Manager / Senior Manager of Payroll and T&E

About Valar Atomics At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable—unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. The Role We're looking for an experienced and detail-oriented Payroll and Travel & Expense (T&E) Manager to oversee all aspects of payroll processing and employee expense management. This role is critical to ensuring accurate and timely compensation for our employees while maintaining compliance with applicable laws and internal policies. The ideal candidate brings deep functional expertise, a process-improvement mindset, and the ability to partner cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and business leaders. Key Responsibilities • Manage end-to-end payroll processing for a rapidly growing employee base across multiple states, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in line with our payroll cycle. • Maintain payroll records and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements. • Oversee payroll tax filings, reconciliations, W-2 preparation, and year-end close activities. • Partner with HR to manage changes related to new hires, terminations, leaves of absence, compensation adjustments, and benefits deductions. • Serve as the primary point of contact for employee payroll inquiries, resolving issues with professionalism and discretion. • Continuously evaluate and improve payroll processes, systems, and controls to enhance accuracy and efficiency. • Administer the company's T&E program, including policy governance, expense report review and approval workflows, and reimbursement processing. • Ensure employee expense submissions comply with company policy and IRS requirements, and identify and address policy exceptions and errors. • Manage relationships with T&E platform vendors and corporate card program administrators (e.g., Ramp and Navan). • Produce regular T&E reporting and analytics to provide visibility into spend trends and support budget management. • Educate employees and managers on T&E policy and best practices, and update the policy as business needs evolve. • Support system implementations, upgrades, and integrations related to payroll and expense platforms. • Maintain a "no job too small" mentality, contributing to special projects and cross-functional initiatives as needed within the general scope of the role. You Will Be Successful in This Role If • You hold a high bar for accuracy and timeliness, recognizing that payroll errors land in employees' pockets and trust is built one cycle at a time. • You bring deep functional expertise in payroll and T&E and apply it with a process-improvement mindset rather than running on autopilot. • You handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism, especially when employees are looking to you to resolve sensitive issues. • You partner effectively across HR, Finance, and the broader business, translating policy and compliance requirements into clear guidance for non-specialists. • You stay organized under competing priorities and adapt quickly in an ambiguous, rapidly changing environment. • You take ownership of the end-to-end experience, from system configuration to employee education to year-end close. Basic Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. • 5+ years of payroll experience in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, including multi-state payroll. • Solid understanding of federal and state payroll tax laws and wage and hour regulations. • Experience administering a corporate T&E program. • Proficiency with a major payroll system (e.g., ADP, Workday, Rippling) and Microsoft Excel. • Highly organized and detail-oriented, with a strong sense of discretion when handling confidential information. Preferred Skills and Experience • Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation. • Experience with Rippling. • Familiarity with expense management tools such as Ramp. • Experience partnering with HR and Finance on compensation planning, audits, or system implementations. • Exposure to multi-entity, multi-currency, or international payroll processing. • Comfort working in ambiguous, rapidly changing environments with competing priorities. What We Offer • Competitive base salary • Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company • Comprehensive medical benefits • Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite • High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy • Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement • Direct collaboration with experienced operators, engineers, and industry leaders • The opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology from the ground up Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Salary $130,000—$190,000 USD