Payroll Lead

At Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, we know world‑renowned care begins with world‑class caring. That's why we combine advanced technologies and breakthrough discoveries with family‑centered care. It's why we provide our caregivers with continuing education and state‑of‑the‑art facilities, like the newly remodeled Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. And it's why we need caring, committed people on our team – like you. Join us on our mission to heal humanity, one child and family at a time. Job ID: P142624‑2639 Job Summary This paragraph summarizes the general nature, level and purpose of the job. The Payroll Lead provides advanced payroll processing expertise and functional leadership to ensure accurate, timely and compliant payroll operations within Stanford Medicine Children's Health. This role serves as a point of escalation for payroll issues and acts as a subject matter expert on federal, state and local payroll regulations. The Payroll Lead supports day‑to‑day payroll operations, mentors payroll staff, oversees audits and process improvements, and collaborates with HR, Finance, and department leaders to ensure efficient and compliant payroll processing. Essential Functions The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned. Employees must abide by all Joint Commission Requirements including but not limited to sensitivity to cultural diversity, patient care, patient rights and ethical treatment, safety and security of physical environments, emergency management, teamwork, respect for others, participation in ongoing education and training, communication and adherence to safety and quality programs, sustaining compliance with National Patient Safety Goals, and licensure and health screenings. Must perform all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the hospital's policies and procedures, including its Service Standards and its Code of Conduct. Payroll Operations & Processing Lead end‑to‑end payroll processing, including review, validation, and execution of complex payroll transactions to ensure accurate and timely pay. Serve as first point of escalation for payroll issues and inquiries. Subject matter expert on California wage and hour regulations calculating overtime calculations, premium pay, meal/rest break penalties, alternative workweek schedules, and final pay. Partner with HR, Finance, Compliance and Labor Relations to resolve escalated payroll issues, and support regulatory inquiries or investigations. Serve as functional lead for payroll and timekeeping systems by supporting configuration validation, user acceptance testing, system upgrades and troubleshooting payroll system issues. Respond to employee inquiries via phone/ASK Payroll Service Requests regarding pay, benefits, and taxes as they relate to their pay, how to enter time or time off, or direct employees to the proper resource. Lead annual escheat process including reporting for unclaimed property/payroll checks. Assume lead role in all pre‑defined year‑end processing tasks, including W‑2 and W‑2C processing. Document and update payroll procedures, job aids and processing checklists. Leadership & Oversight Provide daily functional oversight to payroll by assigning work, reviewing output for accuracy and mentoring team members on payroll processes and best practices. Act as backup to Payroll Operations Team for all payroll responsibilities during team member absences. Audit & Compliance Review and approve high‑risk payroll adjustments such as retroactive pay, manual checks, termination, union pay rule corrections and off‑cycle payroll requests. Lead payroll audits by performing pre and post payroll reconciliations and identifying discrepancies. Minimum Qualifications Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying. Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or related field from an accredited college or university. Experience: Four (4) years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience. Experience in California healthcare, union and strong knowledge of wage and hour laws and payroll tax requirements. License/Certification: None Knowledge These are the observable and measurable attributes and skills required to perform successfully the essential functions of the job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying experience, education or licensure/certification. Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive information. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, multi‑task and meet deadlines. Ability to work effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization. Intermediate Excel skills. Intermediate working knowledge of Workday or equivalent payroll processing software. Demonstrated expertise and technical knowledge of payroll practices, accounting principles, and federal/state payroll regulations. Self‑motivated, results oriented, and success driven. High degree of professionalism, integrity and judgement. Experience working under pressure, meeting aggressive deadlines and making effective and sound decisions. Skilled in defining problems, collecting data, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions. Skilled in interpreting an extensive variety of technical instructions and dealing with several abstract and concrete variables. Proven ability to lead, mentor, and train others. Physical Requirements The Physical Requirements and Working Conditions in which the job is typically performed are available from the Occupational Health Department. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Pay Range Compensation is based on the level and requirements of the role. Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, location, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Typically, new team members join at the minimum to mid salary range. Minimum to Midpoint Range (Hourly): $43.47 to $54.34 Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (SMCH) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non‑discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment. Accordingly, SMCH does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above. People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements, and where applicable, in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. #J-18808-Ljbffr Stanford Medicine Children's Health