Director, HRIS and Payroll Operations

Position Summary

NeighborHealth is seeking an experienced Director of HRIS and Payroll Operations to lead the strategy, governance, and day-to-day performance of Workday, payroll operations, and HRIS-enabled benefits administration.

Responsibilities

• Own the enterprise HR technology strategy, roadmap, governance model, and service delivery standards, with Workday as the system of record for human capital data and core HR operations
• Lead, develop, and hold accountable the HRIS, payroll, and related operations teams; establish clear roles, service-level expectations, performance measures, and succession plans
• Partner with executive and functional leaders to translate organizational priorities into scalable Workday solutions, balancing user experience, operational efficiency, risk, cost, and long-term maintainability
• Establish governance for Workday configuration, security, data standards, business processes, integrations, reporting, release management, and production support
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, statements of work, and consulting resources; monitor service quality, project delivery, spend, and return on investment
• Partners closely with the CHRO, Finance, Information Technology, Benefits, Compensation, Talent Acquisition, and operational leaders to deliver reliable services, strong internal controls, and data-driven workforce insights
• Provide functional leadership and hands-on oversight for Workday HCM and related modules, including Core HCM, Compensation, Recruiting, Talent/Performance, Benefits, Absence, Timekeeping, and Payroll
• Lead Workday configuration, business process design, tenant management, security role administration, calculated fields, reporting, dashboards, and mass data activities
• Direct Workday semiannual release planning, feature evaluation, impact analysis, regression testing, change management, deployment, and post-production validation
• Oversee inbound and outbound integrations between Workday and payroll, benefit carriers, financial systems, identity management, timekeeping, recruiting, and other internal or external platforms; ensure issues are researched and resolved promptly
• Ensure the integrity, completeness, confidentiality, and appropriate access of employee and payroll data through audits, reconciliations, security reviews, data quality controls, and corrective action plans
• Develop executive and operational reporting, dashboards, and analytics that support workforce planning, compliance, payroll, benefits, and business decision-making
• Lead intake, prioritization, and delivery of system enhancements and projects; define requirements, manage risks and dependencies, communicate status, and ensure sustainable documentation and training
• Provide director-level oversight of end-to-end payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all employees and pay groups
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour, tax, garnishment, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements; partner with Legal, Finance, CHRO, and external advisors on complex matters
• Direct payroll issue management and root-cause analysis, including retroactive pay, overpayments, off-cycle payments, time and absence discrepancies, deductions, and integrations
• Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, labor distribution, accruals, reconciliations, audits, and internal control requirements
• Maintain business continuity and contingency plans for payroll operations, including documented backup procedures, cross-training, access controls, and recovery protocols
• Use payroll metrics and service data to improve accuracy, timeliness, customer service, controls, and process efficiency
• Provide HRIS leadership for Workday Benefits configuration and operations, including eligibility rules, enrollment events, life events, evidence of insurability, dependent management, benefit deductions, and carrier integrations
• Lead testing and production validation for benefit changes and integrations, with documented controls and sign-offs to protect employee coverage and payroll accuracy
• Identify opportunities to improve the employee benefits experience through self-service, automation, clearer workflows, and stronger data quality
• Maintain strict confidentiality and ensure HR, payroll, and system benefits data are handled in accordance with organizational policy, privacy requirements, and role-based access standards
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex Workday issues; communicate clearly with stakeholders and ensure timely, customer-focused resolution
• Coordinate internal and external audits, control testing, compliance reviews, and remediation activities related to functional areas
• Develop and deliver training, job aids, and change communications for HR staff, payroll users, managers, and employees; build organizational capability and adoption
• Stay current on Workday functionality, industry practices, regulatory developments, and emerging HR technology through Workday Community, user groups, training, and professional networks

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Systems, Finance, Accounting, or related experience required
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in HRIS, payroll, HR operations, or related disciplines, including at least 5 years leading projects and teams
• At least 7 years of hands-on Workday functional experience, with advanced knowledge of Core HCM and strong experience in U.S. Payroll, Benefits, Absence Management, Timekeeping, security, reporting, and integrations
• Demonstrated experience supporting Workday Payroll and Benefits operations, open enrollment, eligibility and event configuration, deductions, carrier integrations, and reconciliation processes
• Experience in healthcare, a multi-site organization, or another complex, highly regulated environment strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of HR data governance, privacy, internal controls, payroll compliance, wage and hour requirements, and HR technology risk management
• Proven ability to lead Workday releases, implementations, optimization initiatives, integrations, testing, change management, and cross-functional projects
• Advanced analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify root causes, assess risk, and communicate actionable recommendations to executives
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, customer service, and written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, and provide hands-on support during critical payroll, benefits, and system events