Senior Payroll Accountant

About Handshake

Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. 20 million knowledge workers 1600 educational institutions 1 million employers (including 100% of the Fortune 50) and every foundational AI lab trust Handshake to power career discovery hiring and upskilling from freelance AI training gigs to first internships to full-time careers and beyond. This unique value is leading to unparalleled growth; in 2025 we tripled our ARR at scale.

Why join Handshake now:

• Shape how every career evolves in the AI economy at global scale with impact your friends family and peers can see and feel

• Work hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs Fortune 500 partners and the worlds top educational institutions

• Join a team with leadership from Scale AI Meta xAI Notion Coinbase and Palantir among others

• Build a massive fast-growing business with billions in revenue

The Role

As Senior Payroll Accountant youll bring accounting rigor to a payroll-heavy function owning the journal entries balance sheet reconciliations and financial reporting for all payroll activity across our global operations. Reporting to the Assistant Controller youll work closely with Payroll People Ops and Finance to ensure every transaction is accurately recorded and reconciled and youll be the person who gets ahead of problems before they become expensive surprises.

• Prepare and review payroll journal entries account reconciliations and supporting schedules for month- quarter- and year-end close

• Own balance sheet reconciliations for wages payable payroll tax liabilities benefits accruals FSA/HSA and payroll clearing accounts

• Partner with Payroll and People Ops to ensure payroll transactions are accurately reflected in NetSuite and proactively flag discrepancies before close

• Manage accounting for Employer of Record (EOR) arrangements and contractors navigating the nuances of how those transactions are classified and reported

• Support equity-related payroll accounting including stock-based compensation RSU vest activity and option exercise tax implications in partnership with the Equity team

• Support internal and external audits by preparing schedules reconciliations and responding to auditor inquiries

You Have

• 4 years of accounting experience with a strong foundation in core accounting fundamentals: accruals journal entries balance sheet reconciliations and month-end close

• Meaningful exposure to payroll-related accounting whether as a dedicated focus or as part of a broader accounting scope ideally at a startup or high-growth company

• Solid command of U.S. payroll taxes employee benefits and compensation-related accounting concepts including audit support and internal controls

• Experience with NetSuite or a comparable ERP system

• Advanced Excel skills and comfort working with large messy datasets

• Bachelors degree in Accounting Finance or a related field

Bonus Points

• Public accounting background (Big 4 or regional firm)

• Hands-on Workday experience

• Experience supporting international payroll accounting including EOR arrangements across multiple countries

• Familiarity with stock compensation accounting and equity-related payroll impacts including Carta

• Experience with a close management tool such as FloQast

• Knowledge of SOX controls and public-company readiness processes

We Offer

Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supportedand thrive at work and in life.

The below benefits are for full-time US employees.

Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company

Financial Wellness: 401(k) match competitive compensation financial coaching

Family Support: Paid parental leave fertility benefits parental coaching

Wellbeing: Medical dental and vision mental health support $500 wellness stipend

Growth: $2000 learning stipend ongoing development

Remote & Office: Internet commuting and free lunch/gym in our SF office

Time Off: Flexible PTO 15 holidays 2 flex days

Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses

Explore our mission values and comprehensive US benefits at Experience:

Senior IC