Director of Payroll and Benefits

AppleOne has partnered with a company in Irvine needing an experienced Director of Payroll & Benefits who will manage payroll, benefits, leave administration, workers’ compensation coordination, and retirement programs for a workforce of approximately 1,500 employees across multiple states. Payroll Leadership & Operations Establish and maintain robust payroll controls such as approvals, reconciliations, segregation of duties, audit trails, error prevention, and SOPs. Manage payroll governance including wage/hour compliance, OT rules, final pay timing, garnishments, tax withholding, W-2/1095 reporting, record retention, and multi‑state taxation. Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, GL mapping, accruals (bonus, PTO, benefits), funding, and monthly/quarterly reconciliations. Drive process improvement initiatives to increase accuracy, reduce cycle time, and improve employee experience (self‑service adoption, ticketing workflows, SOPs). Benefits, Leaves, Retirement Administration & Workers Compensation Own benefit plan administration across medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, retirement/401(k) and leave programs. Lead annual benefits renewal and open enrollment planning, execution and benefits compliance. Manage leave of absence (LOA) administration. Manage workers’ compensation coordination, including payroll reporting, vendor coordination, claims support, and audit requests. Systems, Vendor Management & Data Governance Own and optimize payroll, timekeeping, and benefits processes within ADP Workforce Manager, including configuration, audits, integrations, and enhancements. Manage vendor relationships including payroll provider, benefits carriers, brokers/consultants, and third‑party administrators; negotiate contracts and service levels, monitor performance, and drive issue resolution. Maintain data integrity across HRIS, payroll, timekeeping and benefits systems: audit routines, integration monitoring, change control, and security permissions. Build dashboards and reporting for leadership (payroll accuracy, cycle metrics, benefits utilization, costs, trends, employee inquiries, audit findings). Compliance, Audit & Risk Management Lead payroll, benefits, LOA, and retirement audits, year‑end processes, compliance testing and ensure payroll continuity and coverage. Maintain compliance calendars, policies, SOPs, and documentation aligned with regulatory and company requirements proactively identifying any risk. Drive a service‑oriented, solutions‑focused team culture with high accountability, continuous improvement and strong employee experience. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required. Experience: 8–12+ years progressive leadership experience in payroll and benefits administration, including multi‑state payroll compliance. Demonstrated experience supporting high‑volume (1,000+ employees), multi‑location, and hourly workforce environments. Advanced, hands‑on experience with ADP Workforce Manager or comparable enterprise payroll platforms and benefits administration systems; intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Payroll certifications such as CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) and/or HR/benefits certifications (e.g., SHRM/PHR) are a plus. Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans. The Know Your Rights poster is available here: The pay transparency policy is available here: Excel formattedESQA508c.pdf Learn more about the E‑Verify program: We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment‑qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team. AppleOne participates in the E‑Verify program in certain locations as required by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr AppleOne Employment Services