Director of Payroll

Overview

Posting Number: S14666P

Working Title: Director of Payroll

Department: FD-Payroll

The University of Georgia is Equal Opportunity employer. Details:
Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state’s flagship university. UGA is ranked among top public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The main campus is in Athens, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff, with enrollment exceeding 41,000 students.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or other protected status. Accommodations for accessibility are available; contact Central HR (hrweb).

Website: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..edu

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent plus 12 years of professional experience to include 5 years of supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of payroll administration practices and procedures; advanced knowledge of payroll, tax regulations; experience with People Soft-based HCM or other HRMS software; experience processing payroll in a Higher Education setting; knowledge of time reporting laws and policies; experience with high-level account reconciliations.

Responsible for overall leadership and operation of the Payroll department in accordance with USG and UGA policies and procedures and for assessing departmental accomplishments each year. Ensure compliance with IRS and state regulations and lead implementation of new developments into UGA processes. Direct departmental efforts to improve payroll processes by analyzing systems and procedures and leading involvement in design and implementation with OneUSG Connect.

Review annual, quarterly and monthly reports; manage time and attendance system; oversee balancing and reporting of taxable fringe and W-2 information for over 20,000 employees generating over 27,000 W-2s annually. Manage personnel issues within Payroll staff (hiring, training, evaluations, salary actions, etc.).

• 35%: Responsible for overall leadership and operation of the Payroll department, ensuring compliance and implementing new developments with USG/UGA policies and OneUSG Connect.
• 20%: Lead efforts to manage time and attendance system and other payroll processes; design and present training; collaborate with OneUSG Connect and campus community; implement process improvements.
• 20%: Address payroll questions and issues; provide guidance on policies and procedures; interpret federal, state, BOR, and UGA guidelines.
• 10%: Represent Payroll on committees and work with campus offices (HR, Commitments Accounting, Budgets, Faculty Affairs) and USG/OneUSG support staff; collaborate on data protection.
• 10%: Assist Associate Controller/Controller with analyses, interpretations, and data reporting.
• 5%: Other delegated duties as assigned.

Strong communication and organizational skills; professional interaction with the public; experience with complex enterprise and administrative systems.

Physically perform normal office duties. This position does not require driving. This is a position of trust with access to financial resources and sensitive data.

FLSA: Exempt •
FTE: 1.00 •
Employment Type: Employee •
Benefits Eligibility: Benefits Eligible •
Location: Athens Area

Closing Date: 02/12/2026 •
Proposed Starting Date: 03/01/2026

Recruitment Contact: Amanda McHugh (aganger1)