Payroll Manager

At Achieve Life Sciences, we're preparing for the potential commercial launch of cytisinicline and building the operational infrastructure needed to support our next phase of growth. This is an opportunity to establish scalable payroll processes that support a growing, global workforce while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a positive employee experience.

Reporting to the Vice President, Finance, the Manager, Payroll will own and scale Achieve's global payroll function across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This individual will oversee end-to-end payroll operations, tax compliance, financial reconciliation, reporting, systems, and year-end activities while partnering closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, Equity Administration, and Sales Operations. The role will also play a key part in preparing payroll processes for commercial launch, including sales incentive compensation and field-force pay practices.

• Lead global payroll operations:
  Own end-to-end payroll processing across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., including regular, off-cycle, and bonus payrolls, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payments as the organization grows.
• Manage multi-state payroll:
  Administer payroll for employees across multiple U.S. states, including remote and field-based sales personnel, and coordinate new hires, terminations, compensation changes, leaves, and final pay in partnership with HR.
• Oversee payroll providers and systems:
  Manage relationships, service-level agreements, and performance expectations with payroll providers in each country. Maintain effective HRIS and payroll integrations and drive process improvements as the business scales.
• Maintain payroll tax compliance:
  Oversee payroll tax withholding, remittances, filings, registrations, and statutory reporting across applicable jurisdictions. Monitor legislative and regulatory changes and update processes before new requirements take effect.
• Manage country-specific requirements:
  Oversee U.S. federal, state, and local payroll obligations;
  Canadian source deductions, remittances, and year-end reporting; and U.K. PAYE, National Insurance, HMRC submissions, statutory payments, and pension auto-enrollment.
• Prepare for commercial launch:
  Partner with Sales Operations, HR, and Finance to establish payroll processes for incentive compensation, including bonuses, commissions, and sales performance awards. Build scalable workflows for variable pay tied to quotas and performance metrics.
• Support field-force compensation:
  Coordinate payroll administration for sales expense reimbursements, car allowances, and other field-force pay elements. Ensure compliance with applicable state wage and hour requirements, commission agreements, final pay rules, and expense reimbursement laws.
• Administer equity and benefits through payroll:
  Process payroll-related tax withholding and reporting for stock option exercises, restricted stock unit (RSU) vesting, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) purchases. Partner with external advisors on cross-border and mobile employee tax considerations, including U.K. share schemes and Canadian stock option rules.
• Reconcile benefits and retirement deductions:
  Reconcile payroll deductions with benefit carriers and plan providers and support administration of company benefits programs and the 401(k) plan.
• Own payroll accounting and reporting:
  Prepare payroll journal entries, accruals, and month-end close support. Deliver reporting and analysis for Finance, HR, and leadership, including headcount costs, budget variances, and R&D tax credit support.
• Strengthen controls and audit readiness:
  Maintain documented payroll controls and segregation of duties, support SOX compliance and financial statement and…