Head of Global Payroll and US Tax Compliance

Career Team is a US-based organization on a mission to connect great talent with great opportunity. With a growing footprint spanning 15+ US states, we operate with precision, purpose, and a relentless drive to do things differently. Our Philippines-based team is a core part of how we deliver excellence globally — and this role sits at the heart of it.

We are hiring a Head of Global Payroll and US Tax Compliance to lead our payroll operations from the Philippines. This is a senior-level, people-first, technically demanding role — and we are looking for someone who is genuinely excited by all three of those things.

You will be our ultimate authority on US multi-state payroll and tax compliance, while simultaneously leading and scaling a dedicated PH-based payroll team. You will report directly to the VP of Human Resources and serve as a key advisor to the C-suite.

Your Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and develop a Philippines-based payroll team. You are building a high-performance function from the ground up — hiring, structuring, and coaching are central to this role.
• End-to-End Payroll Oversight: Manage the full payroll lifecycle across 15+ US states, serving as the final escalation point for complex tax and systems issues.
• Multi-State Tax Compliance: Lead withholding, filing, and reconciliation across all state jurisdictions, including SUTA/FUTA, FICA, and local tax nexus management.
• Payroll Systems Ownership: Serve as Subject Matter Expert for ADP Workforce Now (or equivalent platform), ensuring system integrity, integration, and continuous optimization.
• Tax Registration & Filings: Manage registration of new state tax IDs and oversee all compliance obligations across a growing US footprint.
• Audit & Notice Management: Lead responses to all federal and state tax notices, garnishments, and year-end reconciliations including W-2/W-3 processing.
• Executive Reporting: Deliver accurate, timely payroll and compliance reporting to the C-suite, including 401(k) contributions, audit status, and trend analysis.
• Process Improvement: Drive the shift from manual, reactive payroll processing to automated, scalable, and audit-ready operations.

What We're Looking For

Required

• 8+ years of US multi-state payroll experience, with at least 3 years in a people leadership role
• Demonstrated experience building, structuring, or scaling a Philippines-based payroll team
• Deep expertise in US multi-state tax compliance (SUTA/FUTA, FICA, W-2/W-3, state nexus) — multi-state experience is non-negotiable
• Advanced Excel proficiency: Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, Macros, Power Query, and large-dataset modeling
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to translate complex tax topics for US-based stakeholders
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• Comfort and commitment working 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM PHST to align with US Eastern/Central business hours

Preferred (Nice to Have)

• Experience with ADP Workforce Now, Kronos/UKG, or comparable enterprise payroll platforms
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation
• Experience managing 401(k) reporting, garnishments, and multi-entity payroll environments

The ideal candidate may be stepping into an existing team or building one — either way, you will have a direct hand in shaping its structure, culture, and capabilities.