Director, Global Payroll and Employment Tax

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is seeking a Director, Global Payroll and Employment Tax to oversee the global payroll and employment-tax compliance architecture for a workforce of over 3,000 employees across multiple U.S. and international locations. This role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant day-to-day payroll processing, which is co-sourced through ADP. The Director will partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, IT, and cross-functional stakeholders to maintain payroll integrity, streamline processes, and drive continuous improvement across payroll systems and workflows. The position is based onsite at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, California.

Requirements

12+ years of multi-country payroll experience, including APAC and EMEA compliance, co-sourced payroll operations, and ADP vendor management across the U.S. and international regions.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience (HS diploma & 16+ years of work experience).
Demonstrated experience managing and developing payroll teams.
Strong knowledge of U.S. and international payroll compliance, tax regulations, and reporting requirements.
Proficiency with payroll systems such as ADP, Workday, or similar platforms.

Nice To Haves

Experience with NZ and German payroll, M&A payroll integration, and mobility/shadow payroll processes.
Knowledge of GovCon payroll, Costpoint, SOX compliance, and holds or is pursuing the CPP certification.
Strong analytical, auditing, and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to drive process improvements and implement scalable payroll solutions.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments and locations.

Responsibilities

Oversee bi-weekly and semi-monthly payroll processing for salaried and hourly employees across multiple domestic and international locations.
Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and international payroll regulations, tax laws, and reporting requirements.
Lead, mentor, and develop the payroll accounting team, including training, coaching, and performance management.
Validate, reconcile, and audit payroll data to ensure accuracy in payments, deductions, reporting, and historical records.
Manage payroll operations related to new hires, terminations, pay changes, and employee benefit and compensation programs (401(k), HSA, ESPP, stock-based compensation).
Deploy ADP NZ, ensuring compliance with the Holidays Act 2003, KiwiSaver/ESCT, and IRD payday filing requirements.
Manage shadow payroll, day-count tracking, and assignment documentation for staff working across multiple jurisdictions.
Oversee the consolidation and integration activities for mergers and acquisitions.
Own all payroll-cycle corporate and finance controls.
Oversee manual and off-cycle check processing as needed.
Investigate, reconcile, and resolve payroll, benefit, and tax discrepancies.
Partner with People & Culture, IT, Finance, and Accounting to ensure seamless integrations, data integrity, and efficient workflows.
Drive process improvements and evaluate best practices to enhance payroll systems, reporting, automation, and scalability.
Support month-end close through journal entries, reconciliations, and required reporting.
Stay current on global payroll regulations, trends, and compliance requirements.

Benefits

Company stock as part of total compensation package
Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount)
Medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution)
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
Paid vacation
Sick time
11 paid holidays
Flexible spending accounts
Dependent care accounts
Paid parental leave
Disability insurance
Life insurance
401(k) retirement plan with company match
Subsidized EV charging
Onsite fitness centers (where available)
Discounted gym memberships
Complimentary snacks and beverages
50% employee discount on merch store
Variety of other employee discounts