Lead, Payroll & Compliance

Role: Lead - Payroll and Statutory Compliance Location: IBC Knowledge Park, Bengaluru Reporting to: Lead - Talent Operations Team name: People Operations and People Strategy (POPS)

About the Team and the Role The People Operations and People Strategy (POPS) team at Ather is responsible for managing the end-to-end employee lifecycle, ensuring operational excellence, and maintaining the highest standards of data integrity and statutory adherence across all Indian entities. This role is for a critical lead responsible for ensuring 100% accuracy and timely disbursement of India payroll. The position moves beyond routine execution to proactively identify systemic input gaps, drive high-impact automation projects, and maintain strict compliance with central and state labor laws while serving as a key partner in financial audits.

Responsibilities ● Execute the full monthly payroll cycle, including accurate calculations for salaries, reimbursements, and final settlements. ● Implement stringent internal controls and reconciliation checks on input data like variable payouts, benefits, and statutory deductions. ● Partner with HR teams to eliminate input errors at the source, focusing on sabbatical statuses, food allowances, and ESOP reporting. ● Process full and final settlements for departing employees within mandated two-day payment windows as per state laws. ● Generate monthly reports on payroll variances, cost center allocations, and ledger postings to support financial automation. ● Manage mandatory compliance for central and state labor regulations, including EPF, ESIC, Professional Tax, and LWF. ● Oversee operational execution of ESOP grant cycles, including vesting, exercising, and accurate payout reporting. ● Drive strategic automation initiatives, such as Salary JV automation and integrated systems for overtime and holiday working.

Experience and Qualifications ● 8-10 years of dedicated experience in India Payroll processing and Statutory Compliance management.

Must Have Competencies ● Comprehensive management of end-to-end India payroll processing and complex final settlement (F&F) workflows. ● Deep knowledge of Indian labor laws including EPF, ESIC, Gratuity, Bonus, and state-specific Shops & Establishment Acts. ● Execution of complex compensation operations including ESOP vesting, exercising, and regulatory reporting. ● Application of internal controls and data reconciliation techniques to ensure payroll data integrity and audit readiness. Good to Have Competencies ● Utilization of DarwinBox or similar enterprise payroll software for scalable payroll operations. ● Development and enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for high-risk payroll and statutory processes. ● Implementation of process automation projects such as Salary JV automation and integrated attendance systems. ● Advanced data manipulation and reporting using Excel for complex financial reconciliations and cost center allocations.

Want to know more? At Ather, we’ve built India’s first intelligent scooter, from scratch. Based on the philosophy of clean design and smart technology, we are transforming the urban commute experience. We are expanding in India, and in the coming years, we look forward to scaling up and launching more products globally. Today, our product offerings include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, and Rizta. Beyond the product, we are also setting up an extensive charging network and re-imagining end-to-end ownership experience. To know more, check out our Careers site and our Substack.

Be You, With Us The Ather story doesn't write itself - our people do. We believe everyone is equal, but not the same. Diversity is our strength, and building an inclusive and equitable workplace begins with acknowledging and embracing our differences. We are an equal opportunity employer, and our team reflects a wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives - all united by a shared passion to shape the Ather journey.