Director, Payroll, Benefits, & People Compliance

AssetMark Financial Holdings•Charlotte, NC

14h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Payroll, Benefits & People Compliance is a leader within People Shared Services responsible for the execution and operational excellence of payroll, benefits administration, and people compliance programs. This role leads a team responsible for accurate payroll processing, comprehensive employee benefits administration, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and policy execution while driving continuous improvement across the employee lifecycle. Reporting to the Vice President, People Shared Services, this leader serves as a key operational partner responsible for ensuring scalable, compliant, and efficient people operations in support of business growth. The Director partners closely with Finance, Legal, Information Security, Internal Audit, Technology, and other business leaders to mitigate risk, strengthen controls, and enhance the employee experience. This position is ideal for a leader who combines operational excellence with strong compliance expertise and a passion for building high-performing teams. This is a full-time position. We will only consider candidates for this position who can accommodate a hybrid work schedule and are close to our office location in Charlotte, NC.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in payroll, benefits, or HR operations.
5+ years leading managers and operational teams.
Extensive experience leading multi-state payroll operations.
Strong knowledge of: FLSA Federal and state wage and hour laws Payroll taxation ERISA ACA COBRA HIPAA Leave administration
Experience supporting internal and external audits.
Experience partnering with Finance on SOX controls.
Demonstrated ability leading cross-functional initiatives.
Strong analytical and operational problem-solving skills.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US to be considered.
We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
CEBS certification
SHRM-SCP or SPHR
Experience with Workday Payroll and Workday Benefits.
Experience supporting self-funded health plans.
Experience supporting organizations with employees across 40+ states.
Experience supporting international payroll or global expansion.
Experience leading compliance, governance, or operational risk initiatives.
Experience with HR data governance, security, or privacy programs.

Responsibilities

Lead all U.S. payroll operations ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant payroll processing.
Oversee multi-state payroll administration across employees located in more than 40 states.
Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, reconciliations, SOX controls, and audit support.
Establish operational metrics and service levels to improve payroll quality and efficiency.
Lead payroll process improvement initiatives leveraging Workday and integrated technologies.
Support future global payroll operations as the organization expands internationally.
Provide leadership for all employee benefit programs including: Medical Dental Vision Life Insurance Disability Retirement Plans Wellness Programs Leave Programs
Oversee administration of the company's self-funded health plans.
Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125, and other applicable regulations.
Partner with brokers, consultants, TPAs, carriers, and external vendors.
Lead annual Open Enrollment planning and execution.
Oversee vendor performance and benefit plan governance.
Lead People Compliance, ensuring adherence to applicable employment laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
Oversee compliance related to payroll, benefits, leaves of absence, wage and hour regulations, employee records, and people operations.
Lead internal and external audits, including SOX controls and regulatory examinations.
Ensure timely responses to audit requests and implementation of corrective actions.
Partner with Legal and Internal Audit on compliance strategy and risk mitigation.
Develop operational controls that improve governance across People Shared Services.
Support enterprise initiatives involving data privacy, PII governance, records retention, and HR data governance.
Lead and develop managers responsible for Payroll and Benefits.
Build scalable operating models supporting company growth.
Establish KPIs, dashboards, and operational reporting.
Drive continuous improvement through automation, standardization, and process optimization.
Serve as an escalation point for complex operational issues.
Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, and continuous learning.