Payroll Manager

About the role

The Payroll Manager oversees payroll administration for a biotech startup and reports to the Corporate Controller. This role ensures accurate, timely employee pay and compliance across US and UK jurisdictions while partnering with HR, Accounting, and external providers.

Finance teams manage money, forecasts, and reporting. Analysts build models and explain variance. Controllers run accounting and compliance. FP&A professionals support decisions with budgets and forecasts. The work is precise, deadline driven, and tied to business results. Finance teams follow tight calendars, with monthly closes and annual planning cycles. Accuracy and auditability are expected on every deliverable.

Key facts

What you'll do

Process regular payroll, bonuses, and off-cycle payments for all employees, ensuring accurate and timely execution for each pay cycle.

Maintain payroll calendars and monitor all deadlines to prevent missed filings or payments.

Resolve payroll discrepancies promptly to maintain trust and data integrity.

Prepare payroll journal entries and account reconciliations to align payroll records with financial reporting.

Reconcile payroll liabilities and benefit-related accounts to ensure correct obligations and payments.

Support internal and external financial audits by supplying requested payroll records and analysis.

Investigate and resolve disputed or unauthorized transactions to protect company funds and ensure controls.

Maintain payroll systems and ensure data integrity by validating inputs, outputs, and system configurations.

Maintain payroll policies, procedures, and documentation to support consistent execution and compliance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.

5+ years of payroll experience, including payroll administration in a multi-state environment.

Experience administering employee expense reimbursement and corporate credit card programs.

Strong knowledge of U.S. payroll tax regulations and wage and hour laws.

Experience with payroll and expense management systems such as ADP, UKG Ready, Concur, Ramp, or similar tools.

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills for data analysis and reporting.

Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Strong attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information.

Experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite is preferred.

Practical notes

Xaira Therapeutics is an equal-opportunity employer building a diverse and inclusive team.

This role is based in South San Francisco, California, and may include travel.

Typical interview steps

Finance interviews usually include technical questions on accounting or modeling, a case study, and behavioral rounds. Candidates may be asked to build a forecast or explain a variance. Spreadsheet skills are tested in most loops. Accuracy and clear explanations matter. Interviewers may give a real dataset and ask for a quick analysis. Showing your work and explaining assumptions matters as much as the final number.

Good to know

This role manages payroll and related financial processes in a growing biotech environment.

It involves frequent interaction with HR, Accounting, and external service providers.

The position relies on systems such as ADP, UKG, Concur, and NetSuite for accurate execution.

Strong Excel skills are essential for data manipulation and reporting.

Attention to detail and discretion are critical when handling sensitive employee and financial data.

Questions to ask

Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.

Career growth

Finance careers move from analyst to senior analyst, manager, and controller or FP&A director levels. Some people earn certifications such as CPA or CFA. Cross-functional work with operations and leadership grows with seniority. Finance careers reward precision early and business partnership later. Learning the operations of the company beyond the numbers accelerates growth.