Director, Payroll

Allegheny County Airport Authority•Moon Township, PA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Let Your Career Take Flight! We're committed to being a global aviation leader driving innovation, regional growth and prosperity by investing in our employees, customers, airlines, and partners The ACAA’s the Director, Payroll reports to the Senior Vice President, Human Resources and is responsible for providing strategic leadership, compliance, accuracy, and efficiency of enterprise-wide payroll operations for approximately 500 employees (union and non-union). This role provides oversight of payroll processing, timekeeping administration, HRIS governance, internal controls, and audit readiness. The Director, Payroll partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, and Information Technology to ensure payroll integrity, system integration and optimization (Workday), regulatory compliance, and exceptional employee service delivery. This role is responsible for visioning, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of systems and staff and drives change management initiatives across payroll, HRIS, and timekeeping functions. Here is how the Director, Payroll will help: Perform other related tasks as assigned or required.

Requirements

Minimum of 5+ years of progressive payroll operations experience.
Demonstrated leadership experience supervising payroll teams.
Strong audit and compliance experience required.
Experience with implementation and oversight of payroll and timekeeping systems required.
Served in a leadership role providing direction and supervision to successful teams for over five years.
Experience with accounting software and financial reporting.
Proven ability to manage complex, integrated systems.
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to influence, lead change, and build consensus across diverse stakeholders.
In-depth knowledge of payroll regulations, tax laws, and compliance requirements.
Strong understanding of internal controls and audit processes.
Strong analytical and reconciliation skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with HR, Finance, and IT stakeholders.
Excellent communication and leadership skills.
High level of discretion and confidentiality.
Strong written and verbal communication skills for clear documentation and effective stakeholder engagement.
Ability to travel up to 5% as needed for project or operational support.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing payroll in an organization of similar size and complexity preferred.
Workday payroll and timekeeping experience highly desired.

Responsibilities

Payroll Operations & Compliance Direct and oversee end-to-end payroll processing, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Ensure compliance with FLSA, wage and hour laws, tax regulations, garnishments, and benefit deductions.
Oversee multi-state payroll processing as applicable.
Maintain strong internal controls and segregation of duties within payroll operations.
Lead payroll audits (internal and external), including preparation of documentation and response to findings.
Develop, update and maintain standardized payroll policies procedures, and internal controls.
Workday & HRIS Oversight Serve as the functional lead for payroll and timekeeping within Workday.
Partner with HRIS to optimize system configuration, reporting, integrations, and workflow efficiency.
Lead payroll-related system upgrades, testing cycles, and implementations.
Ensure accurate system controls and data integrity.
Develop dashboards and reporting capabilities to support Finance and HR decision-making.
Timekeeping Administration Oversee organization-wide timekeeping function and compliance.
Ensure accurate time capture, approval workflows, and pay rule configuration.
Collaborate with HR and department leaders to address timekeeping compliance issues.
Provide training and guidance on timekeeping best practices.
Collaboration & Cross-functional Partnership with: Human Resources on compensation changes, benefits deductions, onboarding/offboarding processes, and compliance.
Finance on general ledger reconciliation, accruals, budgeting, and financial reporting.
Information Technology on system integrations, security, data governance, and troubleshooting.
Provide payroll-related analytics and reporting to executive leadership.
Support strategic initiatives involving workforce planning and operational efficiency.
Leadership & Team Development Supervise and develop payroll team members and HRIS staff.
Establish performance metrics and accountability standards.
Foster a culture of accuracy, service excellence, confidentiality, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a trusted advisor and change leader across the organization.
Risk Management & Controls Ensure strong internal controls and documentation processes.
Oversee payroll reconciliations, quarterly and year-end processes (W-2s, tax filings).
Manage risk mitigation strategies related to payroll compliance and system integrity.
Plan, conduct, and oversee payroll audits to ensure data integrity, compliance, and control effectiveness.
Performs other related tasks as assigned or required

Benefits

We offer two plan options for healthcare coverage from high-quality insurance carriers, as well as an ACAA-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) that will help offset the cost of many medical expenses.
ACAA employees pay almost $1,200 less per year in healthcare payroll contributions than the average employee in other companies, according to market surveys.
When HRA funding is included, the health-plan deductibles paid by ACAA employees are about $1,200 lower on average than the costs paid by employees of other companies.
ACAA does not require that employees meet a separate deductible for pharmacy expenses before prescription-drug coverage kicks in.
ACAA’s dental plans (included with healthcare coverage) offer an option covering children’s orthodontia.
Employees also can take advantage of a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to help pay for health care and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.
All eligible full-time ACAA employees participate in the Allegheny County Employees Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan that vests after 10 years of service.
Employees also may participate in a Deferred Compensation Plan, which allows them to contribute part of their pay on a pre-tax basis into long-term retirement investments.
A robust Employee Assistance Program (including access to free counselling sessions, financial guidance, and care coordination), life insurance options, a wellness program, and eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program round out ACAA’s exemplary benefits.
Employees may enroll their children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age in our on-site preschool and childcare center, La Petite Academy, at Pittsburgh International Airport.