The role, in a nutshell:

We’re hiring a Payroll Analyst to support global payroll operations as Chainguard scales. This role focuses on payroll accuracy, compliance, and process improvement across multiple countries, with a strong emphasis on pre-payroll analytics and audit.

You’ll partner closely with Accounting, Finance, and cross-functional teams to ensure payroll runs smoothly, discrepancies are caught early, and systems continue to evolve with the business. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working with data, improving workflows, and building scalable payroll processes.

If you’re detail-oriented, analytically strong, and comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment, this is a high-impact opportunity.

What you’ll do:Own payroll accuracy and analytics

Perform pre-payroll audits for U.S. payroll to identify and resolve discrepancies before submission

Analyze payroll data and deliver reporting and insights to Finance and leadership

Review payroll inputs (commissions, bonuses, adjustments) for accuracy

Conduct regular audits and investigate variances or anomalies

Support payroll operations and execution
Assist with payroll cycles, including off-cycle payments and adjustments

Prepare payroll inputs and support EIB uploads

Maintain accurate payroll data across systems and vendor platforms

Respond to employee payroll inquiries and troubleshoot issues

Partner on global payroll compliance
Support payroll tax administration across state and local jurisdictions

Partner with global payroll vendors on tax registrations, jurisdiction setup, and compliance

Track and resolve tax-related cases, including TPA/POA documentation and tax ID issues

Improve systems and processes
Identify opportunities to improve payroll workflows, reporting, and automation

Collaborate with Finance and HRIS teams to strengthen integrations and data integrity

Support payroll reporting, reconciliations, and ad hoc projects as the company scales

What we’re looking for:

5+ years of payroll experience, ideally in a high-growth or global environment

Strong analytical skills with experience auditing payroll data and identifying discrepancies

Experience supporting U.S. payroll operations, with exposure to international payroll

Hands-on experience with Workday Payroll:

Familiarity with One Source Virtual (OSV)

Experience working with global payroll vendors (e.g., Deel, Remote)

Experience preparing payroll imports or EIB uploads

High attention to detail and ability to manage data across multiple systems

Comfort partnering with Finance, People, and cross-functional teams

Self-starter mindset with the ability to operate in a fast-moving environment

Interest in improving payroll processes, reporting, and automation

Who we need:

We need someone who is an equal parts analyst and operator.

You should be comfortable digging into payroll data, catching issues before they surface, and working across systems and teams to keep payroll accurate and compliant. At the same time, you’re always looking for ways to make things better—whether that’s improving reporting, automating workflows, or strengthening processes as we scale.

This is a role for someone who enjoys solving problems, operating with precision, and building more efficient systems over time.

If you’re looking for a high-impact role where you can help shape global payroll operations and contribute to scalable infrastructure, we’d love to talk.

Base Salary Range**$106,000—$125,000 USD**

About Us

Chainguard is the secure foundation for software development and deployment. By providing guarded open source software, built from source and updated continuously, Chainguard helps organizations eliminate threats in their software supply chains.

Founded by the industry's leading experts on open source software, security and cloud native development, Chainguard has built the largest library of open source software that is secure by default.

Chainguard’s mission is to be the safe source for open source.

We live and breathe our company values:

We are customer obsessed - We focus on delivering solutions to our customers that create value and make their lives better.

We have a bias for intentional action - We prioritize, plan, try things, and fail fast.

We don’t take ourselves too seriously (but we do serious work) - We are solving an important problem which takes focus, but we also like to enjoy the journey.

We trust each other and assume good intentions - We’re transparent with decisions to empower team members to make well informed decisions.

A few of the benefits we offer:

• Flexible & Remote-First Culture: Work remotely with team meetup opportunities, bi-annual destination summits, and a monthly stipend for coworking spaces, phone and internet costs.

• Our Approach to Equity: Receive stock options upon hire and promotion. Plus, you can participate in secondary offerings and have 10 years to exercise your options (yes, you read that correctly: 10 years!).

• 100% Covered Health Insurance: We cover 100% of your health, vision and dental insurance premiums for you and your dependents. Nothing comes out of your paycheck.

• ∞ Flexible Time Off: Take the time you need – to do our best work, we need to recharge and reset.

• 18 Weeks Paid Parental Leave: We offer 18 weeks for birthing parents and 12 weeks for non-birthing parents, with the option to use it all at once or throughout your child's first year.

If your experience is close but doesn’t fulfill all requirements, please apply. We’re building the best team in technology and are focused on hiring “Chainguardians'' with unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

Chainguard is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Chainguard will process your personal data in accordance with Chainguard’s Privacy Policy.

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