Lead Payroll Analyst

About Us
Since 2016, dbt Labs has been on a mission to help analysts create and disseminate organizational knowledge. We’ve pioneered the practice of analytics engineering, built the primary tool in the analytics engineering toolbox, and have been fortunate enough to see a fantastic community coalesce to help push the boundaries of the analytics engineering workflow. Today, there are 50,000 teams using dbt every week, 100,000 dbt Community members, and over 5,100 dbt Cloud customers.
As of February 2025, we surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), scaling from $2M ARR to this milestone in only four years. Simultaneously, we’ve exceeded the 5,000 customer mark, with 85% year-over-year growth in adoption among Fortune 500 companies. This momentum is fueled by dbts critical role as the data control plane for enterprise data teams around the world, who rely on the technology to transform data into reliable, actionable business insights. We’re rapidly growing and looking for passionate people to join our global team. Learn more about what makes us special by checking out our values here.
We are looking for a Lead Payroll Analyst with a strong background at a high-growth start-up to support the payroll function for dbt Labs organization. This position provides direct support to the Director, Payroll and Equity Administration and is responsible for the administration of the day-to-day payroll operations and the accuracy of the payroll system to deliver the companys semi-monthly payrolls.
In this role, you can expect to:
Responsible for ensuring accurate processing of the US Payroll (semi-monthly) using ADP Workforce Now
Responsible for on and off-cycle payroll processing with ADP, including final checks, pay changes, bonuses, commissions, and equity transactions
Audit and reconcile payroll data before transmission and validate confirmed reports
Coordinate with ADP on tax administration activities, including federal, state, and local filings, setting up new entities, and auditing taxes
Understand proper taxation of employer and employee-paid benefits and ensure proper processing through payroll (HSA, FSA, Medical, Dental, Vision, AD&D, Life Insurance, Disability, 401(k), etc.)
Assist in tracking, reporting, and auditing the companys benefits: 401(k), FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts), and HSA (Health Saving Accounts)
Performs quarter-end and year-end audits, including file reconciliation, adjustments, and corrections to W-2 before distribution
Responsible for the end to end payroll accounting, preparing payroll-related journal entries, and performing reconciliations between payroll and GL postings
Analyze and solve sophisticated payroll accounting issues and consult and advise business partners
Support execution of SOX controls as well as internal and external audits
Assist in the development and documentation of various payroll initiatives designed to streamline the process and scale with the organization
Maintain strict confidentiality of company and personnel information
Provide prompt, courteous, and efficient customer service to employees who have questions regarding their pay, deductions, and other payroll processes
Partner closely with People Ops, Total Compensation, Commission Operations, Finance, IT, and Accounting teams to develop and improve processes.
Manage our EOR provider
You are a good fit if you have:
A BS degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, or equivalent experience
5+ years of relevant experience in US payroll with a startup technology company
The ability to meet tight deadlines
Advance understanding of HR processes
Experience with processing all types of stock transactions, and understanding of tax treatment for each type (i.e., ISO, NQ, RSU, ESPP)
The ability to work independently and with payroll and cross-functional teams
Excellent organization skills, detail-oriented, oral and written communication skills
Advanced computer skills: Microsoft Excel
Worked asynchronously as part of a fully-remote, distributed team and thrive in a fast-paced environment
You’ll have an edge if you have:
Experience with ADP Workforce Now system
Experience with administration and implementation of payroll software (ie: Workday)
Experience with international payroll administration
Experience with Netsuite
Compensation & Benefits
Salary:
We offer competitive compensation packages commensurate with experience, including salary, equity, and where applicable, performance-based pay. Our Talent Acquisition Team can answer questions around dbt Labs total rewards during your interview process.
In select locations (including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Seattle), an alternate range may apply, as specified below.
The typical starting salary range for this role is:
$101,000 — $122,400 USD
The typical starting salary range for this role in the select locations listed is:
$112,000 — $136,000 USD
Equity Stake*
Benefits – dbt Labs offers:
Unlimited vacation (and yes we use it!)
401k w/3% guaranteed contribution
Excellent healthcare
Paid Parental Leave
Wellness stipend
Home office stipend, and more!
*Equity or comparable benefits may be offered depending on the legal limitations
What to expect in the hiring process (all video interviews unless accommodations are needed):
Interview with Talent Acquisition Partner
Interview with Hiring Manager
Team Interviews with members of the Accounting team and close stakeholders
Who we are
At dbt Labs, we have developed strong opinions on how companies should practice analytics.
Specifically, we believe that:
Code-based transformations offer unmatched flexibility and transparency across various multi-player development to power everyone in the organization to collaborate on a common language
Data analysts should adopt similar practices and tools to software developers
Critical analytics infrastructure should be controlled by its users as open source software
Analytic code itself not just analytics tools will increasingly be open source
It turns out that a lot of other people believe this too! Today, there are 50,000 teams using dbt every week, 100,000 dbt Community members, and 5,100 companies paying for dbt Cloud. Our customers include JetBlue, Hubspot, Vodafone New Zealand, and Dunelm. dbt is synonymous with the practice of analytics engineering, defining an entire industry. Were backed by top investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Altimeter.
dbt Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building an inclusive team that welcomes a diversity of perspectives, people, and backgrounds regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, citizenship, veteran status, or any other protected status. We feel strongly that whether or not your experience exactly fits the job description, your passion and skills will stand out and set you apart even if your career has taken some twists and turns. If you are on the fence about whether you meet our requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway! Please reach out to us directly at recruiting@dbtlabs.com if you need assistance or an accommodation.
Want to learn more about our focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at dbt Labs? Check out our DEI page here.
dbt Labs reserves the right to amend or withdraw the posting at any time. For employees outside the United States, dbt Labs offers a competitive benefits package. Equity or comparable benefits may be offered depending on the legal or country limitations.
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