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Payroll Director job description

Use this Payroll Director job description template to advertise your job openings and attract qualified candidates for your organization.

Christina Pavlou
Christina Pavlou

An experienced recruiter and HR professional who has transferred her expertise to insightful content to support others in HR.

Refreshed on

February 3, 2020

Reviewed by

Eftychia Karavelaki

Senior Recruitment Manager

Payroll Director responsibilities include:

  • Approving payroll transactions
  • Reporting on compensation activities and forecasts
  • Ensuring compliance with all federal and state tax laws

Job brief

We are looking for a Payroll Director to oversee all payroll transactions and establish an effective payroll procedure for our company.

Payroll Director responsibilities include auditing the entire payroll process, approving exemptions and salary changes and setting guidelines for all procedures around employee compensation. To be successful in this role, you should have previous experience managing payroll for a large organization and have excellent attention to detail.

Ultimately, you’ll ensure we compensate all employees in a fair, accurate and timely manner.

Responsibilities

  • Set up and maintain functional payroll systems
  • Streamline and document compensation procedures
  • Audit payroll transactions to ensure all amounts and payment dates are accurate
  • Approve one-time or permanent changes in payroll (e.g. salary increases, tax deduction, bonuses, expense reimbursements)
  • Train employees who are involved in payroll on tax regulations and best practices
  • Manage payroll discrepancies quickly and efficiently
  • Ensure compliance with all payroll and tax laws
  • Collaborate with Finance and HR to create payroll reports and forecasts
  • Prepare onboarding material that will help new hires understand the company’s compensation and benefits policies
  • Coordinate external audits
  • Answer payroll-related questions from employees
  • Stay up-to-date with labor legislation and any changes in employee insurance and tax regulations

Requirements and skills

  • Proven experience as a Payroll Director or Payroll Manager
  • Hands-on experience with payroll software like Oracle or BambooHR
  • Familiarity with HRIS
  • In-depth knowledge of labor legislation and tax regulations
  • A high level of discretion and integrity when handling sensitive employee information
  • BSc in Human Resources Management or Finance
  • MBA or Master’s in Accounting is a plus

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