Payroll Accountant II

Payroll Accountant II

Based onsite at Rocket Lab's Albuquerque, New Mexico facility, the Payroll Accountant is responsible for processing and maintaining the company payroll records.

• Review and process payroll on a bi-weekly basis for salaried and hourly employees
• Validate and reconcile payroll data to ensure accurate payroll payments, reporting, and records
• Assist with all employee contributions for 401K, HSA, Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESOP), and Stock Based Compensation, including coordinating transmissions with third party providers
• Process manual checks for terminations and adjustments as needed
• Reconcile and resolve discrepancies of relevant payroll, benefits, and tax general ledger accounts
• Coordinate with other departments (People & Culture, IT, Finance and Accounting) to gather relevant data
• Support month end close activities such as journal entry compilation, reconciliation, and reporting

• 2+ years of payroll accounting experience and a bachelor's degree or equivalent years of work experience (HS diploma and 6+ years of work experience)
• Proficient in Excel and data analysis
• Payroll and reconciliation experience

• Experience with stock or equity related compensation is preferred
• Attention to detail and deadline oriented
• Experience with Deltek CostPoint or similar ERP system
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now and ADP Workforce Manager

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus
• Regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing
• Must be physically able to commute to buildings
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, and moderate levels of noise

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small.

We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable.

Learn more about ITAR here.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at  This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

For security reasons background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations,  ITAR Regulations.