HR Business Partner (UKG, M&A)

The Director of HRIS & Payroll owns the organization’s HCM/HRIS system, UKG, end-to-end and is accountable for accurate, timely, and compliant payroll execution across a multi-entity, multi-state portfolio. The Director is the lead UKG practitioner — designing system configuration and architecture, building SOPs, deploying new modules, optimizing existing ones through workflow automation, producing reports and dashboards, and serving as the escalation point for manager-level help-desk questions. The Director also serves as the source of truth on UKG and payroll best practices for downstream HR partners, producing the SOPs, training materials, and process documentation the broader HR team relies on. This role is the primary owner of payroll: hands-on directly for the first six months, then transitioning transactional execution to offshore payroll specialists while retaining ultimate accountability and final sign-off authority on every pay cycle. Given the organization’s acquisition pace, the Director maintains a clean, auditable, and scalable UKG environment that absorbs newly integrated operating companies without configuration sprawl. The role partners cross-functionally with HR, Finance, IT, Legal, and M&A leadership. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES HCM/HRIS Ownership — UKG Strategy & Architecture Serve as system owner for UKG Pro (HCM, Payroll) and UKG Pro Workforce Management (timekeeping and scheduling) Lead enterprise configuration strategy across earnings codes, pay rules, org structure, security roles, workflows, and integrations Design and deploy new modules; manage platform releases, SOPs, training materials, and the UKG help-desk escalation function Define and execute the 12-month UKG roadmap balancing optimization, new module deployment, and acquisition integration Payroll Execution & Team Leadership Personally execute multi-state, multi-entity bi-weekly payroll for the first six months; transition execution to payroll specialists over a structured 90-day plan while retaining final sign-off authority Onboard, manage, and oversee the offshore payroll team; design control structure, KPIs, and escalation thresholds Manage payroll tax accounts and ensure timely federal, state, and local filings Multi-State Compliance & Payroll Tax Ensure compliance across 40 active states Oversee quarterly and year-end processing and lead internal and external audits Build proactive compliance monitoring within UKG Reporting & Data Integrity Build and maintain UKG Pro BI dashboards covering payroll accuracy, compliance status, integration health, and headcount Deliver reporting to HR, Finance, and business operations, including operator-level visibility into their own metrics Acquisition Integration & Scalability Lead UKG onboarding for each acquired operating company; ensure clean data migration and correct HR/payroll setup Design configuration patterns that scale to 10–15 acquisitions per year without creating system sprawl EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE 5+ years of direct, hands-on UKG Pro and Workforce Management experience (configuration, administration, integrations, and BI reporting) — must-have prerequisite for this role 10+ years of progressive payroll and HRIS experience Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems, or related field required Proven experience operating in multi-state, multi-entity environments Experience in high-growth and/or acquisition-driven organizations, regularly onboarding and integrating large numbers of new employees SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE Multi-state payroll tax compliance fluency, including SUI, SIT, local taxes, garnishments, multi-state withholding, reciprocity, and ACA Comfort with hands-on payroll execution — someone who runs cycles personally, not just oversees others running them Strong process and SOP discipline; able to produce documentation that an offshore team can execute against without supervision Working knowledge of worker classification standards (ABC test, IRS common-law test, multi-state implications) Direct, clear communication with executives, business partners, and frontline payroll staff Comfort with ambiguity and rapid change in an acquisition-driven environment High integrity and discretion when handling sensitive employee and financial data PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience leading UKG implementations, transformations, or major module builds Experience managing offshore or distributed payroll teams Experience in private equity-backed, roll-up, or acquisition-driven environments, including integrating acquired companies’ payroll and HR data into UKG Experience supporting seasonal and 1099-heavy workforce populations CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent certification ABOUT THE COMPANY This organization is a fast-growing portfolio company that owns and operates a collection of businesses across 40 states in the United States. Intentionally multi-brand and multi-location, each business maintains its own identity and local market focus supported by centralized operational leadership, technology, HR, finance, marketing, and other shared services. The organization completes several acquisitions per year. #J-18808-Ljbffr livingHR, Inc.