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Manager, Payroll & Accounting

South San Francisco, California, United States, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

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 Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.
 
Led by Tassos Giannakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D. and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.
 
We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.
 
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.
 
 

Position Title: Manager, Payroll & Accounting 

Department: Finance & Accounting 

Reports To: Senior Director, Accounting 

Location: Princeton, NJ or South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs) 

 

Job Overview 

Kardigan is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Manager, Payroll & Accounting to take ownership of the company’s payroll operations while supporting payroll-related accounting functions.  This is an exciting opportunity for a professional with extensive payroll expertise and working knowledge of accounting processes to have a meaningful impact on financial operations within a growing organization.  The ideal candidate will play a critical role in ensuring accurate payroll execution, compliance with regulatory requirements, the successful transition of payroll in-house from TriNet to ADP, driving process improvements, and working alongside key internal teams to enhance overall business performance. 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Payroll Leadership: 

  • Oversee all aspects of the company’s payroll operations, ensuring timely and accurate processing of payroll in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, company policies, and industry standards. 
  • Lead the implementation and transition of payroll from TriNet to ADP, collaborating with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure a smooth rollout. 
  • Maintain accurate payroll records, tax filings, and employee pay processing while booking payroll-related general ledger entries to ensure accurate financial reporting. 
  • Ensure compliance with medical insurance, retirement plans (including 401k payroll accounting), workers’ compensation, and payroll-related reporting requirements. 
  • Prepare and support payroll-related portions of year-end audits and workers’ compensation audits. 
  • Partner with HR to ensure payroll aligns with benefits, employee data, and compliance obligations. 

Accounting & Compliance: 

  • Record, reconcile, and analyze payroll-related accounting entries including wages, taxes, benefits, insurance premiums, and 401k contributions. 
  • Support general ledger payroll postings, accruals, and reconciliations to ensure payroll costs and liabilities are accurately reflected in the accounting system. 
  • Collaborate with the accounting team on month-end and year-end close processes specifically related to payroll. 
  • Assist with compliance reporting and audit requirements connected to payroll and employee benefits. 
  • Provide accurate documentation and responses for payroll-related audits (external financial audits, internal audits, and regulatory reviews). 
  • Assist the accounting team with ad-hoc accounting projects and support other areas in accounting.  

System Integration & Optimization 

  • Work with IT and finance teams to maintain and optimize ADP and its integration with the general ledger system (NetSuite experience a plus). 
  • Identify opportunities to improve payroll and accounting processes, enhance reporting, and ensure scalability as the company grows. 

Business Partnership & Operational Excellence 

  • Collaborate with HR, FP&A, and other cross-functional teams to ensure accuracy in payroll and financial reporting. 
  • Provide payroll-related insights and recommendations to drive operational efficiency and informed decision-making. 
  • Develop, enhance, and implement payroll policies, procedures, and controls to improve accuracy, compliance, and operational efficiency. 

 

Qualifications and Preferred Skills 

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPP certification, or relevant advanced degree preferred. 
  • 7+ years of progressive payroll experience, including direct responsibility to payroll-related accounting functions. 
  • Proven experience leading or participating in payroll system implementations strongly preferred. 
  • Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, regulations, and reporting requirements across federal, state, and local levels. 
  • Experience with payroll-related accounting entries (wages, taxes, benefits, 401k, insurance premiums, accruals, reconciliations); broader GL experience a plus but not required. 
  • Experience supporting payroll-related aspects of audits (financial, year-end, workers’ compensation). 
  • Hands-on experience with payroll systems (ADP strongly preferred) and ERP/accounting systems (NetSuite a plus). 
  • Ability to design, implement, and improve payroll processes and internal controls in a growing organization. 
  • Familiarity with medical insurance compliance, 401k administration, and payroll-related benefit programs. 
  • 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. 
  • Experience in small-to-mid-sized biotech or life sciences organizations preferred. 

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$114,000 - $171,000 USD

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