Senior Payroll Manager

About the role

You'll own US and Canada payroll operations end-to-end — hands-on in Workday, close to the details — while also managing and developing 1–2 direct reports on the US team. You'll report directly to the Head of Global Payroll and be a key leader in making sure North American payroll keeps pace with Anthropic's growth.

Strategic importance: You'll be a key contributor to our compliance initiative — our framework for managing payroll tax obligations across US & Canada. You'll also be part of the team driving AI adoption within payroll: we're actively building out how AI tools can improve reconciliation accuracy, error detection, and reporting workflows. This isn't a future initiative — it's happening now.

Responsibilities

US Payroll Operations

• Own full-cycle payroll processing for all US entities — multi-state, multi-frequency, exempt and non-exempt populations
• Process complex equity compensation including RSUs, ISOs, and NSOs, ensuring accurate tax withholding and timely reporting
• Manage high-volume payments: bonuses, commissions, severance, and equity events
• Oversee quarter-end, W-2 preparation, year-end reconciliations, and resolution of federal and state tax notices
• Maintain and continuously improve Workday payroll configuration — identify automation opportunities and lead optimization initiatives

Canada Payroll Management

• Oversee Canada payroll operations in partnership with our PwC Global Payroll Platform, developing expertise in CRA compliance, T4s, Records of Employment, and multi-province processing
• Partner with our international payroll team to ensure Canada stays integrated into our global compliance posture
• Build out Canada payroll SOPs as the function matures

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage and develop 1–2 direct reports on the US payroll team — set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and invest in their growth
• Build a team culture of accuracy