Accounting Jobs in San Mateo, CA

Payroll Accounting Manager

South San Francisco, California, United States

Xaira is an innovative biotech startup focused on leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company is leading the development of generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics, enabling the creation of medicines against historically hard-to-drug molecular targets. It is also developing foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Collectively, these technologies aim to continually enable the identification of novel therapies and to improve success in drug development. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.

About the Role

As the Payroll Accounting Manager, reporting directly to the Corporate Controller, you are responsible for overseeing all aspects of payroll administration and the accounting activities that support it ensuring employees are paid accurately, on time, and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, while also ensuring payroll transactions are properly recorded, reconciled, and audit-ready in the general ledger. This role manages payroll processes, maintains payroll systems, ensures compliance with tax and labor laws, administers payroll-related benefits and deductions, owns the payroll accounting close cycle, and partners closely with Human Resources, Accounting, and external payroll providers. This is a hands-on, high-impact role where you will have the unique opportunity to create scalable systems, establish best practices, and drive the development of a robust payroll and payroll-accounting infrastructure that positions Xaira for long-term success.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Manage the end-to-end payroll process for all employees, including regular payroll, bonuses, and off-cycle payments.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of multi-state payroll.
• Review payroll registers and perform comprehensive reconciliations across US and UK jurisdictions prior to finalization.
• Maintain payroll calendars and ensure all deadlines are met.
• Process new hires, terminations, salary adjustments, promotions, and other payroll changes.
• Administer Leave of Absence (LOA) payroll calculations, ensuring accurate pay, benefit deductions, statutory leave payments, and return-to-work payroll adjustments in compliance with company policies and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries professionally and confidentially. Resolve payroll discrepancies promptly.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll regulations and tax requirements.
• Maintain compliance with wage and hour laws, garnishments, tax levies, and court orders.
• Coordinate payroll tax filings and year-end reporting, including Forms W-2 and related tax documents.
• Support payroll audits and maintain complete payroll documentation.

Payroll Accounting & Financial Reporting

• Prepare and post payroll journal entries, including wages, taxes, benefits, accruals, and off-cycle adjustments.
• Own reconciliation of all payroll-related balance sheet accounts (payroll liabilities, accrued PTO, benefits payable, garnishments payable, etc.), identifying and resolving variances timely.
• Serve as the primary payroll-accounting owner during month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close preparing close schedules, accrual entries, and supporting flux analysis for payroll-related accounts.
• Partner with Accounting to ensure payroll costs are properly classified and allocated (department, entity, cost center) within NetSuite or other ERP systems.
• Prepare and maintain payroll account reconciliation packages, roll-forward schedules, and supporting documentation for internal and external audits.
• Support internal and external financial audits, including preparation of payroll-related audit schedules and responses to auditor inquiries.

Employee Expense Reimbursements

• Administer the employee expense reimbursement program and ensure timely reimbursement of approved business expenses.
• Review employee expense reports for compliance with company travel and expense policies.
• Verify supporting documentation, coding, receipts, and approvals before processing reimbursements.
• Partner with employees and managers to resolve expense report questions and exceptions.

Corporate Credit Card Administration

• Review corporate credit card transactions for policy compliance, appropriate business purpose, and required supporting documentation.
• Monitor outstanding expense reports and follow up on delinquent submissions.
• Coordinate new card issuance, credit limit changes, and card cancellations with the card provider.
• Investigate and resolve disputed or unauthorized transactions.
• Reconcile monthly corporate credit card statements and support month-end close activities.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain payroll systems and ensure data integrity across payroll and financial systems.
• Own the payroll-to-GL integration and mapping within NetSuite (or other ERP), ensuring accurate, timely posting of payroll data each cycle.
• Partner with Human Resources and Accounting teams to improve payroll workflows, close processes, and automation.
• Recommend and implement process improvements including automated reconciliations and close-cycle efficiencies to enhance accuracy, timeliness, and internal controls.
• Maintain payroll policies, procedures, and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field (Accounting strongly preferred given GL/close responsibilities).
• 5+ years of payroll experience, including payroll administration in a multi-state environment.
• Demonstrated experience with payroll journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end/quarter-end/year-end close processes.
• Experience administering employee expense reimbursement and corporate credit card programs.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. payroll tax regulations and wage and hour laws.
• Experience with payroll and expense management systems (e.g., ADP, UKG Ready, PayPro, Concur, Ramp, or similar).
• Strong ERP/GL skills; experience with NetSuite strongly preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information.

Compensation

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. The base pay range for this position is expected to be $135,000 - $160,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.