JOB SUMMARYPosition Purpose SummaryThe Director of Payroll provides strategic leadership, governance, and oversight for all payroll operations across the organization, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for U.S. employees. This position is responsible for establishing payroll strategy, leading payroll operations, ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining effective internal controls, managing vendor relationships, and driving continuous process improvement.
The Director serves as the enterprise payroll subject matter expert and partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Internal Audit, Information Technology, and external service providers to ensure payroll operations support organizational goals. The role is accountable for payroll compliance, SOX controls, tax reporting, payroll system optimization, audit readiness, and payroll service delivery excellence.
The Director leads a team of payroll professionals and is responsible for developing talent, establishing departmental priorities, and ensuring a customer-focused payroll function that delivers operational excellence while maintaining compliance with all federal, state, local, provincial, and regulatory requirements.
KEY TASKS / RESPONSIBILITIESStrategic Leadership- Develops and executes the organization's payroll strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and workforce needs.
- Establishes short- and long-term payroll operational goals, service level expectations, and performance metrics.
- Provides strategic guidance to executive leadership regarding payroll trends, regulatory changes, compliance risks, and operational improvements.
- Leads the evaluation, selection, implementation, and optimization of payroll technologies and service delivery models.
- Identifies opportunities to automate processes, improve controls, reduce risk, and enhance the employee experience.
Payroll Operations Management- Directs all payroll operations for U.S. and Canadian employees, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing.
- Oversees complex payroll transactions including executive compensation, incentive payments, commissions, relocation benefits, equity transactions, expatriate payments, tax adjustments, and severance payments.
- Ensures payroll processing activities are conducted efficiently and in compliance with company policies and applicable laws.
- Establishes payroll procedures, controls, and service standards to support operational excellence.
- Serves as the final point of escalation for complex payroll issues and exception processing.
Compliance, Controls & Risk Management- Maintains ownership of payroll compliance programs including wage and hour requirements, payroll tax regulations, garnishments, withholding obligations, record retention, and reporting requirements.
- Ensures compliance with all SOX controls, audit requirements, and internal control standards.
- Directs preparation and support for internal audits, external audits, tax audits, and regulatory reviews.
- Monitors legislative and regulatory developments and ensures timely implementation of required changes.
- Establishes and maintains payroll governance practices that minimize operational and compliance risk.
Vendor & Technology Management- Provides executive oversight of outsourced payroll vendors and service providers.
- Establishes vendor performance standards, service level agreements, and operational expectations.
- Leads vendor governance meetings and performance reviews.
- Oversees payroll system enhancements, integrations, upgrades, testing, and implementation activities.
- Partners with HRIS, IT, and Finance teams to optimize payroll-related technologies and reporting capabilities.
Financial & Tax Administration- Ensures accurate payroll accounting, reconciliations, accruals, funding activities, and financial reporting.
- Partners with Finance and Accounting to support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities.
- Oversees payroll tax compliance, filings, reconciliations, amendments, and reporting.
- Directs annual payroll reporting processes including Forms W-2, T4, and other required federal, state, local, and provincial reporting.
- Supports budgeting and forecasting activities related to payroll operations and personnel expenses.
Team Leadership & Development- Leads, develops, and mentors payroll management and payroll operations teams.
- Establishes performance expectations and accountability measures for payroll staff.
- Creates a culture focused on accuracy, service excellence, compliance, and continuous improvement.
- Drives employee engagement, succession planning, talent development, and organizational capability building within the payroll function.
- Builds strong cross-functional relationships to support enterprise initiatives and organizational effectiveness.
Process Improvement & Customer Experience- Champions continuous improvement initiatives designed to improve efficiency, scalability, compliance, and employee satisfaction.
- Develops and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, and service metrics.
- Ensures timely resolution of employee payroll inquiries and escalations.
- Identifies emerging risks and proactively implements solutions to enhance payroll operations.
POSITION SCOPE / IMPACTSpan of Control- Leads a payroll organization consisting of managers, payroll professionals, analysts, and/or outsourced vendor resources.
- Responsible for enterprise-wide payroll operations supporting multiple business units and geographic locations.
Decision Making / Autonomy- Exercises significant independent judgment in matters relating to payroll operations, compliance, tax administration, technology, staffing, and process improvement.
- Makes decisions that have substantial financial, compliance, operational, and employee relations implications.
Financial Authority- Develops and manages payroll departmental budgets.
- Influences enterprise payroll technology investments and vendor expenditures.
- Responsible for payroll-related financial controls and operational expenditures.
Problem Complexity- Handles highly complex payroll, compliance, tax, audit, and operational issues requiring advanced analysis, interpretation of regulations, and coordination across multiple functions.
Influencing / People Leadership- Influences senior leaders and executives regarding compliance requirements, process improvements, risk mitigation strategies, system investments, and organizational priorities.
- Builds alignment across HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Internal Audit, and external partners.
- Represents the payroll function in executive and cross-functional leadership forums.
