Global Payroll Lead

AQR is a global investment firm built at the intersection of financial theory and practical application. We strive to deliver concrete, long-term results by looking past market noise to identify and isolate the factors that matter most, and by developing ideas that stand up to rigorous testing. By putting theory into practice, we have become a leader in alternative strategies and an innovator in traditional portfolio management since 1998.

At AQR, our employees share a common spirit of academic excellence, intellectual honesty and an unwavering commitment to seeking the truth. We’re determined to know what makes financial markets tick – and we’ll ask every question and challenge every assumption. We recognize and respect the power of collaboration and believe transparency and openness to new ideas leads to innovation.

The HR Operations & Rewards team supports the full employee lifecycle at AQR. The team is responsible for onboarding and offboarding, payroll, benefits and wellness, compensation, HR systems and technology, and people analytics. The team helps ensure HR processes, programs, and tools are efficient, scalable, and responsive to the needs of our employees and the business.

AQR is seeking an experienced Global Payroll Lead to join the team. This is a hands-on role with direct responsibility for day-to-day U.S. and global payroll execution.

The ideal candidate will have strong working knowledge of U.S. and global payroll processes, excellent organizational skills, strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-demand environment. Experience with ADP and Workday is essential for the role. They will bring professionalism, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to client service.

• Own and execute end-to-end payroll processes across the U.S. and multiple countries, including payroll inputs, employee changes, processing, validation, review, approval, and post-payroll activities.

• Review payroll outputs for accuracy, resolve discrepancies, complete reconciliations, and coordinate payroll funding, accounting entries, and reporting with Finance.

• Manage U.S. federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements, including multi-state taxation, registrations, filings, notices, and year-end reporting.

• Manage payroll calendars, deadlines, year-end activities, statutory filings, tax reporting, and audit requests across all applicable jurisdictions.

• Manage relationships with global payroll vendors and local providers, including data submission, issue resolution, and service delivery.

• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, process documentation, and controls to support accuracy, consistency, and audit readiness.

• Administer time tracking in Workday, including monitoring PTO accuracy, developing reports and audits, and providing employee support for time-tracking questions.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll and time-tracking questions, providing timely, professional, and high-quality support.

• Support expansion into new U.S. states and/or countries, payroll implementations, vendor transitions, and other payroll projects, in partnership with Finance and HR colleagues.

• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline, automate, and strengthen global payroll processes and controls; support broader HR initiatives as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree

• 7–10+ years of experience in high-volume U.S. and global payroll processing.

• Significant hands-on experience independently processing multi-state U.S. payroll and strong knowledge of U.S. payroll taxation, deductions, and year-end