Director of Payroll & HRIS

Rocket Youth•Tampa, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Youth owns and operates a growing portfolio of youth sports, enrichment, and after-school businesses across the United States. Our platform is intentionally multi-brand and multi-location, with each business maintaining its unique identity and local market focus. We are highly acquisitive, completing approximately 10–15 acquisitions per year. Most of our companies are founder-led, with experienced local operators managing day-to-day operations. Rocket Youth provides operational leadership and support services to improve performance and scale. These services span marketing, CRM, analytics, M&A/de-novo expansion, accounting, finance, HR, capital, and more. The Director of Payroll & HRIS (UKG) is a strategic and operational leader responsible for enterprise-wide payroll execution and the vision, governance, and optimization of the UKG platform. This role goes beyond administration—owning system architecture, scalability, and design strategy in a high-growth, acquisition-driven environment. The Manager will lead payroll operations across a complex, multi-state, and multi-entity structure while transforming UKG into a best-in-class platform that supports rapid onboarding, data-driven decision-making, and operational excellence. You will serve as the expert subject matter for UKG, partnering cross-functionally with Finance, HR, IT, and M&A leadership to ensure seamless payroll processing, compliance, and scalable infrastructure.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive payroll and HRIS experience
5+ years of deep UKG expertise (configuration, administration, 360 integrations, reporting)
Proven experience in a multi-entity, multi-state environment
Experience operating in high-growth and/or acquisition-driven organizations
Strong knowledge of payroll compliance, tax regulations, and governance

Nice To Haves

Experience leading UKG implementations, transformations, and module builds
CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent certification
Background in private equity-backed or roll-up environments

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end payroll strategy and execution for a multi-entity, multi-state organization
Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance across all payroll cycles (hourly, salaried, seasonal workforce)
Ensure accurate processing, reconciliation, and recordkeeping of multi-unit, multi-state payroll
Responsibility for system management, user training, and operational procedures
Collaboratively work with cross-functional teams as well as with outside vendors to develop and launch new processes
Resolve escalated payroll issues and/or discrepancies
Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and organizational policies
Liaise with auditors
Work with the HR and finance departments to ensure payroll is aligned with organizational strategies.
Serve as system owner and leader for UKG (HRIS, payroll, timekeeping)
Deliver optimized processes and automated workflow for highly effective HCM system utilization
HRIS lead and practitioner; produce SOPs & training materials, manage UKG helpdesk
Executes payroll, manages payroll tax accounts, and ensures UKG accuracy and timeliness
Deploys new module implementation, system enhancements, and ensures compliant processes
Ensures data integrity, creates reports & dashboards, delivers KPI metric reporting
Owns UKG client deliverables and problem resolution
Oversee data, system configuration, compliance setup, and payroll process
Define and execute the long-term UKG roadmap
Lead enterprise configuration strategy (pay rules, earnings codes, org structure, security, workflows)
Drive continuous improvement through system enhancements, releases, and feature adoption.
Establish enterprise data governance standards ensuring accuracy, integrity, and security
Develop reporting and analytics capabilities to support executive decision-making
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations and data privacy laws
Lead internal/external audits and always maintain audit readiness