Senior Manager, Global Payroll Systems & Equity Operations

ABOUT THE ROLE As the Senior Manager of Global Payroll Systems & Equity Operations at HTS, you will serve as a player-coach reporting to the Head of People Operations & Workforce Technology to modernize and scale our workforce compensation infrastructure. Sitting on the leadership team, your mandate is to transition the function away from manual, multi-vendor handoffs into an automated, highly scalable operating model that maximizes systemic efficiency without proportional headcount growth. This high-visibility role uniquely blends global cross-functional system design with hands-on execution to directly mitigate operational and financial risk.. WHAT WOULD YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOK LIKE - Own the end-to-end global payroll operating model across employees, contractors, EORs, PEOs, and local providers.

• Manage and develop a team of 2–3 direct reports while maintaining execution discipline and high operational standards.
• Lead the operational administration of employee equity in Shareworks, covering grant processing, data updates, and multi-department reconciliation.
• Identify and implement automation workflows to minimize manual data transfers, recurring exceptions, and data friction.
• Partner with HR Technology, IT, and Finance to drive payroll platform consolidations and maximize system reliability.
• Strengthen compliance protocols, payroll controls, and documentation to protect the business from financial exposure and ensure audit readiness.
• Establish clear processing calendars, accountability metrics, and data scorecards to measure function accuracy and capacity gains.
• Step into complex tax, equity, and market-specific payroll challenges to drive swift cross-functional resolution.

• Equity Administration Expertise: Direct familiarity handling equity platforms like Shareworks, including managing grant lifecycles and complex equity tax coordination.
• Systems & Automation Focus: A strong track record of designing HRIS integrations, optimizing workflows, and intentionally removing manual touchpoints from financial operations.
• Controls & Compliance Rigor: Deep knowledge of payroll controls, financial audit readiness, and tax implications within a high-growth technology or fintech corporate structure.
• Player-Coach Capability: The demonstrated capability to manage and upskill a remote operational team while simultaneously acting as a hands-on technical expert.
• Commercial & Analytical Mindset: The ability to convert complex operational patterns into clear, data-driven decisions that improve company-wide scaling efficiency BENEFITS - Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary, upsides of pre-IPO equity packages.
• Hopper covers 100% of the premiums for the employee for a group insurance plan through Vitality Health.
• Automatic contributions when you start with Hopper through Smart Pension.
• Please ask us about our very generous parental leave, much above industry standards!.
• Access to co-working space on demand through FlexDesk AND Work-from-home stipend.
• Carrot Cash travel stipend.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business.
• Open communication with management and company leadership.
• Small, dynamic teams = massive impact.

• Showcase concrete experience automating global payroll with platforms like Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, and integrating them via Python scripts, REST APIs, or RPA tools (e.g., UiPath); include a brief case study in your résumé that quantifies time‑saved or error‑reduction (e.g., “Reduced manual payroll processing time by 40% across 12 countries”).
• Submit a one‑page “Payroll Ops Blueprint” tailored to Hopper: diagram the end‑to‑end flow for employees, contractors, EORs, and PEOs, pinpoint current manual handoffs, and propose an automated workflow using Workday Studio + Zapier or Azure Logic Apps; attach the diagram as a PDF to your application or bring it to the interview.
• Emphasize player‑coach leadership by describing at least two cross‑functional squads you’ve led (e.g., Finance, Legal, Engineering, HR) and the specific metrics you improved (e.g., “cut payroll compliance audit findings by 75% while mentoring a team of 5 analysts”).
• Prepare a mini‑portfolio of data‑visualization dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, or Looker) that track payroll cost variance, equity vesting schedules, and compliance risk; include screenshots with a 2‑sentence commentary on the insight each dashboard provides and be ready to walk the interviewers through them.
• Research UK remote compensation for senior payroll‑systems managers (base £120‑150k, target bonus 20‑30%, equity pool) and be ready to negotiate by linking your ask to projected ROI (e.g., “My automation plan is expected to save £1.2 M annually, justifying a 20% bonus structure”).