Payroll Manager
Designer Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage tech companies using design to improve health, sustainability, or prosperity for people. It backs founding teams, particularly those with design backgrounds, across sectors like fintech, healthcare, climate tech, and developer tools.
About Designer Fund
Designer Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in tech companies leveraging design to drive positive outcomes in health, sustainability, and financial prosperity. Its portfolio spans a wide range of sectors including financial infrastructure (Stripe), preventative health (Omada), collaborative tools (Notion), developer tools (Netlify), product management (Linear), payroll and benefits (Gusto), design tools (Framer), and healthcare infrastructure (Commure), among dozens of other companies across fintech, climate tech, healthcare, EdTech, and AI. The firm also runs 'Designer Founders,' a community and platform highlighting designers who have gone on to found and lead companies, reflecting its focus on backing design-driven founders and design-centric startups from early stages through growth and acquisition.
Skills
About the Role
You'll take ownership of the end-to-end payroll process for Via Germany, covering more than 900 hourly employees. Working closely with the Finance, People, and Operations teams, you'll partner with an external payroll provider to make sure everyone is paid accurately and on time every month. You'll keep a close eye on German tax regulations, wage laws, and compliance requirements, adjusting processes as regulations evolve. You'll run regular payroll audits to safeguard the accuracy of employee pay data, and you'll design and implement process improvements and internal controls along the way. You'll manage benefit deductions and tax withholdings with precision and confidentiality, and you'll lead payroll-related financial reporting, including preparing journal entries and reconciling general ledger accounts. You'll also step in to support escalated payroll queries that the Support Operations team can't resolve on their own, and you'll contribute to cross-functional projects that strengthen payroll processes across the broader Finance team.
Requirements
- 5+ years of payroll experience in Germany, including with hourly/shift-based employees
- Strong grasp of local regulations and tax requirements
- Comfortable working with HRIS and payroll systems such as P&I Loga
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel
- Detail-oriented, reliable, and able to meet strict deadlines independently
- Clear communication and collaboration across teams
- Fluency in English and German required
Responsibilities
- Own and drive the monthly payroll process for Via Germany
- Partner with external payroll provider and internal Finance, People, and Operations teams
- Monitor changes in German tax regulations, wage laws, and compliance requirements
- Perform regular payroll audits to maintain accuracy and integrity of employee pay data
- Design and implement process improvements and internal controls
- Manage benefit deductions and tax withholdings
- Lead payroll-related financial reporting including journal entries
- Reconcile general ledger accounts
- Support escalated payroll queries from the Support Operations team
- Contribute to cross-functional projects and operational improvements
Benefits
- Equity
- Hybrid work model
- Weekly team lunch and breakfast
- Monthly health stipend
- 25 vacation days