Citywide Payroll Director - Controller's Office (0953) - 169378

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

3d•$200,538 - $255,538

About The Position

The Citywide Payroll Director provides strategic leadership, executive management, and operational oversight of the City and County of San Francisco’s centralized payroll administration and processing functions, under the executive direction of the Controller or a designated Deputy Controller. The Director ensures accurate, timely, secure, and compliant processing and disbursement of employee compensation and related payroll obligations across City departments. The position oversees the City’s PeopleSoft payroll environment, payroll calculations and validation, final payroll reporting, financial reconciliations, payroll tax administration, system interfaces, and coordination of payroll disbursements for approximately 35,000 employees. The role is accountable for the quality and production of approximately one million payroll checks annually, representing $6 billion in salaries and benefits. The Director leads the Citywide Payroll Division, including its operations, staffing, resource allocation, performance objectives, service standards, management and professional staff, budget, contracts, and technology investments. The role directs payroll processing and administration; system governance and enhancements; implementation of labor agreements and regulatory changes; tax administration and financial controls; audit readiness and risk management; and business continuity and emergency payroll operations. As the Controller’s Office principal executive advisor on citywide payroll, the Director works with City departments and executive offices to develop policies, resolve complex payroll matters, assess financial and operational impacts, and advance consistent, efficient, and compliant service delivery. The Director also establishes performance measures, analyzes payroll data and trends, and leads process improvements, automation, staff development, and technology transformation.

Requirements

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; major coursework in business administration, accounting, finance, or a closely related field is preferred.
Six years of recent progressively responsible experience managing and administering a large, complex automated payroll system or related payroll/human resource function.
The required experience must include supervising subordinate payroll staff.
Applicants may substitute additional qualifying experience for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis; 2,000 hours of additional qualifying experience is equivalent to 30 semester units or 45 quarter units.

Nice To Haves

Enterprise operations expertise and leadership experience focused on operational efficiency and cross-functional collaboration to drive technology transformation.
Experience engaging stakeholders and presenting effectively to City leadership and the public, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Thorough knowledge of city or county government operations, including payroll, budgets, resource management, HR processes, and labor bargaining union rules.
Thorough knowledge of and experience managing the PeopleSoft Payroll System.
Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
Proven knowledge of human resources, benefits administration, and payroll principles, processes, and practices.
Six years of payroll management experience in a public or nonprofit organization.
Emergency preparedness, response, or recovery experience involving digital payroll processing systems or payroll operations.
Current Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership, strategic direction, and overall management of the Citywide Payroll Division.
Plan, organize, direct, and evaluate divisional operations, staffing, resource allocation, performance objectives, and service delivery standards.
Develop and implement initiatives to improve payroll accuracy, operational efficiency, system reliability, and organizational effectiveness.
Lead, develop, and supervise management and professional staff, including performance management, succession planning, workforce development, and continuous improvement.
Direct citywide regular and supplemental payrolls, retroactive adjustments, special payments, and year-end activities.
Oversee PeopleSoft payroll calculations, final output reports, system interface files, and coordination of employee compensation disbursements.
Oversee validation and reconciliation of payroll earnings, deductions, benefits-related transactions, leave balances, overtime, premium pay, and negotiated adjustments.
Establish citywide payroll processing standards, quality controls, and procedures, and coordinate with departments to resolve processing discrepancies.
Provide executive oversight of PeopleSoft payroll and related applications, interfaces, reporting tools, and data integrity.
Direct interpretation and implementation of labor agreements, compensation provisions, regulatory requirements, and policy changes in payroll system rules and configurations.
Establish governance and quality assurance for system changes, including requirements analysis, testing, validation, approvals, and implementation.
Collaborate with technology teams and City departments on system enhancements, automation, modernization, data security, and analytical reporting.
Direct consistent implementation of payroll-related collective bargaining agreement and labor MOU provisions.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, payroll tax regulations, the City Charter, Civil Service Commission Rules, local ordinances, and City personnel policies.
Partner with DHR, Employee Relations, the City Attorney’s Office, and departmental leadership to interpret compensation provisions and assess payroll impacts of labor negotiations and regulatory changes.
Establish compliance monitoring procedures, maintain payroll policies, coordinate regulatory reviews, and address legal, financial, and operational risks.
Direct payroll tax withholding, reconciliation, reporting, remittance, and year-end employee tax documentation.
Oversee recording and reconciliation of payroll expenditures, liabilities, deductions, and employer contributions with City financial accounting systems.
Establish financial controls and reconciliation procedures to identify discrepancies, prevent improper payments, and meet reporting and audit requirements.
Collaborate with Controller’s Office accounting and financial reporting functions to resolve complex payroll financial issues and advise executive leadership on financial exposures and compliance risks.
Establish and maintain internal controls for payroll authorization, processing, reconciliation, reporting, and disbursement.
Direct risk-based monitoring and quality assurance to identify payroll errors, unauthorized transactions, control weaknesses, and operational risks.
Coordinate payroll-related internal and external audits, regulatory reviews, corrective action plans, and implementation of audit recommendations.
Monitor payroll risk indicators, ensure segregation of duties and documentation, and report significant control deficiencies and corrective actions to executive leadership.
Develop, implement, and maintain payroll business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
Establish contingency procedures, alternate processing methods, emergency authorization protocols, backup staffing arrangements, and recovery priorities.
Coordinate with technology, cybersecurity, emergency management, and financial operations teams to assess vulnerabilities and test payroll recovery capabilities.
Provide executive leadership during payroll emergencies, directing incident response, stakeholder communications, service restoration, and post-incident improvements.
Serve as the Controller’s Office principal executive advisor on citywide payroll administration, operational policies, regulatory developments, and strategic initiatives.
Collaborate with the Mayor’s Office, DHR, City Attorney’s Office, Treasurer and Tax Collector, and departmental executives on complex payroll matters and policy impacts.
Develop and recommend citywide payroll policies, administrative standards, and operational improvements.
Lead interdepartmental initiatives, resolve sensitive payroll issues, and present policy recommendations, operational assessments, and financial implications to senior City leadership.
Develop, administer, and monitor the division’s operating budget, staffing plans, technology investments, and resource requirements.
Prepare budget proposals, fiscal analyses, and resource recommendations.
Evaluate the financial and operational effects of payroll mandates, labor agreements, technology changes, and service demands.
Oversee applicable contracts and vendor performance, identify cost-saving opportunities, and steward public resources responsibly.
Establish and monitor performance indicators for payroll accuracy, timeliness, compliance, system reliability, efficiency, and customer service.
Analyze payroll trends, processing exceptions, and operational data to identify systemic issues, mitigate risks, and improve service delivery.
Lead business process improvements, automation, workflow standardization, and technology enhancements.
Promote organizational learning through staff development, procedural guidance, knowledge sharing, and executive performance reporting.