Director of Payroll

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About the role

About Anthropic 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. About the role 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. Responsibilities US Payroll Operations • 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 Canada Payroll Management • 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 Team Leadership & Development • 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 Cross-Functional Partnership & Compliance • 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 AI Adoption & Process Improvement • 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 You may be a good fit if you have • 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 abi

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