International Payroll Operations

About the Team

OpenAI Finance is responsible for ensuring the organization is set up for success in pursuit of its mission.

OpenAI’s Payroll team is responsible for timely and accurate processing of payroll and ensuring compliance with all statutory regulations.

About the Role

At OpenAI, payroll is not a back-office function — it is mission-critical infrastructure. We are seeking a seasoned International Payroll lead to scale and continuously improve the global payroll and payroll-support ecosystem that serves one of the fastest-growing and most technically sophisticated organizations in the world.

This role is based in our Dublin, Ireland office. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

- Lead the international payroll processing team and oversee end-to-end payroll delivery across EMEA and APAC, ensuring employees are paid accurately, on time, and in compliance with local requirements.

- Own day-to-day operations with outsourced payroll and BPO partners, including payroll calendars, inputs, reconciliations, service-level performance, quality standards, issue resolution, and escalations.

- Lead the payroll workstream for global expansion and new-country launches, including payroll registrations, in-country vendor setup, implementation, testing, systems integration, and go-live readiness.

- Partner with People, Finance, Tax, Legal, Benefits, Equity, and Treasury teams to ensure accurate upstream inputs, funding, accounting, and downstream reporting.

- Draft and maintain payroll documentation, process maps, operating procedures, and internal controls to support compliance, audit readiness, and business continuity.

- Proactively identify and resolve payroll discrepancies and employee inquiries within SLAs, determine root causes, and implement controls that prevent recurrence.

- Use data, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve controls, reduce manual work, and increase the scalability and effectiveness of international payroll operations.

You might thrive in this role if you have:

- 6+ years of progressive experience in international payroll operations, preferably in a fast-paced or high-growth environment.

- Demonstrated experience leading multi-country payroll delivery across EMEA and APAC, including management of outsourced payroll or BPO providers.

- Hands-on experience supporting new-country payroll implementations, vendor onboarding, testing, and systems integrations.

- Hands-on experience using AI tools to enhance, automate, and strengthen payroll workflows and controls.

- Strong working knowledge of international payroll regulations, tax withholding, social insurance, statutory reporting, and standard payroll practices.

- Hands-on experience with Workday HCM and global payroll systems.

- Ability to independently manage priorities, take ownership of outcomes, and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.

- Clear and concise communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, HR, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.