives Canada Payroll Management Oversee Canada payroll operations in partnership with our PwC Global Payroll Platform, developing expertise in CRA compliance, T4s, Records of Employment, and multi-province processing Partner with our international payroll team to ensure Canada stays integrated into our global compliance posture Build out Canada payroll SOPs as the function matures Team Leadership & Development Manage and develop 1–2 direct reports on the US payroll team — set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and invest in their growth Build a team culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and employee inquiries Cross-Functional Partnership & Compliance Partner with Corporate Accounting on payroll journal entries, accruals, and month-end close Work closely with Tax, Benefits, People Systems, and Employment Legal to ensure data integrity and compliance Support audit readiness and internal & systems controls AI Adoption & Process Improvement Champion the use of AI tools within the payroll function — identify high-value use cases for reconciliation, anomaly detection, and reporting Lead or support process improvement projects that reduce manual effort, increase accuracy, and improve the employee payroll experience Document processes, build SOPs, and contribute to the team's knowledge infrastructure You may be a good fit if you have 8+ years of payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or manager-level role owning US multi-state payroll end-to-end Hold a CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification Direct people management experience — you've managed at least one FTE directly, not just contractors or mentorship relationships Strong Workd