Payroll Operations Lead

Under the direction of the Director of Payroll, the Payroll Operations Lead oversees end-to-end payroll operations, ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and partners with HR and finance to resolve complex pay issues. This role drives system enhancements and process improvements, leads special payroll projects (e.g., retroactive adjustments, off-cycle runs), serves as the primary escalation point for policy interpretation, and coaches junior payroll staff to maintain accuracy and timeliness in all payroll activities.

Close date: 11/1/2026.

Minimum Qualifications:

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 8 or more years of related professional experience, or equivalent education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as a payroll team lead, or senior payroll subject matter expert, including providing technical guidance, training, and support to other payroll professionals.
• Experience administering payroll in a higher education, public-sector, or similarly complex decentralized organization.
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll requirements, including wage and hour laws, payroll taxation, garnishments, and applicable reporting requirements in a multistate payroll environment.
• Experience processing and reconciling complex payroll transactions, researching discrepancies, conducting audits, and implementing process improvements.
• Experience using enterprise payroll and human resources information systems, such as Oracle, Workday, or People Soft to process payroll, research issues, perform reconciliations, or support reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to analyze large datasets, perform reconciliations, identify exceptions, and develop payroll reports.
• Experience supporting payroll system implementations, upgrades, testing, or process automation initiatives, including documenting requirements, validating results, or resolving defects.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation or equivalent advanced payroll training or certification.