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Director of Payroll
Reports To: Vice President of Finance
Direct Reports: Payroll Manager, Payroll Admin
Role Type: Operational & Strategic Leadership (100% Hands-On "Player-Coach")
Salary: $150,000 - 170,000
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Payroll provides strategic leadership and complete operational ownership of the organization’s end-to-end payroll function. Managing a weekly payroll for 2,000 to 2,500 active checks (across an active workforce of ~3,000 employees—predominantly hourly with ~150 salaried/admin), this role requires a deeply technical, hands-on leader who can execute any task on the team while driving system integrations, project management, and M&A stand-ups.
The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in Workday and ADP Smart Compliance, holds full accountability for 401(k) administration and tax compliance (NYS-45, 941, SUI) without a dedicated tax manager, and thrives in rolling up their sleeves to configure systems, write deduction rules, and build payroll operations from scratch.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Operational Payroll Execution & System Configuration
- Direct and execute weekly high-volume payroll processing for ~2,000+ hourly and ~150 salaried employees.
- Act as primary administrator for Workday and ADP Smart Compliance; configure foundation rules, build payroll groups, and create earnings/deduction codes from scratch.
- Perform advanced data reconciliation and reporting using Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs).
- Troubleshoot and resolve technical system errors, data flow issues, and operational bottlenecks.
2. Systems, Integrations & M&A Expansion
- Serve as technical lead for system integrations and data mappings between Workday and third-party vendor applications.
- Stand up full payroll operations from scratch for newly acquired entities, business units, or geographic regions.
- Plan, lead, and execute payroll technology projects, system upgrades, and process automation.
3. Tax, FLSA Compliance & Year-End Close
- Hold full, end-to-end operational responsibility for payroll tax administration (no dedicated internal Tax Manager).
- Personally oversee and execute federal, state, and local tax filings, including Form 941, NYS-45, and State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) filings.
- Direct year-end operations, including manual W-2 reconciliations, tax audits, and compliance reporting.
- Ensure strict adherence to FLSA regulations, meal/rest break laws, overtime rules, garnishments, and court-ordered deductions across a complex hourly workforce.
4. 401(k) & Benefits Administration (Soup-to-Nuts)
- Manage all aspects of retirement plan payroll processes: census file creation/transmission, contribution calculations, match processing, and loan garnishments.
- Lead annual 401(k) compliance activities, including audit support, data collection, and preparation/review for Form 5500 filings.
5. Leadership & Team Management
- Supervise, mentor, and develop two direct reports (Payroll Manager and Payroll Admin), establishing operational accountability and performance standards.
- Maintain cross-functional alignment with HR, Benefits, and Finance/Accounting for journal entries, labor allocations, and accruals.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS
- Experience: 7+ years of progressive payroll management experience handling complex, high-volume weekly payrolls (2,000+ checks) with a high concentration of hourly workers.
- Systems Expertise (MUST-HAVE): Direct hands-on experience using Workday (building payroll groups, creating deduction/earning codes) and ADP Smart Compliance.
- Technical & Data Skills: Advanced Excel proficiency required (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, data manipulation, and audits).
- Tax Expertise: Hands-on mastery of federal/state tax mechanics, specifically Form 941, NYS-45, and SUI filings without third-party tax management.
- 401(k) Ownership: Demonstrated track record managing 401(k) census data, contributions, and Form 5500 compliance from end to end.
- M&A / Integration Capability: Proven ability to build payroll systems from scratch, establish integrations, and onboard acquired entities.
- Education / Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field preferred; Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation is a plus.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Player-Coach Mentality: Unafraid to roll up sleeves to run processing, calculate manual adjustments, or trace technical system errors alongside the team.
- Technical Problem Solving: Ability to diagnose root-cause technical issues between Workday and integrated systems.
- Project Management: Structured approach to scoping, planning, and executing system builds and operational changes.
- Scrupulous Accuracy: Flawless execution in W-2 reconciliations, wage calculations, and compliance filings.
CORPWKD
If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!