Payroll Manager

The Role

AppLovin is looking for a driven Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives on building compliance frameworks from the ground up, partnering cross-functionally, and making payroll run like infrastructure — accurate, on time, and scalable.

You will be the subject matter expert on payroll tax and statutory compliance across our primary geographies: United States, Singapore, Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, and Italy. You will manage vendor relationships, own the end-to-end payroll cycle, and work closely with Finance, Accounting, and HR/PeopleOps to support month-end close, audit readiness, and equity-related payroll events.

What You'll Do

Global Payroll Operations

• Own end-to-end payroll processing across the US (multi-state) and international entities in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT — ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery each cycle
• Manage relationships with external payroll vendors and in-country service providers; hold them accountable to SLAs and quality standards
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all payroll-related matters across Finance, Accounting, HR, and Legal
• Handle off-cycle payrolls, manual calculations, retroactive adjustments, and termination runs

Tax & Statutory Compliance

• Maintain deep, current knowledge of payroll tax obligations in each covered jurisdiction — federal/state/local in the US and statutory requirements in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT
• Ensure timely and accurate filing of all payroll tax returns, year-end forms (W-2, P60, IR8A equivalents), and local employer statutory filings
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes across all jurisdictions; assess impact and implement required changes proactively
• Partner with Tax and Legal on cross-border employment structures, shadow payrolls, and treaty-related matters
• Support external payroll audits, tax authority inquiries, and statutory inspections

Equity & Stock Compensation

• Process and reconcile equity-related payroll events including RSU vesting, ESPP purchase cycles, NQ exercises, and ISO exercises
• Ensure proper tax withholding and reporting for stock transactions across all jurisdictions, including applicable FBT, social security, and spread income treatment

Systems & Controls

• Monitor integrations and manual business processes between Workday HCM and payroll systems (Workday, Cloudpay, local partners)
• Audit input data, validate outputs, and maintain strong internal controls around payroll authorization and data integrity
• Support month-end close: prepare payroll journal entries, headcount reconciliations, accruals, and benefits reconciliations in coordination with the GL/Accounting team
• Identify and drive process improvements — automate where possible, document where critical, and eliminate manual workarounds

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a trusted resource for HR/PeopleOps on all payroll implications of compensation decisions, new hires, LOAs, and terminations
• Partner with Accounting Ops on payroll-related reconciliations and audit support
• Respond to employee escalations and payroll inquiries promptly and with clarity

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-country environment; at least 2 years in a lead or manager capacity
• Deep working knowledge of US payroll tax (federal, state, local) — multi-state is required; experience with CA, NY, or WA is a plus
• Direct, hands-on experience processing payroll in at least two of the following: Singapore (CPF, IRAS IR8A), Germany (Lohnsteuer, SV contributions), Ireland (PAYE/PRSI/USC/ASC), Cyprus (PAYE, GHS contributions), or Italy (INPS, IRPEF, busta paga)
• Proficiency with Workday HCM/Payroll or equivalent global processor; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills required
• Track record of managing payroll tax filings, year-end reconciliations, and statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously
• Experience processing equity-related payroll transactions (RSU, ESPP, NQ, ISO) in a public company environment
• Exceptionally detail-oriented with strong reconciliation instincts — you are comfortable building processes to detect errors before they become problems
• Clear, direct communicator who can translate complex payroll mechanics for a non-payroll audience
• Comfortable in a lean, high-velocity environment where you own outcomes end-to-end with limited hand-holding

Nice to Have

• APAC payroll experience beyond Singapore (e.g., Japan, South Korea, Australia, or India)
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent international credential
• Experience supporting payroll for a company that went through rapid international expansion or M&A
• Prior exposure to NetSuite in a payroll accounting context