Global Payroll Operations Lead

OpenAI•San Francisco, CA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

At OpenAI, payroll is not a back-office function — it is mission-critical infrastructure. We are seeking a Global Payroll Operations Lead to own, scale, and continuously improve the payroll and payroll-support ecosystem that serves one of the fastest-growing and most technically sophisticated organizations in the world. This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

Requirements

10+ years of experience leading global payroll operations, preferably in a fast-paced and high-growth environment.
Strong working knowledge of global payroll regulations, tax requirements, and standard payroll practices with an expert level understanding of US federal, state, and local payroll compliance.
Hands-on experience with Workday or other large HCM/payroll systems; ADP SmartCompliance and global payroll platform experience is a plus.
The ability to autonomously manage multiple strategic priorities simultaneously, taking full ownership of outcomes, and delivering high-quality work under tight deadlines.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.
Clear and concise communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Experience working with or managing BPO/vendor relationships is strongly preferred.
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, HR, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice To Haves

CPP certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end execution of global payroll processing and deliver accurate, compliant, and on-time payroll results across multiple regions, entities, and pay frequencies.
Build, lead, and continuously develop a world-class payroll operations organization, including both internal teams and outsourced partners, setting a high bar for performance, accountability, and operational excellence.
Act as the operational authority for payroll, accountable for the integrity of all employee pay data across multiple systems.
Serve as the payroll lead for mergers and acquisitions, including transition payrolls, compliance, and system administration.
Proactively identify, investigate, and resolve payroll issues, applying strong judgment and root-cause analysis to eliminate recurrence and reduce operational risk.
Design and build OpenAI’s payroll support operating model, including case workflows, intake channels, escalation paths, service-level agreements, and quality standards, delivering a high-trust employee payroll experience.
Build strategic partnerships with HR, Finance, Accounting, and other cross-functional teams to ensure global data integrity and accurate downstream reporting.
Build and maintain a robust control environment, including process documentation, approvals, reconciliations, and audit-ready evidence to support internal and external reviews.
Continuously re-architect payroll workflows using automation and AI-powered tools to drive improvements in speed, accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.