Payroll Manager

Columbia, SC / Washington D.C. / Lexington, KY / Reno, NV

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing startup in the nuclear and energy space creating a never before seen fleet-scale approach to building nuclear reactors. Through its design-once, build-many approach and coalition building across communities, regulators, and financial stakeholders, The Nuclear Company is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity at the lowest cost, while catalyzing the nuclear industry toward rapid development in America and globally.

About the role

The Payroll Manager will own the end-to-end payroll function for the organization, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across all entities and jurisdictions. This is a hands-on role responsible for both day-to-day execution and building scalable processes, controls, and systems as the company grows.

Additionally, the Payroll Manager will lead the successful transition to the new payroll platform, support the implementation of a new T&E program, and serve as the primary subject matter expert for payroll, taxation, and related compliance. This role offers the opportunity to build a best-in-class payroll and expense platform in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Payroll Operations Leadership:
  Oversee and execute the full payroll cycle (e.g., hourly, salaried, bonus, and overtime) for all employees, ensuring accurate and timely payments in accordance with company policies, employment agreements, and applicable laws. Maintain payroll calendars, cutoffs, and checklists to support predictable and reliable close routines.
• Compliance, Controls, and Tax Management:
  Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, payroll tax regulations, and garnishment requirements. Establish, document, and maintain internal controls over payroll and related processes, including approvals, reconciliations, and segregation of duties, in alignment with SOX/COSO expectations as the company matures.
• Systems Implementation and Process Improvement:
  Lead the payroll workstream for the transition to the new payroll platform, including requirements definition, configuration support, testing, data validation, and go-live readiness. Continuously assess and improve payroll processes, integrations with ERP/HRIS and timekeeping systems, and documentation to drive efficiency, accuracy, and auditability.
• Time & Attendance, T&E, and Expense Management:
  Own the operational processes for time and attendance capture, expense report review, and T&E policy enforcement. Partner with Finance and HR to roll out a new T&E software solution (e.g., Concur, Expensify, Ramp, or similar), ensuring alignment with company policies and proper coding to departments, projects, and cost centers.
• Payroll Accounting, Reporting, and Reconciliation:
  Collaborate with the Accounting team to prepare and review payroll-related journal entries, account reconciliations, and variance analyses (wages, taxes, benefits, bonuses, and accruals). Provide routine and ad hoc payroll reports and analytics to Finance, HR, and leadership, including headcount, labor costs, overtime trends, and other key metrics.
• Vendor and Stakeholder Management:
  Serve as the primary point of contact for external payroll, tax filing, and T&E vendors. Partner closely with HR/People Operations, Finance, and business leaders to resolve issues, support audits, and respond to employee inquiries with a high level of service and professionalism.

Experience

• Professional
  
  Experience:
  
  5+ years of progressive, hands-on payroll experience, including multi-state payroll processing; at least 2 years in a role with primary ownership of payroll operations or payroll leadership.
• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Technical Knowledge:
  Strong understanding of U.S. payroll practices, wage and hour regulations, payroll tax requirements, and related compliance obligations (federal, state, and local). Demonstrated experience with payroll accounting, reconciliations, and coordination with the general ledger.
• Software…