Global Senior Payroll Manager

About Strava

Strava is a comprehensive application designed for active individuals. With more than 200 million users across 185 countries, it serves as a platform for tracking workouts and fostering community progress—from establishing new routines to achieving personal bests. Regardless of sport or tracking methods, Strava supports its users in connecting, setting goals, and making their efforts count.

Strava’s mission centers on inspiring people to live the most active and fulfilling lives possible, recognizing movement as a powerful connector and motivator.

Role Overview

This senior position is critical as payroll is a highly trusted and sensitive function directly impacting every employee worldwide. As Strava expands internationally and prepares for a public listing, this role is responsible for ensuring the integrity and scalability of payroll operations spanning all company locations and legal jurisdictions.

Reporting to the Assistant Controller, you will oversee the full lifecycle of Strava’s global payroll function across US and EMEA territories, leading a team distributed globally. Responsibilities include establishing SOX-compliant controls, processes, thorough documentation, and detailed reporting necessary for a public company. Collaboration with People Operations, Legal, and Financial Planning teams will be vital, particularly managing the payroll and equity compensation aspects as the company approaches its IPO. The position involves building and enhancing payroll infrastructure rather than simple maintenance. The EMEA payroll platform is recently implemented, and significant advancements in controls and operations lie ahead.

The work model is flexible hybrid, requiring more than half the time onsite in either the San Francisco or Dublin office, typically three days weekly.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the complete global payroll process across US and EMEA, guaranteeing precise compensation, accurate tax withholdings, and compliance with all statutory filing requirements in each jurisdiction where Strava operates.
• Lead and mentor two Senior Payroll Analysts located in San Francisco and France, setting clear performance goals and facilitating their professional development despite timezone challenges.
• Develop, implement, and maintain SOX-compliant payroll controls, procedures, and documentations, supporting audit processes and readiness for public company standards.
• Take ownership of payroll aspects related to equity compensation as part of the company’s IPO journey, including RSU vesting, ESPP programs, and managing mobility and shadow payroll considerations, alongside Legal and Equity teams.
• Collaborate with the General Ledger team on payroll entries, accrual calculations, reconciliations, and ensuring timely and clean monthly financial closes.
• Establish strong partnerships with People Operations, Legal, and external payroll vendors, exercising good judgment in negotiation and maintaining constructive vendor and internal relationships.
• Effectively communicate complex payroll issues, providing clear recommendations, weekly updates, SOX documentation, and standardized operating procedures, confidently representing payroll in verbal and written communications.
• Operate payroll as a measured function by developing and delivering regular operational reports on accuracy, processing times, exceptions, and compliance SLAs to leadership in Controllership and Finance.
• Drive continual process improvements and automation within payroll operations, leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Manage international payroll vendors and lead system implementation and optimization projects to support scaling payroll functions.

Required Qualifications and Expertise

• Extensive hands-on experience managing complete global payroll operations, including multiple countries and currencies, specifically with UK, France, Germany, Ireland, and US payroll systems.
• Proven ability to lead and grow payroll teams, particularly managing distributed teams across different time zones.
• Strong operational knowledge of payroll processing systems, vendor management, and payroll system implementation.
• Deep understanding of multi-jurisdictional payroll compliance, including payroll taxes, statutory reporting, FLSA regulations, and SOX payroll controls with audit support experience.
• Track record of designing and implementing SOX-compliant payroll processes rather than simply adhering to existing controls.
• Direct involvement in organizational transitions to public companies, with comprehensive knowledge of payroll and equity compensation issues related to IPOs.
• Clear comprehension of the payroll to General Ledger interface including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and close coordination with GL teams.
• Analytical and data-focused approach in payroll management, capable of building operations reporting frameworks from the ground up for finance leadership.
• Demonstrated practical use of AI technologies to improve payroll accuracy and efficiency, such as employing Anthropic’s Claude tool.
• Experience upgrading payroll operations from startup models to comply with public company standards or holding CPP certification is advantageous.

Additional Information

The role is based in Dublin, Ireland, requiring onsite presence as part of a hybrid work schedule.

Strava is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and adheres to equal opportunity employment policies, ensuring fair treatment across all aspects of hiring, evaluation, promotion, and benefits without regard to personal characteristics or conditions. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is €140,000 to €150,000 per year.

Why Join Strava?

Joining Strava means becoming part of a global community passionate about movement, motivation, and achieving goals. The company fosters a collaborative and innovative culture dedicated to helping athletes excel while providing a world-class workplace for employee growth and fulfillment. Backed by noted venture capital firms, Strava is scaling to meet the needs of its expanding international user base and emphasizes diversity and inclusion in all hires.