Embedded Payroll Onboarding Lead

Embedded Payroll Onboarding Lead (Player-Coach)Remote (U.S.) | Full-timeAbout SalsaAt Salsa, we’re reimagining the future of payroll. We power the next generation of embedded payroll products which gives businesses better, modern tools to pay their workers. Salsa is an embedded payroll provider. This means that we provide the infrastructure that leading software platforms use to launch their own branded payroll products built directly inside their applications. Now the point of sale system at a restaurant, the scheduling and booking tool at a hair salon, or even the HR system your last company used can now all launch a modern payroll product built right in, using Salsa’s rails. These software platforms (our “partners”) need our help to learn how to operate and support their new payroll product, and that’s why we strive to handle the payroll complexity so our partners can focus on launching great products. We’re a high-growth startup with a highly experienced technology and payroll team backed by world-class investors. The RoleWe’re looking for a hands-on builder to stand up and lead our employer activation: working directly with employers and assisting them from signup until their first payroll run.You’ll be the go-to guide for new employers coming in through our embedded partners, helping them navigate onboarding questions to get to their first successful payroll run without issues. Most weeks, you’ll personally walk dozens of businesses through setup — on the phone, over Zoom, and in their inboxes — while you quietly turn the process into a clean, repeatable journey. Along the way, you’ll document every insight, shape the scripts, checklists, and tooling that become our playbook, and lay the groundwork for the team that will follow you. This is a true zero-to-one role for someone who thrives on motion, doesn’t wait around for direction, and gets real energy from turning skeptical, stressed business owners into confident, happy payroll users.What You’ll DoOwn each employer’s’s journey from sign-up to first successful payroll run — phone, text, email, Zoom, whatever it takes. Act as an extension of our partners’ brands: mirror their tone and language while clearly explaining how the integrated payroll product worksBuild creative outreach strategies to reach time-starved business owners, including off-hours contact and partner-driven campaigns, balancing persistence with professionalism.Motivate employers to complete setup, answer questions in plain language, and keep momentum through their first payroll — doing as much of the work for them as possible to reduce complexity. Handle sensitive conversations with anxious customers, de-escalating issues, and building trust in both the partner and the new payroll experience.Track every step of the onboarding funnel, test new ideas, and iterate quickly based on what you learn. Keep meticulous records so we can see where employers get stuck, measure conversion, and share clear insights with our partner and internal teams.Turn what works into repeatable playbooks, templates, and scripts that can scale to future partners and verticals.Choose and optimize the tools that make onboarding frictionless (CRM, Notion, Slack, Calendly, Zendesk, AI) — and recommend better ones when needed.After ~90 days, hire, train, and coach a small team of onboarding specialists — staying hands-on yourself while you scale the motion.Partner closely with Sales, Product, and Customer Success (both at Salsa and with our embedded partners) to share insights, smooth handoffs, and turn onboarding into a driver of growth and retention.Who You AreYou’ve built onboarding or activation systems before — ideally in SaaS, fintech, or payroll.You deliver exceptional support, build fast rapport with anxious or frustrated customers, and stay calm and professional at all times.You’re an optimistic problem-solver who iterates when businesses no-show or ghost you, testing new approaches instead of taking “no” as the final answer.Experience with payroll sales, onboarding, or support is important — you understand the stakes when someone’s paycheck is on the line.You’re comfortable in a B2B2B / embedded model and can act as an extension of a partner’s brand, mirroring their tone and language.You can own the work solo for your first 90 days and are energized by being “on the field,” not just managing from the sidelines.You think in systems, measure everything, and naturally translate messy workflows into clean, repeatable processes.You’re proactive, persistent, and genuinely enjoy working with small business owners.You move fast, communicate clearly, and love building from scratch.You’re fluent with modern tools and automation (CRM, project tools, AI) and learn new ones quickly.First 90 DaysRun the employer onboarding process end-to-end Shorten activation time, increase conversion, and document every step so we can see exactly what’s working.De-escalate sensitive situations with customers to create confident payroll users.Deliver a clear playbook, tooling setup, and hiring plan for scaling this motion across partners and verticals.After 90 DaysHire, train, and mentor your first onboarding specialists while staying partly hands-on with key accounts.Shift into true player-coach mode — coaching the team, refining the playbook, and continuing to test new ideas.Turn partner employer onboarding into a measurable growth and retention engine, with clear KPIs and reporting for Salsa and our embedded partners.Why SalsaYou’ll shape one of our most important growth levers — how we turn interest into impact. If you’re ready to build from zero, own outcomes, and move fast, we’d love to meet you. Ready to build the future of payroll?