Director of Payroll | Columbia Hospitality

The Director of Payroll is responsible for providing strategic leadership, governance, and operational oversight of payroll administration across Columbia Hospitality's portfolio of hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf clubs, residential communities, and other managed properties. This role ensures the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll for team members across multiple states and jurisdictions while supporting the organization's continued growth and operational complexity.

The Director of Payroll serves as the company's subject matter expert on payroll compliance, wage and hour laws, payroll taxation, tip and service charge administration, garnishments, and payroll system governance. This leader develops and executes payroll strategies that improve efficiency, scalability, compliance, and team member experience while leading a high-performing payroll team and managing multiple payroll platforms and integrations.

This position partners closely with Finance, Accounting, People & Culture, Property Leadership, Benefits, HRIS, and external vendors to ensure payroll operations support organizational objectives while maintaining compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.

Let's start off with the most important part - what's in it for you:

The Perks

*Eligibility of perks is dependent upon job status

• Pay Range: $120,000 to $140,000 DOE
• Commuter/Parking Allowance
• Get Paid Daily (Make any day payday)
• Paid Time off & Holiday Pay (Because Balance Matters)
• Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, 401K
• HSA/FSA Plans -with employer contribution
• Values Based Culture (#OMGLIFE)
• Culture Add (Creating Space for Fresh Perspectives)
• Referral Bonus (Get Paid to Recruit)
• Discounted Lodging, Dining, Spa, Golf, and Retail (Yes, Discounted Travel!)
• Employee Assistance Program
• "Columbia Cares" Volunteer Opportunities
• Committee Participation Opportunities (Fun, Philanthropic, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion)
• Task Force Work Opportunities (Grow your career in idyllic locations across the globe)
• Online Learning Platform to Help You Grow!
• Third Party Perks (Including discounts on Pet Insurance, Rental Cars, Movie and Concert Tickets, Theme Park and Attractions & so much more)

Your Impact:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the company's payroll strategy to support a growing portfolio of properties operating across multiple states.
• Establish scalable payroll processes, controls, and governance practices that support operational growth and changing regulatory requirements.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on automation, standardization, system optimization, and enhanced team member experience.
• Provide strategic guidance to executive leadership regarding payroll risks, compliance trends, legislative developments, and operational efficiencies.
• Develop payroll metrics, dashboards, and reporting to measure accuracy, timeliness, compliance, and service performance.

Payroll Operations

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing for exempt, non-exempt, tipped, seasonal, and salaried team members across multiple entities and locations.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll, payroll taxes, year-end reporting, W-2s, corrections, and off-cycle payments.
• Establish and maintain payroll controls to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and compliance.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting to ensure payroll-related reconciliations, accruals, labor reporting, and general ledger integrations are accurate and timely.
• Develop standardized operating procedures across all payroll functions.

Process Improvement & Transformation

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across all payroll functions.
• Evaluate existing payroll processes to identify opportunities for automation, standardization, improved controls, and increased efficiency.
• Transform payroll operations from a reactive processing function into a proactive strategic business partner.
• Identify and eliminate manual processes that create risk, inefficiency, or unnecessary administrative burden.
• Develop sustainable solutions to recurring payroll issues through root cause analysis and process redesign.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives that improve service levels, compliance, productivity, and team member satisfaction.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as the organization's payroll compliance expert and ensure adherence to all applicable federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations.
• Monitor legislative changes affecting payroll administration, wage and hour compliance, minimum wage requirements, paid leave programs, tax regulations, overtime rules, tip credits, service charges, and other payroll-related obligations.
• Ensure compliance with payroll requirements in multiple states and jurisdictions.
• Conduct audits to ensure wage & hour laws are being followed (meal breaks, rest breaks, etc.)
• Lead internal and external payroll audits and coordinate responses to government agencies, tax authorities, and regulatory organizations.
• Partner with People & Culture and Senior Leadership to address wage and hour matters, employee classifications, payroll disputes, and compliance investigations.
• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and controls designed to minimize organizational risk.

Payroll Systems & Technology

• Provide strategic oversight and/or support for multiple payroll platforms, payroll vendors, timekeeping systems, and HRIS integrations.
• Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, conversions, testing, and process enhancements.
• Provide strategic oversight of payroll systems and regulatory infrastructure, ensuring proper state tax and workers' compensation registrations are established and maintained across all jurisdictions while governing payroll-related system changes through cross-functional collaboration, testing, risk assessment, and implementation controls.
• Evaluate emerging payroll technologies and recommend solutions that improve efficiency, compliance, accuracy, and scalability.
• Ensure proper system configuration, security controls, user access protocols, and audit capabilities.
• Partner with HRIS, IT, and external vendors to maintain seamless integrations between payroll, benefits, timekeeping, scheduling, and financial systems.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, develop, and mentor payroll team members to ensure high performance, accountability, and professional growth.
• Establish service standards and performance expectations across the payroll function.
• Build organizational payroll expertise through training, documentation, cross-training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, responsiveness, collaboration, and customer service.
• Manage departmental staffing, workload prioritization, and resource planning.
• Train new managers and property leaders on payroll systems, processes, and policies.

Business Partnership

• Partner with property leaders to ensure payroll practices align with company policies and applicable legal requirements.
• Collaborate with People & Culture regarding new state registrations, acquisitions, management agreements, property openings, transitions, and organizational changes.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to finance and operational leaders regarding payroll costs, labor reporting, compliance risks, and workforce management strategies.
• Support due diligence and integration efforts related to acquisitions, management transitions, and new business opportunities.
• Support audits related to 401k, benefits, workers compensation, employee relations, etc.
• Perform monthly reviews and audits of Columbia Hospitality invoices, ensuring billing accuracy and disputing discrepancies or incorrect charges as needed.
• Review and manage all payroll-related inquiries, notices, and audits from the IRS, state agencies, and other regulatory authorities; determine appropriate resolution paths, coordinate escalations with Dayforce as necessary, create and monitor vendor support cases, and drive timely resolution through effective follow-up and vendor relationship management.

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading payroll functions in a multi-state environment.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience managing payroll teams.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing large-scale payroll operations across multiple locations, entities, or properties.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, including wage and hour laws.
• Experience managing multiple payroll, timekeeping, and HRIS platforms.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, payroll tax administration, garnishments, and audit practices.
• Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and process improvement skills.
• Strong communication and leadership capabilities with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Preferred

• Two or more years of Dayforce experience
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) designation.
• Hospitality, multi-unit, restaurant, retail, healthcare, or other geographically dispersed workforce experience.
• Experience supporting complex payroll populations including tipped employees, seasonal employees, union employees, and multiple legal entities.
• Experience leading payroll system implementations and large-scale process transformations.

Don't meet every single requirement? At Columbia Hospitality we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles.