Position Title: Senior Director, Payroll Transformation
Location: Chevy Chase, MD - Hybrid, three days per week on-site
Assignment Type: Permanent Hire
Compensation: $170,000-$230,000 annually
Benefits: This position is eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k).
We are seeking a forward-thinking Senior Director, Payroll Transformation ( Director of Payroll)
, Payroll Transformation to lead a major payroll transformation initiative centered on process redesign
, Workday Payroll optimization, automation, and AI-enabled improvements.This is
NOT a traditional payroll maintenance role. The organization needs a strategic leader who can evaluate the current environment, challenge legacy processes, lead the Workday migration, reduce manual work, and build a modern, scalable payroll operating model.
The Senior Director will oversee payroll supporting approximately 2,500 employees across 30 states while leading transformation across people, processes, systems, and co
Required Qualifications - Demonstrated experience redesigning or transforming a payroll function.
- Experience leading or playing a significant leadership role in a Workday Payroll migration or implementation.
- Workday Payroll expertise beyond the end-user level, including configuration, testing, integrations, workflows, reporting, or production changes.
- Experience modernizing manual or outdated payroll processes.
- Strong understanding of payroll automation, AI-enabled process improvement, and emerging payroll technology.
- Multi-state payroll leadership experience within a complex organization.
- Experience establishing payroll controls, governance, policies, and documentation.
- Proven change-management and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
- Strong executive presence with the ability to influence and communicate effectively with C-level executives and other senior leaders.
- Ability to translate complex payroll and systems issues into clear business risks and recommendations.
Key Responsibilities - Lead the redesign and transformation of the organization's payroll function.
- Direct the Workday Payroll migration, including process mapping, data validation, testing, configuration review, implementation, and stabilization.
- Evaluate the current payroll environment and develop a comprehensive transformation roadmap.
- Redesign payroll workflows to improve accuracy, efficiency, scalability, and internal controls.
- Optimize Workday Payroll functionality, configuration, reporting, workflows, and automation.
- Reduce reliance on spreadsheets, manual processes, and individual institutional knowledge.
- Identify practical opportunities to apply AI and automation within payroll operations.
- Lead organizational change management and build stakeholder support for new technology and processes.
- Establish scalable payroll policies, controls, documentation, and standard operating procedures.
- Oversee payroll operations for approximately 2,500 employees across 30 states.
- Ensure compliance with multi-state payroll, payroll tax, wage and hour, foreign-national, and visa-related requirements.
- Improve payroll reporting, analytics, and executive-level visibility.
- Partner with Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Benefits, IT, and operational leadership.
- Communicate payroll strategy, risks, project progress, and recommendations to C-level executives.
- Lead and develop the payroll team while maintaining operational accountability.
- Establish performance metrics and drive continuous improvement following the Workday implementation.
