Managed Payroll Specialist

About the role

Rippling is expanding its US Managed Payroll offering, and we’re looking for a Senior Managed Payroll Specialist to join the team at a pivotal stage. In this client-facing role, you’ll own payroll delivery for a portfolio of complex US customers while helping shape the systems, processes, and feedback loops that make the service better over time.

In this role, you’ll act as a trusted payroll expert and relationship owner, managing everything from routine pay runs to nuanced edge cases with accuracy, auditability, and clear communication. You’ll thrive in a fast-moving service environment where priorities shift, customer needs vary, and independent judgment matters.

As a senior member of the team, you’ll also raise the bar for how Managed Payroll operates. You’ll own escalations, mentor specialists, identify recurring issues, improve processes and tooling, and partner closely with cross-functional teams to turn customer insights into better systems and service delivery.

This is a US-remote based role - we are not hiring in San Francisco Bay Area or New York City Metro .

What you will do

• Own the end-to-end payroll cycle for a portfolio of complex US customers, including data collection, pre-validation, entry, approval coordination, and final accuracy checks.
• Conduct proactive pre-payroll reviews to identify unapproved timecards, onboarding gaps, pending time off, variable pay changes, and other issues that could delay or impact payroll.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned customer accounts, communicating clearly and proactively throughout the pay run cycle.
• Manage nuanced or high-risk payroll escalations, serving as a next-level expert and ensuring issues are resolved with strong judgment and customer empathy.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Implementation, Customer Support, and Sales to surface customer needs, document edge cases, support implementations, and assess fit for Managed Payroll.
• Contribute to the evolution of the Managed Payroll program by refining SOPs, identifying tooling needs, strengthening automation and AI-assisted workflows, and driving scalable process improvements.
• Mentor specialists, contribute to training materials, and uphold high standards for quality, compliance, auditability, and service delivery across the team.

What you will need

• 4+ years of hands-on US managed payroll experience, ideally covering multi-client and multi-state payroll processing
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state payroll regulations, and US payroll concepts including tax withholding, garnishments, benefits deductions, and leave compliance
• Demonstrated ability to manage client-facing relationships with clear, proactive, and professional communication
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, evolving environment — you embrace ambiguity, identify interim solutions when needed, and contribute to the playbook as you go
• Genuine comfort with technology; experience with or openness to AI-assisted workflows and automation tools
• Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Excel; experience with Salesforce or Jira is a plus
• Highly desirable: experience in a SaaS or HRIS environment, and/or FPC or CPP certification
  
  

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accommodations@rippling.com

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + bonus. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here.

A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.

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