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Vaco by Highspring

Senior Director of Payroll

Vaco by Highspring, Louisville, Kentucky, us, 40201

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Base pay range $125,000.00/yr - $150,000.00/yr

Job Summary The Senior Director of Payroll provides strategic and operational leadership over enterprise-wide payroll functions for a large, complex organization. This role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery across multiple entities and jurisdictions, while driving governance, scalability, and continuous improvement. The Senior Director partners with executive leadership across HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, and IT to support business growth and transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Provide strategic oversight of end-to-end payroll operations for a large, multi-state and/or global workforce

Establish and maintain a strong governance framework, internal controls, and SOX-compliant processes

Lead payroll strategy, including system modernization, automation, and vendor optimization

Oversee payroll tax compliance, audits, garnishments, W-2s, and year-end activities

Serve as executive escalation point for complex payroll issues and risk management

Partner with HR, Total Rewards, Finance, Tax, and Legal on compensation programs, bonuses, equity, and benefits

Lead and develop payroll leadership and management teams; build scalable shared services models

Manage payroll budgets, vendor contracts, and performance metrics (SLAs, KPIs)

Drive enterprise process improvements, M&A payroll integrations, and change management initiatives

Provide executive-level reporting, analytics, and insights related to payroll operations

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field; Master's preferred

12-15+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience in large or public companies

Demonstrated experience leading high-volume, multi-entity, multi-state (and/or global) payroll operations

Deep knowledge of payroll tax regulations, wage & hour laws, and SOX controls

Experience with enterprise payroll platforms (Workday, ADP GlobalView, SAP, Oracle, UKG, etc.)

Proven success leading large teams, vendors, and complex transformations

Skills & Competencies

Executive-level leadership and strategic thinking

Strong risk management, compliance, and audit expertise

Ability to influence senior leaders and C-suite stakeholders

Excellent communication, presentation, and decision-making skills

High level of discretion with sensitive and confidential data

Preferred Certifications

CPP (Certified Payroll Professional)

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Contract

Job function

Accounting/Auditing

Industries

Gambling Facilities and Casinos and Racetracks

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