Director, Payroll

Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.•Fort Mill, SC

4d•$146,880 - $201,960

About The Position

The Director of Payroll is responsible for the strategic leadership, governance, compliance, and operational execution of payroll functions across the organization. This role ensures the accurate and timely payment of employees while maintaining compliance with federal, state, local, and union labor requirements. The Director will lead payroll operations, payroll tax administration, regulatory compliance, payroll systems, internal controls, and continuous process improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in union payroll administration, wage and hour compliance, payroll taxation, collective bargaining agreement administration, and payroll governance within a complex, multi-state environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or related field required.
8-10 years of progressive payroll leadership experience.
3-5 years leading managers and payroll teams in a large, complex organization.
Demonstrated experience administering payroll in unionized environments.
Experience supporting organizations with multi-state payroll operations.
Experience with payroll audits, SOX controls, and regulatory compliance.
Experience with Workday Payroll, Oracle, UKG, ADP, or similar enterprise payroll platforms.
Deep understanding of payroll regulations and labor laws.
Extensive knowledge of collective bargaining agreement administration.
Expertise in FLSA and wage and hour compliance.
Strong knowledge of payroll tax regulations and reporting requirements.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective internal controls.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
Proven experience leading large-scale payroll process improvements and technology implementations.

Nice To Haves

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
Workday Payroll/HCM Knowledge
Knowledge of Canadian Payroll

Responsibilities

Direct and oversee payroll operations for exempt, non-exempt, union, and salaried employees.
Ensure accurate and timely processing of multiple regular and off-cycle payrolls.
Develop and execute payroll strategies that support organizational objectives and workforce growth
Establish payroll policies, procedures, and service standards to ensure operational excellence, as well as process and system optimization.
Lead payroll team development, performance management, succession planning, and organizational capability building.
Ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements across multiple bargaining units.
Interpret and administer contractual pay provisions.
Partner with Labor Relations and HR to support contract negotiations and implementation of payroll-related provisions.
Conduct impact analyses of proposed labor contract changes and collective bargaining agreements.
Ensure compliance with all applicable payroll regulations.
Maintain compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) controls and internal audit requirements.
Develop, document, and monitor payroll controls to mitigate compliance and financial risk.
Serve as the primary payroll contact for internal and external audits.
Oversee withholding, reporting, and remittance of federal, state, and local payroll taxes.
Ensure timely and accurate preparation and filing of tax documents, including Forms W-2 and related reporting requirements.
Manage payroll tax audits, inquiries, and notices.
Monitor regulatory changes and implement process updates to maintain compliance.
Provide strategic oversight for payroll systems, integrations, and related technologies.
Partner with HRIS, Finance, IT, and external vendors to optimize payroll operations.
Lead payroll transformation initiatives, automation efforts, and technology implementations.
Ensure data integrity across payroll, HR, timekeeping, workforce management, and benefits systems.
Develop metrics, dashboards, and reporting to monitor payroll performance and compliance.
Maintain strong payroll governance and internal control frameworks.
Reconcile payroll-related accounts and ensure financial accuracy.
Partner with Finance and Accounting teams on accruals, audits, and financial reporting activities.
Manage payroll service providers and third-party vendor relationships.
Collaborate with HR, Labor Relations, Benefits, Legal, Finance, Workforce Management, and Operations leaders.
Provide executive leadership with payroll compliance insights, operational metrics, and workforce cost analysis.
Support mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and organizational restructuring efforts related to payroll.