Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
Payroll rarely gets highlighted in SaaS hiring, but it becomes mission-critical as companies expand internationally, manage equity programs, and operate with public-company governance. This Global Head of Payroll role stands out because it sits at the intersection of global operations, compliance, and systems—work that underpins reliable headcount scaling in a product-led software business.
For SaaS career builders, the long-term value is in learning how repeatable internal “platforms” are built: vendor ecosystems (global payroll providers and PEOs), integrations into finance systems, and controls that withstand audit scrutiny. The remit touches month-end close, reconciliations, and SOX ownership, creating durable experience that transfers across mature SaaS organizations where payroll accuracy directly affects financial reporting and employee trust. Exposure to expansion and acquired-entity integration also builds pattern recognition for operational change management common in the sector.
This role is best suited to a leader who enjoys designing operating cadence, tightening controls, and partnering across Finance, People, Legal, and Equity without losing sight of execution details. It will fit someone comfortable being an escalation point, balancing strategic direction with hands-on problem solving, and making systems and processes work consistently across multiple jurisdictions.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
About the Role
As Global Head of Payroll at Amplitude, you will lead and scale our global payroll function across multiple countries and regions, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations worldwide. This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for setting the global payroll strategy, strengthening controls, and driving operational excellence in a public-company environment.
You will oversee end-to-end payroll operations, manage and develop a team of payroll professionals, and partner closely with Finance, People, Legal, and external vendors. A key focus of this role will be improving processes, optimizing systems, and supporting growth initiatives—including international expansion and the integration of acquired entities—while maintaining strong compliance and governance standards.
As the Global Head of Payroll, you will:
- Own and oversee end-to-end global payroll operations across multiple countries and regions
- Develop and execute a global payroll strategy aligned with Amplitude’s growth, compliance, and control objectives
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of payroll professionals
- Ensure compliance with local payroll, tax, and labor regulations in all jurisdictions
- Manage relationships with global payroll vendors and PEOs (e.g., CloudPay or similar)
- Partner closely with People Ops, Accounting, FP&A, Legal, and Equity teams
- Oversee payroll accounting coordination, including:
- Payroll month end close
- Payroll accruals and reconciliations
- GL integration and reporting
- Own and maintain SOX controls related to payroll in a public company environment
- Drive process improvements, automation, and system enhancements
- Support international expansion and integration of acquired entities into payroll systems and processes
- Act as the escalation point for complex payroll issues, audits, and employee inquiries
You’ll be a great addition to the team if you have:
- 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including global payroll leadership
- Strong knowledge of U.S. payroll, international payroll practices, and statutory compliance
- Experience in a public company and SOX-controlled environment
- Hands-on experience with payroll systems such as Workday Payroll, CloudPay, or similar global platforms
- Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex vendor relationships
- Strong understanding of payroll tax, equity compensation payroll (RSUs, ESPP), and cross-border considerations
- Excellent communication skills and ability to influence cross-functionally
- Bachelor’s degree required (CPA, CPP, or equivalent certification a plus)
Who We Are
The Company: Amplitude is filled with humble, life-long learners who are eager to help one another and the company succeed. Our values of growth mindset, ownership, and humility are core to the way we work: we’re tenacious in the face of challenges, we take the initiative to solve problems that drive our shared success, and we operate from a place of empathy and openness, seeking to understand many points of view.
The Product: Amplitude is a digital analytics platform—we help companies capture data they can trust, uncover clear insights about customer behavior, and take faster action. This empowers teams to build better product experiences that drive business growth. We’re super proud of what we’ve built and continue to expand: a platform that empowers companies to thrive in the digital era.
We care about the well-being of our team: We offer competitive pay and benefits packages that reflect our commitment to the health and well-being of our Ampliteers.
Some of our benefit programs include:
- Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision insurance coverages, with 100% employer-paid premiums for employee Medical, Dental, Vision on select plans
- Flexible time off, paid holidays, and more
- Generous stipends to spend on what matters most to you, whether that’s wellness (monthly), commuter transit/parking (monthly), learning and development (quarterly), home office equipment (annual), and much more
- Excellent Parental benefits including: 12-20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, Carrot Fertility Benefits/Adoption/Surrogacy support, Back-up Child Care support
- Mental health and wellness benefits including no cost employee access to Modern Health coaching & therapy Sessions and high quality physician office experience via One Medical membership (select U.S. locations only)
- Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
Other fun facts about Amplitude:
- We were recognized in the Newsweek Excellence Index 2024.
- Our customers love us! They've said we're the #1 product analytics solution for 19 quarters in a row on G2.
- We care A LOT about product innovation. Fast Company called us the #3 most innovative enterprise company in the world.
- We invest in our people. We offer mentorship programs, management training, and wellness initiatives.
- We give back to our communities. We give every Ampliteer a charitable giving grant and paid volunteer time off.
- We were founded in 2012, went public via a direct listing in September 2021, and are now trading under the ticker $AMPL.
- We’re a global and fast-growing team! We have employees around the world and offices in San Francisco (HQ), New York, Vancouver, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo.
- Our mascot is Data Monster, who loves to chow down on numbers, charts, and graphs. Nom nom.
Amplitude provides equal employment opportunities (EEO). All applicants are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Based on legislation in California, the following details are for individuals who will work for Amplitude in San Francisco Bay Area of California. Salary range: $193,000 - $290,000 total target cash (inclusive of bonus or commission)
