Director, Payroll

Job Summary:

The Director of Payroll oversees daily operations and leads the strategic transformation of payroll processes to support rapid organizational growth. The role is responsible for the design, implementation, and governance of full-cycle payroll, including complex certified payroll and prevailing wage reporting. By developing forward-looking procedures, the Director ensures continuous improvement in accuracy and efficiency while maintaining strict alignment with company financial objectives. Additionally, the position guarantees total compliance with internal policies, employment taxes, and all applicable state and federal labor laws through robust internal controls.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish and execute department strategy and goals in alignment with senior leadership and organizational objectives.

• • Lead project activities and system implementations, collaborating with IT, HR, and Legal to drive value through process streamlining and automation.

• • Identify and recommend technology solutions and system upgrades to enhance payroll operations and meet strategic needs.

• • Serve as the subject matter expert for the payroll system platform, certified payroll, and labor compliance.

• • Direct full-cycle payroll processing to ensure accurate and timely payments in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, as well as Collective Bargaining Agreements.

• • Maintain and update payroll guidelines, policies, and procedures to reflect current legislative requirements and company standards.

• • Oversee tax reconciliation and reporting, including the timely filing of returns, W-2 issuance, and the accurate payment of deductions and benefits.

• • Manage garnishments, tax withholdings, and pay integrations with state agencies.

• • Develop and oversee internal controls to ensure data security, confidentiality of employee information, and accurate financial reconciliations.

• • Function as the primary contact for audits, overseeing internal, state, and federal reviews and managing any necessary corrective action plans.

• • Monitor and report on key performance metrics and accuracy targets to ensure operational excellence.

• • Develop strong working relationships with internal and external partners to facilitate change initiatives and drive buy-in across the organization.

• • Partner with Finance and Legal to research reconciling items and ensure accounting records are accurate and balanced.

Position Requirements (Work Experience, Skills, Licenses, etc.):

• • Extensive knowledge of full-cycle in-house payroll management, multi-state/multi-site operations, and labor legislation.

• • Expert understanding of State and Federal prevailing wage, certified payroll reporting, and project labor compliance.

• • Fundamental knowledge of accounting (General Ledger/accruals) and extensive experience in compensation, benefit management, and job analysis.

• • Highly proficient in utilizing HRIS for program administration, with advanced skills in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace.

• • A big-picture thinker capable of formulating concepts to improve processing efficiency and executing tactical plans to meet organizational goals.

• • Decisive leader who thrives in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments while maintaining a creative and flexible perspective under pressure.

• • Ability to collaborate across the organization to drive consensus, improve workflows, and integrate resources in a timely manner.

• • Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present formally and listen effectively to determine appropriate courses of action.

• • High degree of professionalism and emotional intelligence when dealing with sensitive information, Union representation, and government agencies.

• • Proven ability to foster trusting, long-term business relationships with both internal and external stakeholders through exceptional customer service.

• • Strong commitment to organizational values, high ethical standards, and proactive support for diversity and inclusion.

Education and Experience :

Required :

• • Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or Accounting

• • 8 years supervisory/management experience

• • 10 years Payroll operations experience, including experience with Union Payroll