HR & Payroll Manager

The HR & Payroll Manager will lead end-to-end recruiting and onboarding, manage payroll and contractor payments, maintain HR compliance across states, administer benefits and employee relations, and build scalable HR processes and documentation. This person will report to the North America lead and work closely with domestic leadership, legal, finance, and external payroll/accounting partners.

This role is ideal for someone proactive, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-moving environment where the processes may not be fully built yet. The workload may not always be fully saturated, so the right person should be able to identify gaps, improve systems, support team operations, and help the organization scale smoothly.

• Manage full-cycle recruitment: job postings, sourcing, resume screening, interviews, offers, background/reference checks, and onboarding scheduling.
• Own onboarding/offboarding processes: new hire paperwork (I-9/W-9), employment agreements, NDAs, benefits enrollment, equipment provisioning, and exit processes.
• Process payroll for employees and 1099 contractors on biweekly/monthly schedules using payroll platforms such as Gusto, ADP, Rippling, or similar tools; prepare payroll reports and reconcile with accounting.
• Coordinate payroll tax withholding and filing with external accountants, PEOs, or payroll providers; maintain accurate payroll records.
• Administer benefits and leave programs, including medical, 401(k) where applicable, PTO/FMLA tracking, and coordination with benefits providers.
• Maintain accurate personnel files, attendance/PTO records, and HR documentation in compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Provide employee relations support, including conflict resolution, performance management, disciplinary actions, and coaching for managers.
• Develop and maintain employee handbook, HR policies, job descriptions, and standard operating procedures.
• Implement HR systems and automation, including HRIS, ATS, payroll integrations, workflows, templates, and documentation to support future scaling.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly HR metrics and reporting, including headcount, turnover, payroll costs, and time-to-fill.
• Partner with finance and legal to support compliance, audits, payroll accounting, expense-related processes, and cross-border communication with China-based legal and finance teams.
• Support broader team operations as needed, including internal process coordination, administrative support, PR/marketing coordination, and client reception or visit coordination.

• Bilingual in Mandarin and English REQUIRED 
• 2+ years of hands-on U.S. HR and payroll experience, ideally supporting a small to mid-sized or rapidly scaling company.
• Direct experience processing payroll and managing contractor vs. employee classification, including W-2 vs. 1099; familiarity with multi-state payroll compliance.
• Proficiency with payroll, HRIS, ATS, or accounting tools such as Gusto, ADP, Rippling, QuickBooks, Xero, or similar platforms; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills.
• Solid understanding of U.S. federal and state employment laws, wage and hour rules, I-9 and tax form compliance, and HR documentation requirements.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English; professional discretion in handling confidential data.
• Ability to work onsite 5 days per week in Pasadena, CA.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.

• Experience in media, short-form video, production, entertainment, creative, or related industries.
• Experience implementing HR systems, payroll workflows, ATS/HRIS tools, and HR processes from scratch.
• Basic bookkeeping knowledge or experience working closely with finance/accounting teams.
• Experience supporting a fast-growing team, ideally scaling toward 100+ employees within a year.
• Bilingual English/Mandarin communication skills are preferred, especially for collaboration with China-based legal, finance, or leadership teams.
• HR certification such as PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP is a plus.