Director, Payroll

U.S. Renal Care, Inc.•Plano, TX

About The Position

The Director of Payroll oversees end-to-end U.S. payroll operations, ensuring payroll is processed accurately, on time, and in compliance with applicable requirements. The role bridges Payroll Managers and the Vice President of Payroll, translating payroll strategy into operational execution and providing leadership, governance, and process discipline across payroll operations. The Director drives continuous improvement, compliance, and service excellence. The Director provides direct leadership to Payroll Managers and indirect leadership to Payroll Specialists. The role also partners with the Vice President of Payroll on strategy, system optimization, organizational design, staffing, and workload planning, and collaborates with HR, Accounting, Finance, and third-party vendors to support payroll data integrity and service quality.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree preferred in finance, accounting, business, HR, or a related analytical discipline; equivalent experience may be considered.
CPP or FPC certification strongly preferred.
5–7 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, including multi-level leadership experience.
Strong working knowledge of payroll operations, payroll tax, compliance, and internal controls.
Experience with enterprise payroll and HRIS systems.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools, such as Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, and drive operational excellence.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, HR, or a related analytical discipline.
CPP or FPC certification.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee U.S. payroll operations to ensure accurate and timely processing of all payrolls.
Direct and support Payroll Managers in day-to-day payroll processing, audits, and issue resolution.
Establish, maintain, and enhance payroll operational controls, procedures, and standard documentation.
Partner with the Vice President of Payroll to execute payroll strategy, system optimization, and process improvements.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll laws and regulations, including wage and hour rules, garnishments, and reporting requirements.
Oversee payroll tax processes, including reconciliations, timely filings, amendments, and year-end reporting such as W-2s.
Review payroll results, exception reports, and reconciliations to identify trends, mitigate risk, and resolve discrepancies.
Provide leadership for off-cycle payrolls, special compensation, incentives, and retroactive pay adjustments.
Collaborate with HR, Accounting, Finance, and third-party vendors to ensure data integrity, system alignment, and service quality.
Serve as an escalation point for complex payroll issues, audits, and employee or leadership inquiries.
Support HRIS and payroll system implementations, upgrades, and integrations, including testing and change management.
Monitor service delivery and performance metrics to ensure payroll service-level expectations are met.
Stay current on payroll legislation and regulatory changes and advise leadership on potential impacts.
Own wage and hour compliance across payrolls, including accurate application of wage laws, overtime rules, pay practices, and recordkeeping requirements.
Lead payroll tax compliance oversight by reviewing and validating tax calculations, filings, reconciliations, amendments, and year-end reporting.
Serve as the primary payroll lead for internal audits, external audits, and regulatory reviews, ensuring audit readiness, issue resolution, and sustained control effectiveness.
Establish and enforce internal controls and monitoring mechanisms to prevent, detect, and remediate payroll errors, compliance gaps, and financial risk.
Investigate and resolve complex payroll discrepancies, wage claims, tax notices, and agency inquiries; escalate material risks to senior leadership as appropriate.
Provide direct leadership to Payroll Managers and indirect leadership to Payroll Specialists.
Coach and develop payroll leadership talent through performance management, feedback, and succession planning.
Promote accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service within the payroll function.
Partner with the Vice President of Payroll on organizational design, staffing decisions, and workload planning.
Perform other duties as assigned.