Job Description

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Director, Payroll

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director of Payroll to lead enterprise payroll operations for a large, complex, multi-state organization supporting a significant nationwide employee population.

This highly visible leadership role will oversee payroll operations while serving as the organization's functional payroll expert for Oracle Payroll. The Director will partner closely with HR, Finance, HRIS, and IT to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient payroll operations while optimizing system performance and driving continuous improvement.

This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned payroll leader who enjoys balancing operational excellence, people leadership, technology optimization, and process transformation in a complex enterprise environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide payroll operations across a complex, multi-state organization.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction to a large payroll organization, including payroll management and operational teams.
• Serve as the business lead and subject matter expert for Oracle Payroll, partnering closely with HRIS, IT, HR, and Finance.
• Provide hands-on oversight of Oracle Payroll/Fusion Payroll/Oracle Payroll Cloud following implementation and throughout ongoing system optimization.
• Lead post-go-live Oracle Payroll activities, including:
  • Quarterly release and regression testing
  • Payroll validation
  • System troubleshooting and issue resolution
  • Enhancement requests
  • System optimization
  • Functional requirements and testing
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple states and payroll cycles.
• Establish and maintain strong payroll controls, processes, and procedures to support operational accuracy and compliance.
• Partner with HRIS, IT, Finance, and HR stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, reporting, functionality, and employee experience.
• Drive payroll process improvement, automation, and operational efficiencies across the organization.
• Evaluate existing payroll processes and systems to identify opportunities for standardization, simplification, and scalability.
• Support payroll accounting activities, including payroll reconciliation and General Ledger (GL) processes.
• Provide leadership and guidance during payroll system enhancements, upgrades, integrations, and other technology initiatives.
• Support the continued evolution and optimization of the organization's Oracle payroll environment.
• Assist with transitioning additional payroll functions in-house as operational capabilities and systems mature.
• Ensure payroll operations remain aligned with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Develop, monitor, and report payroll performance metrics and key operational indicators.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence within the payroll organization.

Must-Have Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience within a large, complex enterprise organization.
• Extensive, hands-on experience with Oracle Payroll, including Oracle Fusion Payroll and/or Oracle Payroll Cloud.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Oracle Payroll post-go-live, including quarterly testing, enhancement requests, troubleshooting, payroll validation, and system optimization.
• Strong payroll operations background with demonstrated experience leading and developing payroll teams.
• Experience serving as a Payroll Business Lead, Payroll SME, or functional subject matter expert while partnering closely with HRIS and IT.
• Significant experience leading multi-state payroll operations within an enterprise environment.
• Experience working in a shared services or centralized payroll environment.
• Strong knowledge of payroll operations, compliance, controls, and best practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and operate effectively in a complex, high-volume environment.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience leading or supporting an Oracle Payroll implementation.
• Experience in a shared services environment.
• Demonstrated success with payroll process improvement, automation, and transformation.
• Experience with payroll accounting, reconciliation, and General Ledger (GL) processes.
• Experience with Oracle HCM and related HR technology platforms.
• Experience in the healthcare industry or another large, highly regulated environment.
• Experience leading organizational change associated with payroll technology and process transformation.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a strategic and hands-on payroll leader who combines deep technical payroll expertise with strong people and systems leadership.

This individual is comfortable operating at both the strategic and functional level—leading a large payroll organization while also serving as the go-to expert for Oracle Payroll and partnering directly with HRIS, IT, Finance, and HR.

The successful candidate will be a problem solver, change agent, and continuous-improvement leader who can identify opportunities, build alignment across functions, and translate technology and process improvements into measurable business results.

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Saige Partners, one of the fastest growing technology and talent companies in the Midwest, believes in people with a passion to help them succeed. We are in the business of helping professionals Build Careers, Not Jobs. Saige Partners believes employees are the most valuable asset to building a thriving and successful company culture, which is why we offer a benefit package and convenient weekly payment solutions that helps our employees stay healthy and maintain a positive work/life balance. Contact us to learn more about the opportunity below or check out other opportunities at https://careers.saigepartners.com/.