Payroll Process and Technology Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary payroll subject matter expert (SME) for the organization.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, timely, and in compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Partner with Payroll, HR, Finance, Tax, Benefits, and IT teams to resolve complex payroll issues.
• Support payroll audits, reconciliations, and compliance reviews.
• Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and controls.
• Consult and advise clients on best practices and develop custom processes.
• Analyze payroll processes and identify opportunities for standardization, simplification, and automation.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.
• Document current and future-state payroll workflows and business processes.
• Establish and monitor payroll performance metrics and service-level expectations.
• Serve as the business owner for payroll technology solutions and integrations.
• Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, testing, and optimization efforts.
• Partner with IT and vendors to support payroll-related applications and interfaces.
• Evaluate emerging payroll technologies and recommend solutions that improve operations and reduce risk.
• Ensure data integrity across payroll, HRIS, timekeeping, and financial systems.
• Develop payroll dashboards, reporting, and workforce cost analytics.
• Provide insights and recommendations to leadership regarding payroll trends and operational performance.
• Support business decision-making through payroll data analysis and reporting.
• Maintain expertise in payroll regulations, wage and hour requirements, tax reporting, and labor laws.
• Assess and mitigate payroll risks through effective controls and governance.
• Ensure payroll systems and processes remain compliant with changing regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 7+ years of payroll experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Strong expertise in payroll systems, HRIS platforms, and timekeeping solutions.
• Experience leading payroll process improvement and technology initiatives.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across business and technical teams.

Preferred

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.
• Experience with PrimsHR, Workday, UKG, ADP, Dayforce, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, or similar platforms.
• Experience with payroll integrations, automation, and data analytics tools.
• Multi-state and multi-employer payroll experience.