Manager, Payroll & Accounting

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is our mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. 

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.   

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.  

Job Overview 

Kardigan is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Manager, Payroll & Accounting to manage both payroll and accounting functions in a dynamic, hybrid role. In this capacity, you will oversee all aspects of the company’s payroll operations, while assisting with accounting operations ensuring accuracy and compliance with financial reporting. This role demands strong accounting judgment, a deep understanding of GAAP, and the ability to work cross-functionally to maintain compliance, accuracy, and operational efficiency. This is an exciting opportunity for a professional with expertise in both payroll and accounting to have a meaningful impact on financial operations within a growing organization. You’ll play a key role in making critical decisions, driving process improvements, and working alongside key internal teams to enhance business performance. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Payroll Leadership: 
Oversee all aspects of the company’s payroll operations. Ensuring timely and accurate processing of payroll, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations, company policies, and industry standards. Work closely with the payroll advisor to maintain accurate payroll records, tax filings, and ensure employee pay is processed correctly, while also making payroll general ledger entries ensuring accurate reflection of payroll costs and liabilities in the accounting system. 

Accounting Operations: 
Assist in managing the company’s accounting operations, ensuring compliance with GAAP, statutory guidelines, and internal financial policies. This includes overseeing the general ledger, month-end close processes, account reconciliations, and other accounting activities. You will be expected to exercise strong judgment and in-depth knowledge of GAAP to determine the appropriate accounting treatments for complex transactions. 

System Integration and Management: 
Collaborate with the payroll advisor and IT teams to maintain and optimize payroll and accounting systems. Ensure seamless integration between payroll data and the general ledger, and work to enhance the functionality and efficiency of financial systems such as NetSuite. 

Operational Excellence: 
Develop, enhance, and implement payroll and accounting policies and procedures that improve operations, minimize errors, and ensure compliance. Continuously improve payroll processes and accounting workflows to increase efficiency and scalability. 

Audit & Compliance Support: 
Assist in payroll and accounting audits, ensuring all payroll records and financial reports are accurate, complete, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations. Support the preparation for internal and external audits by providing required documentation and responding to audit inquiries. 

Business Partnership: 
Work closely with cross-functional teams (HR, IT, FP&A) to provide insights and recommendations that drive operational efficiency and sound financial decision-making. Collaborate with the FP&A team to ensure accuracy and integrity in financial reporting. 

Qualifications and Preferred Skills 

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA, CPP, MBA, or relevant advanced degree preferred. 

• 8+ years of progressive payroll and accounting experience, with at least 3 years in a managerial role. 

• Strong knowledge of GAAP and payroll regulations, with the ability to apply this knowledge in both payroll processing and accounting functions. 

• Proven ability to make independent accounting decisions.

• Experience with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred) and payroll systems (e.g., ADP, Paylocity). 

• Experience in transitioning payroll from TriNet to other systems. 

• Proven ability to design, implement, and improve payroll and accounting processes in a growing organization. 

• Ensuring that all necessary documentation is kept in an orderly manner for audit purposes.

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and ensure accuracy in both payroll and accounting records. 

• Experience managing payroll and financial audits, ensuring compliance with regulations and internal controls (401K audit, Workers’ comp audit, unemployment insurance, etc.). 

• You are well-versed in statutory requirements pertaining to payroll administration and staying updated with new payroll regulations and changes. Collaborating with HR and finance teams on payroll-related matters. 

• You are a self-starter who can plan, organize and take the initiative to meet job objectives and deadlines independently. 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex financial and payroll information to non-financial stakeholders. 

• Strong leadership capabilities, with experience managing and developing cross-functional teams.