Director, Payroll

About the role:

We are looking for a visionary, tech-forward leader to architect and scale our global payroll engine. In this role, you won’t just manage a function; you will define the strategic roadmap for how Samsara compensates a world-class, global workforce.

You will lead our global payroll operations, transforming day-to-day execution into a high-precision, automated system that supports our international growth. As a key partner to HR, Tax, Legal, Accounting, and Equity, you will bridge the gap between financial integrity and employee experience. You will be the primary driver behind optimizing our global tech stack, leveraging AI and automation to eliminate manual friction, and ensuring that as Samsara grows, our internal controls and compliance frameworks remain ironclad.

This is a remote position open to candidates in the U.S. Relocation assistance will not be provided for this role.

In this role, you will: 

• Drive Strategic Payroll Architecture: Provide visionary leadership for our global payroll operations, utilizing data-driven metrics to monitor and relentlessly improve the efficiency and impact of our delivery model.
• Build a World-Class Team: Recruit, mentor, and develop an elite, globally dispersed team of payroll professionals, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous technical growth.
• Optimize Vendor Ecosystems: Own and evolve our relationships with external global service providers, ensuring they meet Samsara’s high standards for reliability and security. 
• Engineer Global Precision: Oversee all global payroll cycles, ensuring absolute accuracy and surgical compliance with US and international tax requirements across every jurisdiction.
• Strategic Cash & Treasury Partnership: Act as a key partner to the Treasury team by providing high-precision forecasting of global payroll cash outflows. You will ensure accurate cash positioning, allowing for optimized liquidity management across all international entities.
• Champion Financial Integrity: Master of all aspects of payroll accounting. You will be a key partner to Accounting and FP&A during month-end close, providing the flux analysis and variance reporting that informs our financial narrative.
• Lead Regulatory & Audit Excellence: Ensure all tax filings are executed with total accuracy. Lead the strategy for all payroll audits—including 401(k), Workers’ Comp, and statutory filings—ensuring our controls are always "audit-ready."
• Partner on Total Rewards: Collaborate with Stock Admin, Tax, and People teams to execute seamless stock-based compensation (RSUs, Options) while maintaining a rigorous focus on global tax compliance.
• Scale through AI & Automation: Identify and implement the next generation of scalable processes, leveraging AI-driven anomaly detection and automation to enhance operational flow while maintaining robust internal controls.
• Focus on Employee Experience: Drive a "customer-obsessed" employee experience by providing proactive, plain-English communications and training on complex topics like equity and tax. You will leverage AI-driven self-service tools and rigorous SLAs to ensure rapid, high-touch resolution of all global payroll inquiries.
• Champion, role model, and embed Samsara’s cultural principles (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices
• Hire, develop and lead an inclusive, engaged, and high performing team

Minimum requirements for the role:

• Proven Global Track Record: 10–15 years of progressive payroll leadership, with a deep technical command of both US and international payroll landscapes.
• Global Leadership Pedigree: Demonstrated success in leading and scaling globally dispersed teams through periods of significant headcount growth.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of payroll accounting, treasury cash positioning, and the impact of payroll on the broader balance sheet.
• The Growth Mindset: A self-starter who thrives in high-velocity environments, with the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously.
• Customer Obsession: A commitment to providing an elite, high-trust experience for every Samsarian.

An ideal candidate also has:

• Technical Credentialing: Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation or equivalent global certification.
• Expert Tech Stack Proficiency: Hands-on mastery of Workday and CloudPay is highly preferred, with a focus on optimizing existing configurations.
• Automation Expertise: Experience leveraging AI, RPA, or advanced data analytics to drive cost savings and operational efficiency within a unified global system.