Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

Exciting, well-funded VC‑backed software firm in the McLean/Vienna area is adding a Payroll Specialist to its growing Accounting/Finance/HR team. This is a newly created role due to careful planning and subsequent amazing growth.

*** This position is in‑office, with reasonableness and flexibility…. Come experience our amazing culture!!!***

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* Note:

compensation is a starting base salary of $90,000 – $100,000 + disc. bonuses + equity grant + outstandingly competitive benefits***

This individual will own core payroll, support compensation, and Accounts Payable processes. This hire will create real leverage for the VP Finance/Controller by taking on meaningful projects, not just transactions. He/she will help build scalable people and finance infrastructure as the company grows in headcount, customers, and geographies. Will have the chance to work around a technically exceptional product and team in a company that values autonomy and clear results.

This is a hands‑on, operator/builder role for someone who likes clean execution, simple processes, and jumping in where the business needs help most:

• Run end‑to‑end of all payrolls each cycle, ensuring accurate, timely pay, deductions, with holdings, tax filings and clean payroll‑related JEs, reconciliations, and accruals.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations as headcount and locations grow, and help lay the groundwork for future international payroll (e.g., via EORs or local providers).
• Own calculations for sales commissions and variable compensation, translating plans into clear, auditable logic and preparing simple statements for eligible employees.
• Administer corporate credit card and expense program and support AP bill processing (coding, operations, payment scheduling, vendor and tax documentation).
• Act as a responsive point of contact for employee payroll and comp questions while upholding strong documentation and controls.
• Spot and implement process improvements across payroll, comp, and AP to reduce manual work, errors, and cycle time.
• Partner closely with People, Sales, Rev Ops, and Finance leadership to ensure HRIS, payroll, and GL data stay aligned and useful for decision‑making.
• Take on ad‑hoc and growth projects that create leverage for the Controller, from tool evaluations and data clean‑up to supporting new entities, countries, or compensation programs.

• 3–5+ years of hands‑on experience in payroll, compensation operations, and/or AP, ideally in a high‑growth or startup environment.
• Track record owning multi‑state U.S. payroll and contributing to sales commission or other variable compensation calculations.
• High integrity and discretion with confidential payroll, compensation, and employee data, with strong attention to detail and follow‑through.
• Clear, empathetic communicator who can explain payroll and comp topics to non‑finance stakeholders and build trust with employees.
• Process‑ and systems‑minded operator who enjoys simplifying, documenting, and improving how work gets done.
• Strong command of payroll fundamentals and comfort working in modern payroll/HRIS, AP, and expense tools (e.g., Gusto, Rippling, Justworks, ADP, Ramp, Brex, , or similar).
• Proficiency with spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets) for building and auditing models, reconciliations, and simple analyses.
• Comfortable in a fast‑changing, lean environment and motivated to pick up ad‑hoc projects that support firm’s growth and create leverage for the VP Finance/Controller.
• Bring a great attitude, team spirit and the ability to grow your career!