[Contract] Payroll Manager

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.

We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.

We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.

If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.

About This Role

We aim to align the long-term interests of the climate with the future of global computing infrastructure. Crusoe co-locates mobile data centers with stranded energy resources to deliver low-cost, carbon-negative distributed computing solutions. Crusoe Cloud is a managed cloud services platform that enables climate-friendly innovation in fields like AI and computational biology.

We are looking for a detail-oriented Payroll Manager to support the end-to-end payroll cycle for our growing team. This role is essential to our daily operations, ensuring that our 2,000+ employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining strict compliance with multi-state regulations. You will serve as a primary point of contact for employee inquiries and a key partner to our HR and Finance teams.

Location: 100% onsite at our San Francisco Office during office hours

Contract: 6+ months

What You’ll Be Working On

• Multi-State Payroll Processing: Execute the bi-weekly payroll cycle for two entities using ADP Workforce Now, ensuring accuracy for 2,000+ salaried and hourly employees.

• Time & Attendance: Review and audit timecards for complex manufacturing schedules and shift differentials; proactively resolve missed punches or sync errors.

• Compliance & Records: Maintain digital payroll records and documentation in accordance with FLSA, state/local regulations, and internal audit protocols.

• Tax & Deductions: Administer wage garnishments, support orders, and benefit deductions. Assist in the monitoring of state tax accounts to ensure accurate filings by third-party providers.

• Reconciliation: Perform routine reconciliations of payroll reports and general ledger postings, partnering with Finance to investigate variances.

• Off-Cycle Payments: Process final paychecks, manual adjustments, and bonus payments with high urgency and accuracy.

• Employee Support: Provide exceptional customer service by resolving employee payroll inquiries regarding paystubs, taxes, and deductions in a timely manner.

• Year-End Support: Assist with the preparation and distribution of W-2s and support annual payroll audits.

What You’ll Bring to the Team

• Professional Experience: 5-8 years of full-cycle multi-state payroll experience, preferably in a high-growth or industrial/manufacturing environment.

• Systems Expertise: Required proficiency in ADP Workforce Now. Strong skills in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables) and Google Sheets.

• Technical Knowledge: Solid understanding of multi-state payroll laws, overtime regulations, and payroll tax basics.

• Operational Skills: Meticulous attention to detail and the ability to manage repetitive tasks with a high degree of accuracy.

• Communication: Clear, professional communication skills for interacting with employees and cross-functional teams.

Bonus Points

• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).

• Previous experience in a startup or early-stage company.

Compensation: Compensation will be paid at the hourly rate of $61/hr - $75/hr . Compensation to be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.