Payroll Director This is a unique opportunity for a payroll leader who thrives in both strategic and hands-on environments. The organization is scaling through acquisitions and organic growth, with a long-term vision of centralizing payroll operations across multiple companies and states into a best-in-class shared services model. The ideal candidate is an experienced payroll professional who can lead a team, drive process improvements, support acquisitions, standardize payroll operations, and personally step in when payroll execution requires hands-on leadership. Key Responsibilities Payroll Operations & Compliance - Direct and oversee payroll operations across multiple companies, entities, and states. - Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant payroll processing for all employees. - Maintain expertise in federal, state, and local payroll regulations. - Support complex payroll calculations, including commissions, incentive compensation, bonuses, piece-rate pay, overtime, and multi-frequency payroll schedules. - Establish and maintain strong payroll controls, audit processes, and compliance standards. Shared Services & Process Improvement - Lead the standardization of payroll practices across multiple operating companies. - Evaluate current payroll processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability. - Reduce manual processes through automation and process redesign. - Develop and implement payroll best practices, policies, procedures, and service standards. - Create a long-term roadmap for payroll shared services operations. Mergers, Acquisitions & System Integrations - Lead payroll integration activities related to acquisitions. - Manage payroll transitions from acquired company systems into the organization's payroll platform. - Coordinate payroll setup and compliance requirements for expansion into new states. - Partner with Accounting, HR, IT, and operational leaders to ensure successful integrations. - Support future payroll system enhancements, implementations, and platform transitions as needed. Systems & Reporting - Serve as the payroll subject matter expert for ADP and related payroll technologies. - Troubleshoot payroll system issues and partner with internal stakeholders to drive solutions. - Ensure proper payroll-to-general ledger mapping and interface accuracy. - Develop payroll reporting and analytics that support operational and executive decision-making. - Improve payroll data integrity and reporting capabilities across the organization. Leadership & Team Development - Lead, mentor, and develop a growing payroll team. - Foster a culture of accountability, accuracy, customer service, and continuous improvement. - Establish team structure and responsibilities to support future growth. - Partner closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, and operational leadership. Qualifications Required Experience - 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership responsibilities. - Experience leading multi-state payroll operations. - Experience supporting payroll across multiple entities, business units, or operating companies. - Strong hands-on payroll processing expertise. - Experience managing payroll in complex compensation environments, including commissions, incentives, bonuses, and other variable pay structures. - Demonstrated experience supporting mergers and acquisitions from a payroll perspective. - Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, wage and hour regulations, and payroll controls. - Experience leading payroll process improvement and standardization initiatives. - Advanced ADP experience, including configuration, troubleshooting, and administration. - Experience managing and developing payroll teams. Preferred Qualifications - Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation. - Experience supporting high-growth or acquisitive organizations. - Experience with payroll system conversions or implementations. - Knowledge of Workday Payroll or other enterprise payroll platforms. - Experience supporting payroll-related audits, wage and hour claims, or employment litigation matters. - Strong understanding of payroll general ledger interfaces and payroll accounting concepts. Success in This Role Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will: - Improve payroll consistency across multiple entities. - Establish stronger controls and reporting capabilities. - Reduce manual processes and inefficiencies. - Support acquisition-related payroll integrations. - Create a scalable payroll structure capable of supporting significant organizational growth. - Drive the standardization and simplification of payroll processes and pay codes. - Help position the payroll function as a strategic business partner to the organization. Why Join This Opportunity? - Highly visible leadership role with executive exposure. - Opportunity to build and transform a growing shared services payroll function. - Support a rapidly expanding organization with ambitious growth plans. - Influence payroll strategy, systems, processes, and team development. - Competitive compensation package including bonus eligibility and potential equity participation. - Significant opportunity for long-term career growth and impact. Compensation: $160,000 - $180,000 base salary + 20% bonus Work Arrangement: On-site Location: Brea, California