Payroll Analyst

About this role

Perplexity is looking for a detail-oriented Payroll Analyst to join our growing Finance and Accounting team. You will partner closely with the Payroll Manager to keep US and international payroll accurate, compliant, and timely as the company scales through rapid hiring, global expansion, and increasing complexity in equity and benefits administration.

This is a hands-on role with real ownership from day one, working closely with People Operations, Accounting, Tax, and Equity. The ideal candidate combines strong payroll and systems expertise with sharp attention to detail, a service-oriented approach, and the ability to bring structure to a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

• US and international payroll processing: Own day-to-day processing support for US multi-state semi-monthly payroll and assist with international payroll cycles across approximately 16 countries, working primarily in Rippling.

• Global contractor payroll: Run the monthly global contractor payroll cycle, including timecard submission tracking, manager approval follow-up, and on-schedule contractor payments.

• Pre- and post-payroll audits: Reconcile benefit deductions, 401(k) deferrals, and employer match against payroll journals and deductions exports; flag and resolve discrepancies before paychecks post.

• State tax account administration: Support state-level employer tax account registration and maintenance (SUI and withholding) as the company grows into new states, including migration of legacy accounts inherited from prior PEO arrangements.

• Benefits and 401(k) support: Assist with 401(k) and benefits administration, including contribution monitoring, HCE and nondiscrimination testing support, and COBRA offboarding notices.

• Equity payroll reporting: Support equity and stock-exercise payroll reporting by tracking Carta exercise data, applying correct NSO/ISO tax treatment, and preparing payroll-side entries at quarter-end cutoffs.