About the role
About Clay Our mission is to help organizations turn any growth idea into reality. We see growth as a creative practice, not a formula. Finding and reaching your best-fit customers takes unique ideas and constant iteration. As AI makes execution faster and tactics easier to copy, creativity is the only lasting advantage. We're already helping thousands of customers — including Anthropic, Notion, Google, and Ramp — go to market with unique data, signals, and AI research. In 2025, we raised a $100M Series C backed by world-class investors including Sequoia, CapitalG, and First Round — and crossed $100M in revenue. In 2026, we announced our second employee tender offer in 9 months at a new $5B valuation. We also launched a community equity round , for our customers, agency partners, and club members. Some things to know about us: Our community includes 11,000+ customers, 150+ integration partners, 125+ agencies, 50+ Clay clubs , and 30k members on Slack. Our culture is unique inside and outside of work. Our team members are also DJs, activists, writers, clowns, marathoners, skydivers, psychedelic therapists, social workers, and more. All employees can work for free with world-class coaches who specialize in creativity, management, and more. Our operating principles — including negative maintenance and non-attached action — guide our work. Read more about them here . Read about us in the NYT , Forbes , First Round Review , and more . Hear from our employees directly on our Glassdoor page! The Role Clay is looking for a Payroll & Equity Manager to own and scale our payroll operations and equity administration as we scale operations and grow globally. This role sits at the intersection of Finance, People, and Legal and is critical to ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a world-class employee experience. You’ll be responsible for managing multi-entity payroll, administering equity plans and building the systems and processes that support a fast-growing and distributed workforce. This is a hands-on role with strategic ownership which is ideal for someone who thrives in detail, compliance, and continuous improvement. What You’ll Do Payroll Own end-to-end payroll processing across the U.S. and international entities (employees and contractors). Strong experience with multi-state payroll and tax scenarios. Ensure timely, accurate payroll runs, tax filings, and statutory compliance across jurisdictions Own year-end payroll activities, including review of tax forms, W-2, as well as fringe benefit reporting, 401k limits, and ensuring accuracy of state tax rates Partner with external payroll providers (Rippling) and drive automation Manage payroll related reconciliations, journal entries, monthly/quarterly close support and audits. Maintain and improve payroll controls, documentation, and internal processes Act as the primary point of contact for payroll questions from employees and leadership Stock & Equity Administration Own administration of Clay’s equity plans (ISOs, NSOs, RSUs, etc.) Process grants, exercises, terminations, and vesting events accurately and on time Partner with Legal and Finance on equity compliance, board approvals, and cap table integrity Support equity related reconciliations, journal entries, monthly/quarterly close support and audits. Support equity-related reporting for audits, valuations (409A), and financial statements Help educate employees on equity basics and provide clear, thoughtful support Research and resolve complex equity transactions with the support of management Cross-Functional & Strategic Work Partner closely with People Ops, Finance, Legal, and external vendors Support scaling efforts as Clay grows headcount, geographies, and complexity Identify opportunities to automate, streamline, and future-proof payroll and equity workflows while supporting new system implementations Contribute to broader finance and people operations projects as needed What We’re Looking For 7+ years of experience in payroll and/or equity administration, ideally in a high-growth startup or tech environment A successful candidate thrives in a dynamic, high-accountability environment, is able to manage multiple workflows and will partner closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and external auditors and consultants Deep hands-on experience running payroll and administering equity plans Strong understanding of U.S. payroll compliance and international payroll experience Experience with equity platforms (Carta, Pulley, Shareworks, etc.) and HRIS platforms (Rippling, ADP, Workday, etc) Exceptional attention to detail and a strong control mindset Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion Comfortable operating independently in an evolving, fast-paced environment Clear communicator who can translate complex topics into simple, employee-friendly explanations