Kardigan
Manager, Payroll & Accounting (Princeton, NJ)
About Kardigan 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. Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020. Kardigan has 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. Kardigan’s values guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. We are driven by patients and their families, committed to authenticity, eagerness to learn, teamwork, and enabling the impossible to 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 opportunity for a professional with extensive payroll expertise and working knowledge of accounting processes to impact financial operations within a growing organization. The role includes ensuring accurate payroll execution, regulatory compliance, the transition of payroll in-house from TriNet to ADP, driving process improvements, and collaboration with internal teams to enhance business performance. This position reports to the Senior Director, Accounting based in South San Francisco, CA. The role has one opening and may be located in either our Princeton, NJ office or our South San Francisco, CA office. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Payroll Leadership: Oversee all aspects of the company’s payroll operations, ensuring timely and accurate processing 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. Compensation Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location. Pay range $114,000 - $171,000 USD Equal Opportunity & Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, Kardigan asks candidates to respond to voluntary self-identification surveys. Completion is voluntary and information is confidential. Kardigan does not discriminate on the basis of protected status and complies with equal employment opportunity laws. The information collected may be used to measure outreach and recruitment efforts as required by law. If you believe you belong to any protected categories, select the appropriate option. This description includes optional information related to disability status as required for government contracting purposes. This section is provided in compliance with applicable EEO laws and may include disclosures related to disability status. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s OFCCP website at www.dol.gov/ofccp. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305, Page 1 of 1, OMB Control Number 1250-0005, Expires 04/30/2026.
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About Kardigan 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. Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020. Kardigan has 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. Kardigan’s values guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. We are driven by patients and their families, committed to authenticity, eagerness to learn, teamwork, and enabling the impossible to 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 opportunity for a professional with extensive payroll expertise and working knowledge of accounting processes to impact financial operations within a growing organization. The role includes ensuring accurate payroll execution, regulatory compliance, the transition of payroll in-house from TriNet to ADP, driving process improvements, and collaboration with internal teams to enhance business performance. This position reports to the Senior Director, Accounting based in South San Francisco, CA. The role has one opening and may be located in either our Princeton, NJ office or our South San Francisco, CA office. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Payroll Leadership: Oversee all aspects of the company’s payroll operations, ensuring timely and accurate processing 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. Compensation Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location. Pay range $114,000 - $171,000 USD Equal Opportunity & Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, Kardigan asks candidates to respond to voluntary self-identification surveys. Completion is voluntary and information is confidential. Kardigan does not discriminate on the basis of protected status and complies with equal employment opportunity laws. The information collected may be used to measure outreach and recruitment efforts as required by law. If you believe you belong to any protected categories, select the appropriate option. This description includes optional information related to disability status as required for government contracting purposes. This section is provided in compliance with applicable EEO laws and may include disclosures related to disability status. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s OFCCP website at www.dol.gov/ofccp. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305, Page 1 of 1, OMB Control Number 1250-0005, Expires 04/30/2026.
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