Payroll Director

Payroll Director

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Location:

South San Francisco, CA

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Schedule:

Full-Time – Exempt, Hybrid

🏢 Department:
Headquarters

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Reports to:

Chief Human Resources Officer

Pay Range: $-$/annually

✨ Make a Meaningful Impact

Aspiranet, a leading California-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families, is seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented Payroll Director to join our team. If you thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and have a passion for providing excellent operational support while collaborating and working with the HQ team, we’d love to hear from you.

Aspiranet is a mission-driven social services agency with a proud legacy of supporting California communities since 1975. We are committed to ensuring that every child is loved, every family is supported, and every individual has the tools to succeed. Our services span the state and are delivered through six dedicated divisions:
Foster Care and Adoption, providing support for children and families throughout the foster and adoption journey;
Transitional Aged Youth (TAY), offering programs that guide young adults as they transition from foster care to independent living;
Residential, delivering therapeutic care in structured, supportive environments to help youth thrive;
Intensive Home-Based Services, focused on meeting individualized needs within the home, school, and community;
Behavioral Health, delivering short-term, intensive mental health services for youth at risk; and Family and Community, emphasizing early intervention and family-strengthening supports. At Aspiranet, every role contributes to something greater—helping to create a future where opportunity, hope, and healing are within everyone’s reach.

The Payroll Director reports to the Chief Human Resources Officer and leads a team responsible for processing semi-monthly payroll for 1,000 employees in a complex, highly regulated environment. This role ensures efficient payroll operations, tax reporting, auditing, and system management, while collaborating closely with finance, HR, and leadership to maintain full compliance. The ideal candidate has advanced knowledge of California and multi-state payroll regulations, is a Certified Payroll Specialist, experienced in system implementations, and excels in high-volume, continuous improvement settings.

• Payroll Operations and Compliance
  • Oversee the accuracy and compliance of payroll functions in a complex, grant-funded environment.
  • Ensure full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment and tax laws and regulations.
  • Provide final approval on all payroll submissions and deliverables.
  • Serve as a backup for payroll processing as needed.
  • Perform additional job-related duties as assigned.
• Audit and Risk Management
  • Lead audits related to fiscal operations, 403(b) plans, government compliance, workers’ compensation, compensation, benefits, and wage and hour regulations.
  • Conduct regular internal audits of payroll processes, tax filings, rates, accruals, and related areas to ensure accuracy and ongoing compliance.
• Process Improvement and Documentation
  • Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all payroll functions.
  • Identify and implement improvements to payroll systems and processes to enhance efficiency and compliance.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration
  • Supervise, mentor, and develop payroll team members to support professional growth and high performance.
  • Build and maintain consultative relationships with agency leaders and staff across departments.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field. Certified Payroll Professional highly preferred.
• Minimum of five years of related work experience in an audit-heavy, high-volume environment.
• Advanced knowledge and application of California wage and hour requirements that affect payroll processing.
• Proficient with Microsoft Suite and enterprise level timekeeping and payroll systems; UKG experience a plus.
• Prior experience with system implementations highly preferred.
• Excellent communication skills to coach and train others on best practices.

• This…