Global payroll manager

About Watershed

Watershed is the enterprise sustainability platform. Companies like Airbnb, Carlyle Group, FedEx, Visa, and Dr. Martens use Watershed to manage climate and ESG data, produce audit-ready metrics for voluntary and regulatory reporting including CSRD, and drive real decarbonization. We are looking for team members who love product-building, want to work hard at a mission-oriented startup, and will collaborate with us in shaping the culture of a growing team.

We have offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Mexico City, and remote team members across the US and Europe. We hope that you'll be interested in joining us!

The role

We are seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented Global Payroll Manager based in Mexico City to own and operate payroll across the US, Mexico, the UK, and our global EOR population (Remote).

This role is responsible for end-to-end payroll operations, vendor management, audit-ready controls, compliance oversight, compensation cycle coordination, and cross-border employment support.

Initially an individual contributor, this role will build scalable payroll processes from the ground up and support future growth as we expand jurisdictions and headcount.

This position is ideal for candidates who thrive in a startup environment, can operate with autonomy, and are comfortable working across multiple countries, tools, and compliance frameworks.

In this role, you will:

• Own end to end payroll cycles for US, UK and Mexico employees

• Optimize our use of Rippling and other payroll/HR systems, drive data integration between HRIS, ERP, and time‑tracking tools

• Lead future payroll system implementation or migrations (e.g., centralizing MX/UK payroll into Rippling).

• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors including Rippling, Remote, Mazars (MX payroll/statutory), and UK payroll providers.

• Drive SLA performance, compliance, and quality across all payroll partners.

• Maintain audit-ready controls, workflows, and documentation across all jurisdictions.

• Establish KPIs (e.g. payroll accuracy, on‑time processing, ticket resolution) for payroll performance measurement

• Administer benefits programs in the US and UK in coordination with People Ops.

• Work closely with:

  • Finance – payroll inputs, cost allocation, headcount reporting, forecasts.

  • People Ops/HR – onboarding, offboarding, compensation changes.

  • Legal & Tax – compliance, employment law, and cross-country issues.

  • External advisors – Mazars MX, UK accountants, US payroll tax resources.

  • Controllers & FP&A – support cost-plus documentation and payroll forecasting.

You might be a good fit if you have:

• Based in Mexico City; ability to work in English with global teams.

• 8+ years of payroll experience across multiple countries (US, MX, UK strongly preferred).

• Hands-on experience managing payroll vendors and employer of record (EOR) vendors.

• Solid understanding of US, MX, and UK payroll regulations and local statutory obligations.

• Experience in a multinational, high-growth or startup environment.

• Ability to operate independently, build processes, and handle ambiguity.

• Strong documentation discipline and audit-readiness mindset.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-performance environment

Must be willing to work from an office 4 days per week (except for remote roles)

Watershed has hub offices in San Francisco, New York, London, and Mexico City and satellite offices in Sydney, Paris, and Berlin. Where we have offices, employees are expected to be in office for 4 days per week. Certain jobs are open to being remote and will be specifically noted on the jobs page and in the job description if so.

Must be willing to work from an office 4 days per week (except for remote roles)

Watershed has hub offices in San Francisco, New York, London, and Mexico City and satellite offices in Sydney, Paris, and Berlin. Where we have offices, employees are expected to be in office for 4 days per week. Certain jobs are open to being remote and will be specifically noted on the jobs page and in the job description if so.

What’s the interview process like?

It starts the same for every candidate: getting to know the team members through 1 to 2 conversations about Watershed, your experience, and your interests. Next steps can vary by role, but usual next steps are a skill or experience interview (e.g. a coding interview for an engineer, a portfolio review for a designer, deeper experience call for other roles) which leads to a virtual or in person interview panel. We prioritize transparency and lack of surprise throughout the process.

What if I need accommodations for my interview?

At Watershed, we are dedicated to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. We provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health needs, religious observances, neurodivergence, or pregnancy-related support requirements. If you need assistance during your process, please contact your recruiter.