Payroll Program Manager

WHAT IS BOX? 

Box (NYSE:BOX) is the leader in Intelligent Content Management. Our platform enables organizations to fuel collaboration, manage the entire content lifecycle, secure critical content, and transform business workflows with enterprise AI. We help companies thrive in the new AI-first era of business. Founded in 2005, Box simplifies work for leading global organizations, including JLL, Morgan Stanley, and Nationwide. Box is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

By joining Box, you will have the unique opportunity to continue driving our platform forward. Content powers how we work. It’s the billions of files and information flowing across teams, departments, and key business processes every single day: contracts, invoices, employee records, financials, product specs, marketing assets, and more. Our mission is to bring intelligence to the world of content management and empower our customers to completely transform workflows across their organizations. With the combination of AI and enterprise content, the opportunity has never been greater to transform how the world works together and at Box you will be on the front lines of this massive shift.

WHY BOX NEEDS YOU

We are looking for an experienced Payroll Program Manager to help lead and scale Box’s payroll operations. This role will report to the Sr. Manager of Payroll and serve as a key owner of US payroll programs, processes, compliance, analytics, and cross-functional initiatives.

You will help ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery while driving process improvements, system enhancements, audit readiness, and operational excellence. This role is ideal for a seasoned payroll professional who combines deep payroll expertise with strong program management, analytical thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and a continuous improvement mindset.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Help lead full-cycle US payroll operations for a multi-state employee population, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, timely, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

• Manage payroll timelines, priorities, project plans, and deliverables across recurring payroll cycles, year-end activities, audits, system changes, and process improvement initiatives.

• Serve as a key point of contact for complex payroll matters, including employee inquiries, external provider questions, payroll calculations, tax matters, stock transactions, off-cycle payments, garnishments, benefits-related payroll activity, and other escalations.

• Review, reconcile, audit, and approve payroll transactions, payroll analytics, journal entries, month-end accruals, balance sheet reconciliations, and related flux explanations as applicable.

• Partner closely with People Operations, Equity, Benefits, Accounting, Finance, Legal, external payroll providers, and business stakeholders to ensure payroll processes are aligned, scalable, and well controlled.

• Lead or support payroll compliance activities, including multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax withholding, 401(k) and Roth contribution reconciliation, workers’ compensation, external financial audits, SOX audits, and other annual or recurring compliance requirements.

• Perform regular tax review to ensure compliance with tax agencies and follow strong internal audit controls and checklist. 

• Ensure accurate tax rates are timely set up with ADP and Workday. Review and reconcile SUI, FUTA, etc. with agencies notifications, Process and review amended returns, W-2's, and meet all year-end deliverables.

• Work with Payroll Accounting to research, trace and resolve out of balance tax items. Coordinate with ADP for a timely resolution. 

• Identify and drive payroll process and system improvements, including documenting current-state processes, evaluating dependencies, recommending scalable solutions, performing UAT, coordinating implementation with providers and internal partners, and supporting sign-off for payroll-related system changes.

• Monitor changes in payroll legislation, payroll practices, and company policies; assess operational impact and make recommendations to support compliance and process effectiveness.

• Prepare, review, and deliver standard and ad hoc payroll reporting and analytics for internal stakeholders such as Finance, Accounting, Legal, Equity, Benefits, People Operations, and business units.

• Provide guidance, coaching, knowledge transfer, and timely feedback to payroll team members and cross-functional partners to support strong execution, shared understanding, and continuous learning.

• Foster productive communication across project teams, monitor milestones and deliverables, identify risks or blockers, and take action to keep payroll initiatives on track.

• Apply sound judgment, analytical thinking, and payroll expertise to resolve a wide range of complex payroll issues in a collaborative environment.

• Promote belonging, trust, and strong cross-functional relationships while approaching payroll work with a broader company-wide lens.

WHO YOU ARE

We are an AI-first company. This means you approach your work with a growth mindset and find ways to leverage AI to help make faster, smarter decisions that will 10X your impact at Box.

• 5+ years of relevant payroll, accounting, finance, or related experience, including significant experience with multi-state US payroll; experience with international or multi-country payroll is a plus.

• 2+ years of experience operating in a similar scope, such as leading payroll projects, owning payroll programs, managing complex payroll processes, or serving as an escalation point for payroll matters.

• Deep understanding of payroll operations, payroll calculations, payroll compliance, taxation, benefits-related payroll activity, payroll analytics, RSU or equity-related payroll processes, audits, SOX controls, and month-end close support.

• Experience processing or overseeing payroll for large employee populations, including exempt and non-exempt employees across multiple states or jurisdictions.

• Strong program management skills, including the ability to manage timelines, priorities, project plans, stakeholders, dependencies, risks, and tradeoffs.

• Experience with Workday HRIS and/or payroll systems; ability to understand payroll system configuration, data flows, integrations, testing, and implementation impacts.

• Strong analytical, research, problem-solving, and evaluative thinking skills, with the ability to use data and judgment to identify root causes, recommend solutions, and improve processes.

• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex payroll matters clearly to employees, leaders, external providers, and cross-functional partners.

• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.

• Growth mindset with openness to feedback, willingness to champion new ideas, and commitment to continuous improvement.

• BA/BS degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Public company experience is a plus.

Box lives its values, with community and in-person collaboration being a core part of our culture. Boxers are expected to work from their assigned office a minimum of 1 days per week. Your Recruiter will share more about how we work and company culture during the hiring process.

At Box, we believe unique and diverse experiences benefit our culture, our products, our customers, our company, and our world. We aim to recruit a passionate, high-performing workforce that reflects the world we live in. If you are head-over-heels about this role but unsure if you meet all the requirements, we encourage you to apply!

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, and any other protected ground of discrimination under applicable human rights legislation. Box strives to respect the dignity and ‎‎independence of people with disabilities and is committed to giving them the same ‎‎opportunity to succeed as all other employees. Inclusiveness is core to our culture at Box, and we strive to ensure you get the most from your interview experience.

Box makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please complete this form. Reasonable accommodations may include scheduling adjustments, document dictation and beyond.

Notice to applicants in Los Angeles:  Box, Inc and its related branches will consider for employment, qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chair Ordinance.  The Fair Chance Ordinance is provided here. 

Notice to applicants in San Francisco:  Box, Inc and its related branches will consider for employment, qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chair Ordinance.  The Fair Chance Ordinance is provided here. 

For details on how we protect your information when you apply, please see our Personnel Privacy Notice. If you are a California-resident, please read our California Applicant & Candidate Privacy Notice here.