Global Payroll Manager

At Nova Sky Stories , we empower artists and producers to bring awe and wonder to live audiences around the world. As the global leader in drone entertainment , we’ve been redefining live shows for over a decade—merging cutting-edge drone technology with imaginative artistry.

With a veteran team of engineers and creatives, we design and operate lightweight, small, precise, and safe drones that perform in the most demanding environments—urban centers, extreme temperatures, and high winds. The result?
Sky Stories that inspire, captivate, and transform the sky into a canvas of imagination.

Headquartered in the U.S. with teams across Europe and the UAE, Nova Sky Stories works with the world’s leading brands, venues, and events.
Follow us: @Nova Sky Stories

As a Global Payroll Manager at Nova Sky Stories, you will play a key role in ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across our growing global organization. This role will work closely with Finance, HR, and external partners to manage payroll processes, support employees, and continuously improve payroll systems and procedures.

As Global Payroll Manager, you will be responsible for:

Payroll Processing & Oversight - 40%

• Partner with Human Resources and Finance teams to maintain accurate employee timekeeping and payroll data.
• Administer and oversee full-cycle payroll operations across multiple countries and entities within Nova Sky Stories.
• Review payroll submissions for accuracy including hours worked, earnings, deductions, taxes, and benefit contributions.
• Manage off-cycle payroll runs including bonuses, corrections, and retroactive adjustments as needed.
• Reconcile payroll registers to funding, tax payments, and general ledger exports; manage reversals, voids, and retroactive pay corrections when necessary.
• Coordinate payroll system integrations, file feeds, and general ledger exports with Accounting to ensure accurate labor distribution and cost center mapping.
• Support payroll processing for both employees and independent contractors across domestic and international jurisdictions.
• Partner closely with Accounting and Finance to support payroll-related audits, reconciliations, and reporting requirements.

Global Entity Setup & Payroll Onboarding - 20%

• Support the setup of new international entities and payroll structures within payroll and HRIS platforms, including company codes, pay groups, earnings and deductions, PTO policies, and direct deposit configurations.
• Partner with HR, Finance, and leadership to collect and validate employee and payroll data when launching operations in new countries.
• Assist with parallel payroll testing and first-live payroll processing for new locations.
• Coordinate payroll tax setup across new jurisdictions, ensuring proper configuration for local tax requirements and compliance.
• Help evaluate and support transfer pricing considerations related to international payroll and labor allocation across entities.

Compliance & Reporting - 20%

• Ensure payroll practices comply with applicable federal, state, local, and international labor regulations.
• Maintain strong knowledge of local payroll requirements and compliance obligations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Monitor tax filings, garnishments, and required with holdings in partnership with Finance and external payroll providers.
• Generate payroll and labor cost reports for leadership using payroll reporting tools.
• Support quarterly and year-end payroll processes, including tax reconciliation and year-end reporting.
• Maintain accurate multi-state and international employee tax profiles, ensuring proper tax treatment across jurisdictions.
• Partner with Accounting and external advisors to support payroll compliance and reporting accuracy globally.

Employee Support, Process Improvement & Accounting Support – 20%

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll related questions from employees across the organization, partnering with HR and Finance to resolve discrepancies and employee concerns in a timely manner.
• Provide guidance to internal teams on payroll timelines, approvals, processes, and best practices.
• Standardize payroll processes across multiple countries and…