Director Executive Payroll Operations

Director Of Executive Payroll Operations

The Director of Executive Payroll Operations is responsible for leading the end-to-end execution, governance, controls, and service delivery of payroll operations supporting executive compensation programs and senior leader pay activities. This role ensures executive payroll is processed accurately, timely, confidentially, and in compliance with federal, state, local, and applicable regulatory requirements. The Director partners closely with Executive Compensation, Total Rewards, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Legal, HR Operations, Stock Administration, Global Mobility, and external providers to support complex executive pay events, including incentive payouts, equity-related taxable events, deferred compensation, mobility-related payments, severance, special payments, and year-end reporting.

This role also provides strategic and operational support to payroll tax and payroll accounting teams to ensure accurate tax treatment, wage reporting, reconciliations, accounting entries, audits, and year-end payroll activities.

Top Responsibilities

• Lead executive payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, compliant, and confidential processing for executives and senior leaders.
• Own operational execution for executive compensation events, including bonuses, incentive payouts, equity-related payroll transactions, deferred compensation, severance, relocation, mobility, and special payments.
• Maintain strong payroll controls, reconciliations, documentation, approval workflows, audit evidence, and SOX compliance support for executive payroll processes.
• Support payroll tax and payroll accounting teams through accurate wage reporting, tax validation, account reconciliations, general ledger support, audit documentation, and year-end reporting activities.
• Partner cross-functionally with Executive Compensation, Total Rewards, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Payroll Tax, Payroll Accounting, Legal, HR Operations, Stock Administration, Global Mobility, and external advisors to resolve complex payroll matters.
• Serve as an escalation point for sensitive executive payroll inquiries, ensuring a high-touch service experience, strong judgment, and appropriate discretion.
• Drive process improvement, automation, reporting enhancements, data quality, and standardization across executive payroll operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop payroll team members while fostering a culture of accountability, accuracy, confidentiality, continuous improvement, and service excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership experience in a large, complex, multi-state or highly controlled environment.
• Experience supporting executive compensation, equity compensation, deferred compensation, incentive compensation, or other complex pay programs.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax, wage reporting, supplemental wages, payroll accounting, reconciliations, internal controls, and audit requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive compensation matters with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders across Payroll, HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Accounting, and Total Rewards.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), compensation certification, public company experience, Workday Payroll experience, or SOX/audit experience preferred.

Key Competencies

• Executive payroll expertise and compensation operations acumen
• Strong governance, control, reconciliation, and audit readiness mindset
• Executive presence, stakeholder management, and clear communication
• Confidentiality, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment
• Analytical thinking, issue resolution, and root cause problem-solving
• Operational excellence, process improvement, and continuous improvement leadership
• People leadership, coaching, accountability, and team development