Senior Payroll Director

The Amenity Collective is North America's leading provider of single-source solutions across the aquatics, fitness, and recreation industries. We deliver customized services-staffing, construction, design, consulting, and operations-to supercharge long-term success for clients and their aquatics, fitness, and recreation spaces.

The Amenity Collective is looking for a Senior Payroll Director to join our growing team and lead payroll operations across North America. The Senior Payroll Director is responsible for the strategic leadership, compliance, and execution of payroll operations across The Amenity Collective, including oversight of both U.S. and Canada payroll. This role ensures accurate and timely payroll processing for a complex, multi-entity and multi-jurisdictional workforce, while strengthening internal controls, standardizing processes, and driving operational excellence.

As Senior Payroll Director, you will operate both strategically and tactically-maintaining a strong working knowledge of day-to-day payroll operations through regular engagement with payroll processing to ensure informed leadership, identify gaps, and drive continuous improvement. The Senior Payroll Director serves as a subject matter expert in payroll tax and compliance, ensuring adherence to all applicable laws and regulations across jurisdictions.

The role will lead and develop the payroll team, foster cross-training and redundancy across critical functions, and partner closely with Operations, Finance, and People leaders to deliver a consistent, scalable, and high-quality payroll experience across all platforms. This role will also lead efforts to stabilize and optimize payroll operations, including the remediation of legacy processes and implementation of scalable solutions.

Key Responsibilities
Payroll Operations & Execution

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing across all entities in the U.S. and Canada, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of day-to-day payroll operations through regular engagement with payroll processing
• Manage multiple payroll cycles and pay structures, including salaried, hourly, piece-rate, commission, and bonus-based compensation
• Ensure payroll data integrity within Workday and related systems

Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as the internal subject matter expert on payroll tax and regulatory compliance across U.S. and Canada jurisdictions
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state/provincial, and local payroll regulations, including multi-state and cross-border requirements
• Establish and enforce payroll controls, including audit mechanisms, exception reporting, and approval workflows
• Maintain audit-ready processes and lead internal and external payroll audits
• Identify and mitigate payroll-related risks through strong controls and governance

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, develop, and mentor the payroll team to drive performance, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations
• Implement and maintain cross-training across team members to ensure operational continuity and reduce single points of failure
• Provide ongoing training and support on payroll processes, systems, and compliance requirements

Systems, Process Improvement & Reporting

• Own payroll systems (Workday, OneSource Virtual, Fountain Shift, etc.), including enhancements, upgrades, and process optimization
• Develop and standardize payroll policies, procedures, and SOPs across entities and geographies
• Analyze payroll data, metrics, and trends to inform decision-making and improve efficiency

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Finance, HR/People, and operational leaders to ensure alignment and seamless payroll integration
• Support organizational initiatives such as acquisitions, integrations, and process standardization across platforms
• Serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert for payroll-related inquiries and strategic initiatives

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead or support special projects, including M&A due diligence, system implementations or wind-downs, and integration efforts
• Perform other duties as needed to support the evolving needs of the business

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or related field
• 8+ years of progressive payroll experience, including 5+ years in a leadership role overseeing complex, multi-entity payroll operations
• Experience overseeing payroll operations in the U.S. and Canada, or demonstrated ability to quickly build expertise in cross-border payroll requirements
• Strong expertise in payroll tax, wage and hour laws, and compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions
• Experience managing complex payroll structures across multiple entities and employee types
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
• High level of discretion and ability to manage confidential information
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience processing payroll in Workday (minimum 3 years preferred)
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)
• Experience with Canadian payroll regulations, including provincial requirements
• Experience with a third-party payroll provider, such as OneSource Virtual (OSV)
• Experience supporting payroll due diligence in mergers and acquisitions

Benefits

By joining The Amenity Collective you will be part of a thriving culture grounded in Safety, Excellence, Passion, Boldness, and Partnership. We foster a fun, friendly, and professional environment dedicated to inspiring and creating happier, healthier moments each day. Additional benefits include:

• Growth & development opportunities
• Paid Time Off including paid vacation days, sick days, floating holidays, and company holidays
• Comprehensive health benefits package including access to medical, vision and dental coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• Ancillary benefits including short-term and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, critical illness, and accident insurance
• 401(k) benefits with a company match and access to financial wellness educational materials & resources

Compensation

The Sr Payroll Director position offers a base salary of $130,000-$150,000 per annum. The position is eligible for annual bonus opportunities on top of base salary.


Location

The Sr. Payroll Director position is an on-site position located at our corporate office in Owings Mills, MD OR Huntersville, NC. Hybrid working schedules are available.


Additional Information

This job description is intended to describe the general requirements for the position. It is not a complete statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Other duties not listed here may be assigned as necessary to ensure the proper operations of the department. The Amenity Collective is an equal opportunity employer. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Must have a legal right to work in the United States.