Director of Payroll, Total Rewards, and HRIS

Join Lunds & Byerlys as a leader in payroll, total rewards, and HRIS, driving strategic initiatives and team development in a dynamic grocery retail environment.

About the role

The Director of Payroll, Total Rewards, and HRIS provides strategic leadership and unified oversight of the Total Rewards, Payroll, and HR Information Systems (HRIS) functions. This position is accountable for the design, integration, and continuous improvement of compensation, benefits, payroll operations, and HR technology to support LFHI's business strategy. The Director sets the strategic direction and long-range roadmap for the combined functions and builds, leads, and develops a team of specialists responsible for day-to-day administration.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the integrated strategy for Total Rewards, Payroll, and HRIS, ensuring alignment with LFHI's overall business strategy and workforce needs.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Vice President of Employee Experience and other executive leaders on compensation philosophy, benefits strategy, payroll operations, and HR technology direction.
• Anticipate emerging trends, legislation, and technology developments across compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR systems, translating them into proactive recommendations.
• Build and lead a team of Payroll, Total Rewards, and HRIS specialists, setting clear goals, accountability standards, and development plans.
• Foster a unified, collaborative culture across Payroll, Total Rewards, and HRIS to operate as an integrated service to the business.
• Own the design, governance, and continuous improvement of the organization's total rewards philosophy, including base pay, incentive, and recognition programs.
• Direct salary benchmarking, pay structure design, position leveling, and annual compensation planning processes for market competitiveness and internal equity.
• Oversee benefits strategy and vendor management, including plan design, cost negotiation, vendor evaluation, and transitions.
• Guide the organization's response to pay equity, FLSA, ERISA, and other compensation- and benefits-related legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Own end-to-end payroll strategy and operations for a multi-entity, multi-state workforce under multiple union contracts, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Ensure sound internal controls, tax reporting, W-2 processing, and general ledger/account reconciliation practices.
• Maintain organizational expertise on payroll tax law, wage and hour requirements, and union contract provisions to remain audit-ready and compliant.
• Direct payroll and benefits budgeting and forecasting, providing leadership with clear, actionable variance analysis.
• Establish data governance standards, including data integrity, access, and security controls for reliable, well-governed data.
• Direct the design of executive-level reporting for real-time insight into workforce, compensation, and payroll performance.
• Manage relationships with third-party HRIS, payroll, and compensation/benefits technology and consulting vendors, negotiating contracts and ensuring service levels.
• Ensure adequate controls, compliance reviews, and audits across payroll, compensation, benefits, and HR systems.
• Partner cross-functionally to mitigate risk and maintain compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, and DOL requirements.
• Prepare reports for the Board of Directors, Company Officers, and Executive Team on total rewards, payroll, and HRIS performance.
• Perform other related assignments and special projects as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or a related field.
• CCP, CEBS, CPP, or HRIP certification (or equivalent within relevant discipline).
• Seven or more years of progressive experience across Total Rewards, Payroll, and/or HRIS, including compensation, benefits, payroll operations, and HR technology.
• Seven or more years of people leadership experience, including building and leading teams responsible for daily administration of pay, benefits, and/or HR systems.
• Experience operating in a multi-entity, multi-state environment with union and non-union populations.
• Demonstrated experience leading HCM, payroll, or compensation technology selection and implementation; Ceridian/Dayforce experience preferred.

Skills

• Ability to translate business strategy into an integrated Total Rewards, Payroll, and HRIS roadmap.
• Strong presence with the ability to advise, influence, and present to senior leadership.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal and state wage and hour, tax, and benefits law (including FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, HIPAA).
• Proven ability to lead through others, building capability and accountability across a team of specialists and cross-functional partners.
• Advanced reporting skills to turn complex compensation, payroll, and workforce data into actionable insights.
• Strong vendor management, negotiation, and contract oversight skills across HR technology, payroll, and benefits providers.
• Sound judgment and decision-making in complex, fast-paced, and highly confidential environments.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word) and enterprise HCM/payroll platforms.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and comprehend English.
• Service-oriented with high energy and a friendly demeanor.

Benefits

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Health spending and savings accounts.
• Supplemental free on-demand healthcare.
• Generous paid time off.
• 401(k) matching and other value-added benefits focused on overall health and wellness.

Pay

Salary range: $116,000–$168,000 with a short-term incentive compensation target of up to 16% of base salary.