Managed Payroll Lead Operations Remote (United States) Managed Payroll Lead Operations • Remote (United States)
Rippling · Remote
Managed Payroll Lead
About RipplingRippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system. Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds. Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes. We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @Rippling.com addresses.
About the role
Rippling is expanding its Managed Payroll offering in the US, and we’re looking for a Managed Payroll Lead to own and scale that effort. This is a rare opportunity to shape a service from its earliest stage — defining the operating model, setting the standard for delivery, and building the foundation for a best-in-class customer experience. You will be both a hands-on operator and a people leader. In the near term, that means running payroll, owning client relationships, and sitting in the detail alongside your team. Over time, it means developing the people, processes, and infrastructure that allow the program to grow without sacrificing service quality. Rippling is an AI-forward environment, and this role is no exception. Automation and AI-assisted workflows handle the busy work, freeing you and your team to focus on what matters most: delivering an exceptional customer experience and navigating the complexity that no tool can fully anticipate. Comfort with — and curiosity about — evolving technology is a must. This role is right for someone who has led a managed or outsourced payroll team, thrives in ambiguity, and gets genuine satisfaction from building something from the ground up. You won’t have all the answers on day one — and that’s the point. Please note we will not be hiring this position in the San Francisco Bay Area or New York City Metro
What you will do
Team leadership & developmentOnboard and develop a team of US Managed Payroll Specialists, building capacity as the customer portfolio growsSet clear performance expectations, provide regular coaching and feedback, and create an environment where the team can do their best workServe as the first point of escalation for your team — helping them navigate complex accounts, difficult client situations, and edge casesFoster a culture of accuracy, ownership, and continuous improvementOperating model & program developmentOwn the design and documentation of the US Managed Payroll operating model — SOPs, playbooks, escalation frameworks, quality standards, and onboarding materialsIdentify tooling and automation opportunities and work with Product and Engineering to prioritize and implement themBuild the feedback loop between operations and product: surface patterns, flag risks, and advocate for improvements that will scale the program effectivelyDefine and track the metrics that matter — SLAs, accuracy rates, client satisfaction, team capacity — and use them to drive decisionsPayroll execution & client deliveryMaintain hands-on involvement in payroll execution, particularly during the early stage of the program and when supporting complex or high-risk accountsOwn a portfolio of strategic or escalated client relationships, ensuring service delivery meets the highest standardsOversee pre-validation, approval coordination, and post-run quality checks across the team’s accountsEnsure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations across a multi-state client baseCross-functional partnershipAct as a primary operational stakeholder for Product and Engineering on Managed Payroll — representing the team’s needs, testing new features, and contributing to roadmap prioritizationPartner with Sales and Implementation on client onboarding, account transitions, and escalations that require senior involvement
Work with Payroll Compliance and Legal as regulatory questions arise
What you will need5+ years of hands-on US managed or outsourced payroll experience, covering multi-state processing2+ years in a team lead, supervisor, or manager role within a payroll service delivery environmentDemonstrated experience standing up or materially improving a team, process, or service — not just inheriting and maintaining oneStrong working knowledge of federal and state payroll regulations, including tax withholding, garnishments, benefits deductions, and leave complianceProven ability to manage client-facing relationships at a senior level, including navigating escalations and difficult conversationsComfortable working in fast-moving, ambiguous environments — you make decisions with incomplete information and course-correct quicklyA builder’s mindset: you document what you learn, close gaps proactively, and leave things better than you found themGenuine comfort with technology and automation; experience contributing to tooling decisions or product feedback loops is a strong plusProficiency in Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Excel; experience with Salesforce, JIRA, or similar tools is a plusHighly desirable
Experience in a SaaS or HRIS environmentFPC or CPP certification
Experience working cross-functionally with Product or Engineering teamsAdditional InformationRippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or