Payroll Analyst
San Francisco, CAContractSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Job overview
The Payroll Analyst will manage domestic and international payroll activities, equity administration, payroll accounting, and selected operational accounting tasks. The role supports payroll and equity close, tax compliance, financial controls, and audit requests, while identifying opportunities for automation and process improvement. It is a contract position suited to a payroll specialist with full-cycle payroll experience and familiarity with multi-state and international operations.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Description
We are looking for a detail-oriented Payroll Analyst to join our team on a contract basis. This role is ideal for a payroll specialist who can manage complex domestic and international payroll activities while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and strong financial controls. The position will also support equity administration, payroll accounting, and selected operational accounting tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities:
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Manage complete payroll processing for U.S. and international employee populations, ensuring accurate handling of onboarding changes, separations, incentive payments, and equity-related compensation.
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Administer equity transactions through Carta, including grant activity, exercises, employee exits, repurchases, and associated tax withholding and reporting obligations.
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Lead monthly payroll and equity close activities by preparing accruals, reconciling payroll-related accounts, supporting stock compensation accounting, and maintaining audit-ready schedules.
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Oversee payroll tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, including registrations, employee mobility considerations, periodic filings, and year-end reporting requirements.
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Create and maintain process documentation, strengthen internal controls, and identify opportunities to reduce manual effort through automation and process improvement.
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Investigate payroll discrepancies independently, resolve issues in a timely manner, and ensure accurate financial reporting tied to payroll activity.
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Partner with finance and external auditors by providing payroll and equity support, documentation, and testing schedules as needed.
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Contribute to broader accounting operations over time, including travel and expense administration, accounts payable support, and month-end reconciliations as business needs evolve.
** If you're interested in this position, please apply to this position and contact Anabel Lopez-Horta at anabel.lopez-horta - at - roberthalf - .com with your word resume and reference job ID# 00410-0013541365**
Requirements
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5+ years of progressive payroll experience with hands-on responsibility for full-cycle payroll processing.
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Strong working knowledge of multi-state payroll, payroll tax compliance, registrations, and year-end reporting requirements.
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Experience supporting international payroll operations and navigating related compliance considerations.
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Familiarity with equity compensation administration, including exercises, dispositions, withholding, and reporting; Carta experience is preferred.
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Ability to prepare journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations connected to payroll and monthly close activities.
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High level of accuracy, analytical skill, and confidence in identifying and resolving discrepancies independently.
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Experience with payroll systems such as ADP Workforce Now or similar platforms; exposure to Rippling is a plus.
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Comfortable working in a fast-moving, high-growth environment with a proactive and ownership-driven approach.
** If you're interested in this position, please apply to this position and contact Anabel Lopez-Horta at anabel.lopez-horta - at - roberthalf - .com with your word resume and reference job ID# 00410-0013541365**
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.
Robert Half works to put you in the best position to succeed. We provide access to top jobs, competitive compensation and benefits, and free online training. Stay on top of every opportunity - whenever you choose - even on the go. Download the Robert Half app (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/mobile-app) and get 1-tap apply, notifications of AI-matched jobs, and much more.
Robert Half will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.
© 2025 Robert Half. An Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/Disability/Veterans. By clicking “Apply Now,” you’re agreeing to Robert Half’s Terms of Use (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/terms) and Privacy Notice (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/privacy) .
How this job compares
Set against the 627 open Payroll Specialist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.
- Pay
- This postingNot listed
- US median$65–91K/yr88 salary ranges
- US median$27–33/hr178 hourly ranges
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 55 open Payroll Specialist jobs in California and 627 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in California
- Robert Half (this employer)25 open
- H&R Block4 open
- Cupertino Electric2 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience — more than three in four Payroll Specialist postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 441 postings).
- Education
- 31 of the 627 open Payroll Specialist jobs (5%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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