Payroll Analyst, Global Payroll

Chainguard is the trusted source for open source. By delivering hardened, secure, and production-ready builds of all the open source software engineers and AI agents rely on, Chainguard helps organizations build faster, stay compliant, and eliminate risk. Our customers include Fortune 500 enterprises and global industry leaders, including Anduril, Canva, Fortinet, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, OpenAI, Snap Inc., and Snowflake. Chainguard is venture-backed by leading investors, including Amplify, IVP, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mantis VC, Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Spark Capital.

The role, in a nutshell:

Chainguard is building the secure foundation for software, and we’re growing fast. As we continue to expand globally, we’re looking for a Payroll Analyst, Global Payroll to own and execute accurate, compliant, and scalable payroll operations.

Reporting to the Controller, you’ll work closely with Accounting, Finance, and other cross-functional partners to support payroll analytics, global payroll operations, and external payroll partner coordination across multiple countries.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys digging into payroll data, catching discrepancies ahead of payroll submission, and continuously improving how payroll runs as we scale. You’ll play a key role in building payroll analytics and reporting from the ground up, running end-to-end payroll cycles, supporting global compliance efforts, and driving more efficient, automated payroll processes. If you’re someone who likes solving problems, improving systems, and operating in a fast-moving, high-growth environment, we’d love to connect.

What you’ll do:

• Build and own pre-payroll analytics and audit reporting for US payroll, designing cycle-level reports and analytics from the ground up to identify and resolve discrepancies before submission
• Design and produce payroll reporting and analytics for Finance and leadership to improve visibility into payroll data rather than maintaining existing outputs.
• Enter and manage payroll inputs including commissions, bonuses, and adjustments across all applicable pay cycles.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to analyze commission reports and manage EIB templates to upload into Workday.
• Conduct regular payroll audits and investigate discrepancies or unusual variances
• Run end-to-end US payroll cycles independently, with hands-on involvement in payroll entries, adjustments, and off-cycle payments.
• Assist with employee payroll inquiries and help troubleshoot payroll-related questions
• Partner with global payroll vendors on payroll compliance coordination and vendor case management, supporting the Global Payroll Manager as needed on registrations and jurisdiction activity.
• Assist with tracking and organizing payroll tax cases in OSV, including documentation management and case follow-up, escalating to the Global Payroll Manager for tax decisions and resolutions.
• Maintain accurate payroll data across payroll systems and global payroll vendor platforms
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll workflows, reporting, and automation
• Collaborate with Finance and HRIS teams to strengthen payroll-related integrations and reporting
• Support payroll-related reporting, reconciliations, and ad-hoc projects as the company continues to scale globally

What we’re looking for:

• 4+ years of payroll experience in a high-growth or global organization; startup experience strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated experience building payroll reporting and audit processes
• Experience r