Director of Payroll

Anthropic•Seattle, WA

2d•$230,000 - $300,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Anthropic's mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems. You'll own US and Canada payroll operations end-to-end — hands-on in Workday, close to the details — while also managing and developing 1–2 direct reports on the US team. You'll report directly to the Head of Global Payroll and be a key leader in making sure North American payroll keeps pace with Anthropic's growth. Strategic importance: You'll be a key contributor to our compliance initiative — our framework for managing payroll tax obligations across US & Canada. You'll also be part of the team driving AI adoption within payroll: we're actively building out how AI tools can improve reconciliation accuracy, error detection, and reporting workflows. This isn't a future initiative — it's happening now.

Requirements

8+ years of payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or manager-level role owning US multi-state payroll end-to-end
Hold a CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification
Direct people management experience — you've managed at least one FTE directly, not just contractors or mentorship relationships
Strong Workday experience — payroll module preferred; HCM with direct payroll involvement and a clear path to Workday Payroll ownership is considered
Deep familiarity with equity compensation processing (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs) and the tax implications at both federal and state levels
Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-moving, ambiguous environments — you build structure where none exists and don't wait for someone to hand you a playbook
Strong cross-functional instincts — you know how to build trust quickly, influence without authority, and communicate clearly across Finance, HR, Legal, and beyond

Nice To Haves

Canada payroll experience — even introductory exposure is valued; willingness to learn and grow into the function matters more than deep expertise on day one
Experimented with AI or automation tools to improve payroll workflows (reconciliation, error detection, reporting)
Been part of a Workday payroll implementation or major system migration
Worked at a company that scaled rapidly — from 500 to 2,000+ employees — and built payroll infrastructure to match
Experience in or exposure to IPO readiness, SOX compliance, or building financial controls from scratch

Responsibilities

Own full-cycle payroll processing for all US entities — multi-state, multi-frequency, exempt and non-exempt populations
Process complex equity compensation including RSUs, ISOs, and NSOs, ensuring accurate tax withholding and timely reporting
Manage high-volume payments: bonuses, commissions, severance, and equity events
Oversee quarter-end, W-2 preparation, year-end reconciliations, and resolution of federal and state tax notices
Maintain and continuously improve Workday payroll configuration — identify automation opportunities and lead optimization initiatives
Oversee Canada payroll operations in partnership with our PwC Global Payroll Platform, developing expertise in CRA compliance, T4s, Records of Employment, and multi-province processing
Partner with our international payroll team to ensure Canada stays integrated into our global compliance posture
Build out Canada payroll SOPs as the function matures
Manage and develop 1–2 direct reports on the US payroll team — set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and invest in their growth
Build a team culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement
Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll issues and employee inquiries
Partner with Corporate Accounting on payroll journal entries, accruals, and month-end close
Work closely with Tax, Benefits, People Systems, and Employment Legal to ensure data integrity and compliance
Support audit readiness and internal & systems controls
Champion the use of AI tools within the payroll function — identify high-value use cases for reconciliation, anomaly detection, and reporting
Lead or support process improvement projects that reduce manual effort, increase accuracy, and improve the employee payroll experience
Document processes, build SOPs, and contribute to the team's knowledge infrastructure