Lead - Payroll & Statutory Compliance

Role Overview:

At SquadStack.ai, payroll is not a monthly ritual. It is a trust system. This role owns accuracy, compliance, timeliness, and audit confidence across the organization. You will be the final checker, the compliance authority, and the face of payroll governance internally and externally. If payroll goes out on time with zero errors, no one notices. If it doesn't, everyone does. This role ensures the first outcome. Every single month.

What you will do:

Payroll Ownership:

- Own monthly payroll processing across all employee categories.

- Act as the final approver and checker before payroll release.

- Ensure zero errors in salary, deductions, reimbursements, arrears, bonuses, incentives.

- Handle complex scenarios: mid-cycle changes, corrections, reversals, LOPs, exits.

- Maintain absolute discipline on payroll timelines, no exceptions.

Statutory Compliance & Governance:

- End-to-end ownership of PF, ESIC, PT, TDS, gratuity, bonus, leave encashment.

- Ensure accurate filings and deposits within statutory timelines.

- Handle year-end compliances including Form 16, Form 24Q, audits.

- Stay current with labour law changes and proactively implement updates.

- Own payroll-related documentation and statutory registers.

Audit & External Stakeholder Management:

- Be the front-face for internal, statutory, and external audits.

- Independently handle audit queries with clarity and confidence.

- Ensure zero adverse audit observations related to payroll or compliances.

- Coordinate with finance, legal, consultants, and government bodies when required.

Team Leadership:

- Lead and mentor payroll and compliance executives.

- Build SOPs, checklists, and controls to reduce dependency on individuals.

- Review team outputs and enforce quality standards.

- Build redundancy so payroll never depends on one person.

Systems, Controls & Process Excellence:

- Own payroll systems and integrations with HRMS, attendance, and finance.

- Improve controls, reconciliation mechanisms, and maker-checker processes.

- Drive automation where possible without compromising accuracy.

- Maintain clean audit trails and documentation discipline.

ESOP Governance & Equity Administration:

- Own end-to-end ESOP administration lifecycle (grant, vesting, exercise, lapse, exit treatment).

- Maintain accurate ESOP records, cap table alignment, and grant documentation through ESOP tool management & otherwise.

- Coordinate with finance, legal, and secretarial teams on ESOP compliance.

- Ensure correct tax treatment of ESOP exercises and perquisite taxation.

- Support board-level reporting related to ESOP grants and utilisation.

- Handle employee queries related to vesting schedules, exercise windows, and tax implications.

- Ensure ESOP policy adherence and documentation discipline.

- Maintain clean audit trails for ESOP-related transactions.

What success looks like:

- Payroll released on time, every time, with zero errors.

- No compliance misses, penalties, or escalations.

- Audits handled calmly, confidently, and independently.

- Leadership trusts payroll blindly.

- Team runs smoothly without last-minute firefighting.

Preferred - Must-haves:

- 6+ years of deep, hands-on payroll experience.

- Strong command over Indian statutory compliances.

- Prior experience handling audits independently.

- Experience leading a payroll or compliance team.

- High attention to detail and strong ownership mindset.

- Comfortable working with scale, ambiguity, and fast growth.

Nice-to-haves:

- Experience in startups or high-growth environments.

- Exposure to HRMS platforms like Keka, Darwinbox, SAP, etc.

- Strong Excel skills and reconciliation mindset.

- Ability to simplify complex payroll scenarios for stakeholders.

Why join us?:

- Real ownership, from day one. Regardless of experience level, you're expected to make decisions, not just take instructions.

- Growth tied to impact, not tenure. People move into bigger roles because of what they've done, not how long they've waited for a review cycle.

- Recognition, close to the moment. Good work gets called out the week it happens, not filed away for a quarterly review.

- Enough leaves for the 'I just need today off' days. Real time off, usable when life actually demands it.

- Lunch and snacks are on the house. No hangry emergencies here.

- Competitive salary and a real shot at owning a large surface area of impact. Compensation that reflects the level of trust and responsibility you're given here.

- A diverse, inclusive workplace. SquadStack is an equal opportunity employer. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status.