About AppLovin

AppLovin makes technologies that help businesses of every size connect to their ideal customers. The company provides end-to-end advertising solutions for businesses to reach, monetize and grow their global audiences. For more information about AppLovin, visit: www.applovin.com.

To deliver on this mission, our global team is composed of team members with life experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives that mirror our developers and customers around the world. At AppLovin, we are intentional about the team and culture we are building, seeking candidates who are outstanding in their own right and also demonstrate their support of others.

The Role

AppLovin is looking for a driven Payroll Manager to own global payroll operations across the US and key international markets. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives on building compliance frameworks from the ground up, partnering cross-functionally, and making payroll run like infrastructure — accurate, on time, and scalable.

You will be the subject matter expert on payroll tax and statutory compliance across our primary geographies: United States, Singapore, Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, and Italy. You will manage vendor relationships, own the end-to-end payroll cycle, and work closely with Finance, Accounting, and HR/PeopleOps to support month-end close, audit readiness, and equity-related payroll events.

What You'll Do

Global Payroll Operations

Own end-to-end payroll processing across the US (multi-state) and international entities in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT — ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery each cycle
Manage relationships with external payroll vendors and in-country service providers; hold them accountable to SLAs and quality standards
Serve as the primary point of contact for all payroll-related matters across Finance, Accounting, HR, and Legal
Handle off-cycle payrolls, manual calculations, retroactive adjustments, and termination runs

Tax & Statutory Compliance

Maintain deep, current knowledge of payroll tax obligations in each covered jurisdiction — federal/state/local in the US and statutory requirements in SG, DE, IE, CY, and IT
Ensure timely and accurate filing of all payroll tax returns, year-end forms (W-2, P60, IR8A equivalents), and local employer statutory filings
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes across all jurisdictions; assess impact and implement required changes proactively
Partner with Tax and Legal on cross-border employment structures, shadow payrolls, and treaty-related matters
Support external payroll audits, tax authority inquiries, and statutory inspections

Equity & Stock Compensation

Process and reconcile equity-related payroll events including RSU vesting, ESPP purchase cycles, NQ exercises, and ISO exercises
Ensure proper tax withholding and reporting for stock transactions across all jurisdictions, including applicable FBT, social security, and spread income treatment

Systems & Controls

Monitor integrations and manual business processes between Workday HCM and payroll systems (Workday, Cloudpay, local partners)
Audit input data, validate outputs, and maintain strong internal controls around payroll authorization and data integrity
Support month-end close: prepare payroll journal entries, headcount reconciliations, accruals, and benefits reconciliations in coordination with the GL/Accounting team
Identify and drive process improvements — automate where possible, document where critical, and eliminate manual workarounds

Cross-Functional Partnership

Serve as a trusted resource for HR/PeopleOps on all payroll implications of compensation decisions, new hires, LOAs, and terminations
Partner with Accounting Ops on payroll-related reconciliations and audit support
Respond to employee escalations and payroll inquiries promptly and with clarity

What We're Looking For

6+ years of progressive payroll experience in a multi-country environment; at least 2 years in a lead or manager capacity
Deep working knowledge of US payroll tax (federal, state, local) — multi-state is required; experience with CA, NY, or WA is a plus
Direct, hands-on experience processing payroll in at least two of the following: Singapore (CPF, IRAS IR8A), Germany (Lohnsteuer, SV contributions), Ireland (PAYE/PRSI/USC/ASC), Cyprus (PAYE, GHS contributions), or Italy (INPS, IRPEF, busta paga)
Proficiency with Workday HCM/Payroll or equivalent global processor; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills required
Track record of managing payroll tax filings, year-end reconciliations, and statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously
Experience processing equity-related payroll transactions (RSU, ESPP, NQ, ISO) in a public company environment
Exceptionally detail-oriented with strong reconciliation instincts — you are comfortable building processes to detect errors before they become problems
Clear, direct communicator who can translate complex payroll mechanics for a non-payroll audience
Comfortable in a lean, high-velocity environment where you own outcomes end-to-end with limited hand-holding

Nice to Have

APAC payroll experience beyond Singapore (e.g., Japan, South Korea, Australia, or India)
CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent international credential
Experience supporting payroll for a company that went through rapid international expansion or M&A
Prior exposure to NetSuite in a payroll accounting context