Director, Payroll

Our client is a leading nationwide healthcare organization with a large, diverse workforce of approximately 55,000 employees across multiple states. The organization is seeking an experienced Director of Payroll to lead enterprise payroll operations and serve as the functional expert for Oracle Payroll. This highly visible leader will partner closely with HR, Finance, and IT to optimize system performance, strengthen payroll processes, and advance continuous improvement across the organization.

This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll leader who enjoys balancing operational excellence with systems optimization in a highly visible leadership role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide payroll operations across a complex, multi-state healthcare organization.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to two Payroll Managers and approximately 40 indirect team members.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple payroll cycles, legal employers, entities, and states.
• Serve as the payroll business leader for Oracle, with a strong understanding of payroll flows, calculations, processing, validation, and production support.
• Partner with Payroll, HR, Finance, HRIS, and IT to improve Oracle functionality and support the evolving needs of the payroll operation.
• Identify opportunities to improve, automate, and optimize payroll processes within Oracle.
• Lead ongoing Oracle Payroll activities, including payroll validation, production troubleshooting, testing, enhancements, and continuous improvement.
• Drive operational efficiencies, process standardization, and automation across the payroll function.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to improve payroll processes, reporting, controls, and system functionality.
• Support the transition of additional payroll functions back in-house as the organization continues to mature its Oracle environment.
• Develop payroll leaders and team members while creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Progressive payroll operations experience, including at least four to five years of hands-on Oracle Payroll experience.
• Direct experience personally processing payroll in Oracle within a production payroll environment.
• Strong understanding of Oracle payroll flows, calculations, payroll runs, validation, issue resolution, and production processes.
• Experience using Oracle Fusion Cloud Payroll, Oracle E-Business Suite Payroll, or Oracle R12 Payroll. Candidates with substantial hands-on Oracle EBS/R12 operational ownership will be considered.
• Experience identifying opportunities to improve, automate, or optimize Oracle within the payroll operation.
• Multi-state payroll experience supporting multiple legal employers, entities, or business units.
• Payroll leadership experience within a shared-services, multi-entity, or similarly complex operating environment.
• Strong Payroll Managers and Senior Payroll Managers who are prepared to step into a Director-level role are encouraged to apply; a previous Director title is not required.
• Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, controls, accounting, reconciliation, and day-to-day payroll operations.
• Ability to partner effectively with HR, Finance, HRIS, IT, and other business stakeholders.
• Authorization to work in the United States.
• Ability to work onsite in Brentwood, Tennessee, four days per week. Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Oracle Payroll implementation, post-go-live stabilization, or system optimization.
• Experience with Oracle HCM.
• Experience supporting payroll process automation, operational transformation, or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience leading payroll teams through organizational or system-related change.
• Healthcare or another highly regulated industry background is helpful but not required.