Sr. Payroll, Benefits & Equity Specialist

Compensation: $131,000 - $148,000 / year Location: Hawthorne, California Department: People Operations Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world‑class team. This position plays a critical role in ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance with California wage and hour laws, and a positive employee experience. The ideal candidate thrives in a high‑growth environment, maintains exceptional attention to detail, and enjoys improving processes and systems across People Operations. What You'll Do Payroll Administration Own end-to-end processing of biweekly multi-state payroll through Insperity, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance Calculate and coordinate final pay for California terminations in compliance with state wage and hour laws Process employee changes including compensation updates, promotions, transfers, leaves of absence, and terminations Conduct payroll audits and reconciliations to ensure accurate employee pay data, deductions, and tax reporting Resolve payroll discrepancies and partner with employees and managers on payroll-related questions Benefits Administration Administer employee benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), FSA/HSA, COBRA, and leave-related benefits Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefits support and vendor coordination Manage benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, and open enrollment activities Ensure benefit-related records and documentation remain accurate and compliant Equity Compensation Administration Own day‑to‑day administration of the company’s equity compensation program in partnership with the Head of People & Culture Manage equity transactions including stock option grants, exercises, vesting schedules, RSU activity, and employee terminations via Carta Create, maintain, and audit equity administration records, trackers, and electronic filing systems Prepare and route equity documentation and approval workflows in a timely and accurate manner Partner closely with Accounting, Finance, Legal, and external equity vendors to ensure compliance and reporting accuracy Help ensure equity administration processes comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations Systems & Process Improvement Maintain data integrity across HRIS for payroll, benefits, and equity administration systems Support reporting and audits related to payroll, benefits, and equity administration What You'll Bring 4+ years of recent experience in payroll and benefits administration Direct experience administering employee equity compensation programs, including stock options and/or RSUs (highly preferred) Strong knowledge of California wage and hour laws and payroll compliance requirements Experience with HRIS/payroll systems such as Insperity, ADP, Rippling, Paylocity, or similar platforms Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential information Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving skills Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work cross‑functionally across Finance, Legal, Accounting, and People teams Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment with shifting priorities Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, engineering, or high‑growth technology companies (preferred, not required) CPP certification or related payroll certification is a plus Benefits and Perks Join a team of best‑in‑class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration Equity ownership in the company Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support 401(k) plan with company match Flexible PTO and parental leave Home office set up reimbursement Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on‑site Once a month social hour on‑site with food and drinks #J-18808-Ljbffr Astrolab