Job Description
Level is a learning technology company dedicated to helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to, not something they struggle through.
We support what teachers, schools, and parents are already doing by increasing student engagement with high quality, standards aligned practice that reinforces classroom learning. That’s why we’re building:
For students: Rewarding and motivating learning experiences that meet students where they are to build real academic proficiency.
For educators: Tools that fit naturally into instruction and help students stay engaged while reducing teacher workload.
For parents: Activities that help your kid catch up or get ahead, build confidence, and minimize homework battles, whether learning at school or at home.
We are committed to helping every person maximize their potential and live a life of meaning. It’s a difficult problem that requires brilliant people and tremendous effort over time.
We are seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist who can be the go-to expert for all things payroll, equity, and vendor/contractor payments. Reporting directly to the Senior People Partner, you will own and scale our global payroll functions, ensuring accurate and timely payments while building strong financial controls and partnering closely with the People and Accounting teams to deliver a seamless employee experience. This is a high-impact, highly cross-functional role for someone who thrives on precision, process improvement, and building trust across an organization.
What You’ll Do
Key Responsibilities
Global Payroll Management
Own end-to-end payroll processing for employees and contractors across the US, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand.
Ensure accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and international payroll regulations, including tax filings, withholdings, and statutory requirements.
Process payroll-related benefit deductions including HSA contributions, 401(k) deferrals/matching, and other deductions.
Oversee contractor payment cycles, including international contractor compliance (1099s, tax documentation, etc.), and maintain organized records for all contractor payment activities.
Troubleshoot and resolve payroll discrepancies, W-2 corrections, and employee inquiries.
Stay current on multi-jurisdictional payroll compliance requirements and proactively flag risks.
Establish and maintain strong internal controls over payroll, ensuring audit readiness and complete documentation.
Own payroll process governance, including implementing scalable systems and reducing manual risk as the company grows.
Cross-Functional Partnership
Serve as a strategic partner to the People team on compensation administration, benefits payment integration, employee onboarding/offboarding payroll workflows, and HR system data integrity.
Collaborate with Finance & Accounting on payroll reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audit and any payroll related inquiries.
Support contractor-to-FTE conversions from a payroll perspective.
Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce manual work.
Qualifications
Need to Have:
5-7 years of experience in payroll, with at least 1-3 years managing multi-state and/or international payroll.
Strong knowledge of US federal and state payroll tax regulations, filings, and compliance.
Experience processing and managing vendor and contractor payments, including international contractors.
Experience with global payroll platforms and multi-jurisdictional compliance requirements.
Exceptional attention to detail and a track record of accuracy in high-volume environments.
Strong communication skills and a collaborative, service-oriented mindset.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
Comfort working cross-functionally with Finance, People, and Legal teams.
Nice to Have:
Direct experience with Rippling as a primary payroll and HRIS platform.
Experience administering equity plans and partnering with Legal and Finance on compliance and reporting, including experience with Carta or similar equity management platforms.
Familiarity with German and/or New Zealand payroll and statutory requirements.
CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification).
Experience in high-growth startup or tech environments.
Experience supporting contractor-to-FTE conversions.
Background partnering closely with HR/People teams on compensation administration and employee lifecycle processes.