Senior Payroll Specialist

About Nebius:

Nebius is leading a new era in cloud infrastructure for the global AI economy. We are building a full-stack AI cloud platform that supports developers and enterprises from data and model training through to production deployment, without the cost and complexity of building large in-house AI/ML infrastructure.

Built by engineers, for engineers. From large-scale GPU orchestration to inference optimization, we own the hard problems across compute, storage, networking and applied AI.

Listed on Nasdaq (NBIS) and headquartered in Amsterdam, we have a global footprint with R&D hubs across Europe, the UK, North America and Israel. Our team of 1,500+ includes hundreds of engineers with deep expertise across hardware, software and AI R&D.

The role

The Senior Payroll Specialist owns end-to-end US payroll and enables payroll scalability at Nebius. This role harmonises, simplifies, and continuously improves payroll execution and accounting across our US entities, states, pay groups, vendors, and systems — so payroll remains accurate, compliant, and trusted as the company grows, without a proportional increase in manual work or risk. Reporting to the Head of Global Payroll Operations.

This is a remote, US-based position, ideally located East Coast.

Your responsibilities will include:

Own end-to-end, multi-state US payroll execution across entities, pay groups, and vendors; define consistent execution standards meeting federal, state, and local requirements

Ensure US employment tax compliance across jurisdictions: federal, state, and local withholding, FICA/FUTA/SUI, new-state registrations, quarterly and annual filings (Forms 941/940, W-2/W-2c), amendments, and timely resolution of agency notices

Administer regulated pay items accurately: garnishments, child-support orders, 401(k) and benefits deductions, equity income (RSU/option) taxation, imputed income, and taxable fringe benefits

Lead root-cause analysis for recurring payroll, accounting, or service failures; design and implement durable fixes

Drive process harmonisation and simplification to reduce manual steps, handoffs, rework, and off-cycle runs

Lead payroll execution during transitions (new state or entity launches, vendor changes, system changes, M&A), ensuring continuity and control

Define and monitor preventative controls, including SOX-aligned payroll controls; improve evidence pack quality and audit readiness

Act as escalation owner for complex or sensitive pay issues; provide authoritative guidance to senior stakeholders

Partner with HR Ops, Finance, Legal/Compliance, benefits providers, and payroll vendors to deliver scalable operating models

We expect you to have:

5+ years of US payroll experience, including multi-state and multi-entity scope in complex environments

Deep working knowledge of US federal, state, and local payroll compliance: wage and hour (FLSA), employment taxes, garnishments, and year-end reporting

Strong payroll controllership skills: ability to design controls, enforce SoD/approvals, and ensure audit-ready evidence

Proven capability improving payroll processes through standardisation, automation, and reduction of manual effort

Strong payroll accounting knowledge and experience working with Finance during close and audits

Demonstrated ability to lead transitions (vendor/system/new state or entity) with structured planning and issue resolution

Excellent stakeholder management; comfortable acting as an escalation owner and payroll authority

It will be an added bonus if you have:

CPP or FPC certification from PayrollOrg

Hands-on experience with major US payroll platforms and their HRIS/GL integrations

Experience operating payroll controls in a SOX-compliant, US-listed company environment

Experience with payroll operating models and vendor governance (SLAs, KPIs, remediation)

Project management certification or comparable cross-functional leadership experience

Pay Transparency

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages. Actual compensation will be determined based on job-related factors, including experience, skills, qualifications, the level at which the candidate is hired, and geographic location, consistent with applicable law.

Base Compensation Range $111,000 — $139,000 USD

Benefits & Perks:

Competitive compensation

Career growth and learning opportunities

Flexibility and ownership

Collaborative and innovative culture

Opportunity to work on impactful AI projects

International environment and talented teams

What's it like to work at Nebius:

Fast moving - Bold thinking - Constant growth - Meaningful impact - Trust and real ownership - Opportunity to shape the future of AI 

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Nebius is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace and to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the country in which they apply and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility as a condition of hire. 

If you need accommodations during the application process, please let us know.