Payroll Manager - San Francisco - Cohere

Description

Who are we?

Our mission is to scale intelligence to serve humanity. We're training and deploying frontier models for developers and enterprises who are building AI systems to power magical experiences like content generation, semantic search, RAG, and agents. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI.

We obsess over what we build. Each one of us is responsible for contributing to increasing the capabilities of our models and the value they drive for our customers. We like to work hard and move fast to do what's best for our customers.

Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are passionate about their craft. Each person is one of the best in the world at what they do. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is a requirement for building great products.

Join us on our mission and shape the future

Why This Role:

Cohere seeks a Payroll Manager to own and scale our global multi-country payroll operations across North America, Europe, and APAC. In this role you will be responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing as we continue to grow rapidly across jurisdictions. You will partner closely with Finance, People, Legal, and regional external providers to build a global payroll function. This is an opportunity for a hands‑on, detail‑oriented payroll leader who thrives in a high‑growth environment, is comfortable navigating ambiguity, and can design scalable processes that support a distributed workforce.

In this role you will manage:

Payroll Operations

• Own end‑to‑end payroll processing for all global entities and employee populations, including full‑time employees, contractors, and international transfers.
• Ensure timely and accurate payroll cycles (bi‑weekly, semi‑monthly, monthly) across multiple jurisdictions.
• Validate payroll inputs (compensation changes, bonuses, commissions, benefits, leave, etc.) and review calculations.
• Oversee payroll reconciliations and perform monthly payroll‑related close activities (payroll‑related journal entries, accruals, and variance analyses).
• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll queries from employees and internal stakeholders.

Systems & Process Optimization

• Lead process improvements to increase accuracy, scalability, and automation of payroll workflows.
• Partner with People Ops to transition and modernize our global HRIS and payroll systems including platform implementation.
• Develop and maintain robust documentation, including global playbooks, country‑level SOPs, and integration maps to support future scale.
• Act as a subject‑matter expert for payroll system integrations with other platforms (e.g., accounting software, benefits administration).
• Implement and monitor KPIs to measure payroll process efficiency and accuracy.

Compliance & Controls

• Ensure compliance with local tax regulations, and statutory reporting requirements across supported countries.
• Maintain and enhance internal controls over payroll, including segregation of duties, approvals, documentation standard.
• Manage audits (financial, tax, and internal) requiring payroll support.
• Stay current on global payroll legislation changes and coordinate implementation of required updates.
• Conduct periodic internal audits and risk assessments to identify control gaps.

External Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with global payroll providers, PEOs, and local in‑country partners.
• Evaluate vendor performance and partner on RFP efforts with Procurement.

This career opportunity may be a good match for you if you have:

• 6–10 years of progressive payroll experience.
• 3+ years of experience managing global payroll across multiple countries.
• CPP, CPA, or similar certification.
• Expertise in US and Canadian payroll compliance.
• Experience with EMEA/APAC payroll jurisdictions is a strong plus.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, including payroll accruals, reconciliations, and month‑end close processes.
• Proven experience implementing or upgrading payroll systems and process improvements.
• Deep attention to detail, high ownership, and an ability to operate in a fast‑paced, scaling environment.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort interacting with colleagues at all levels.

If some of the above doesn't line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply

We value and celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive work environment for all. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal opportunities. Should you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please submit an Accommodations Request Form, and we will work together to meet your needs.

Full‑Time Employees at Cohere enjoy these Perks:

An open and inclusive culture and work environment

Work closely with a team on the cutting edge of AI research

Weekly lunch stipend, in‑office lunches & snacks

Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget to take care of your mental health

100% Parental Leave top‑up for up to 6 months

Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well‑being, quality time, and workspace improvement

Remote‑flexible, offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, as well as a co‑working stipend

6 weeks of vacation (30 working days)