Human Resources - Director of Payroll

Sacred Heart University•Fairfield, CT

1d•$120,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The Director of Payroll is responsible for the strategic oversight, execution, compliance, and continuous improvement of all payroll operations. This role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for faculty, staff, and student employees while maintaining strong internal controls and alignment with HR, Finance, and external regulatory requirements. Salary range: $120,000–$125,000 annually.

Requirements

5 years of experience managing payroll processes for a large organization, higher education preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
Deep knowledge of multi-state payroll processing.
Demonstrated expertise with HRIS/payroll systems (Dayforce experience preferred).
Strong understanding of payroll accounting and general ledger reconciliation.
Experience managing audits and regulatory compliance.
Exceptional attention to detail and analytical skills.
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Nice To Haves

Professional certification such as CPP or CPA may be accepted in lieu of a college degree.

Responsibilities

Oversee all facets of payroll administration for faculty, staff, and student employees.
Serve as primary processor of the semi-monthly payroll (exempt faculty and staff).
Provide support for bi-weekly payrolls (non-exempt faculty and staff, student workers).
Partner closely with HR and Benefits to ensure payroll accuracy as employment statuses and benefit elections are added or modified.
Ensure timely and accurate processing of new hires, terminations, retroactive pay adjustments, stipends, overloads, and special payments.
Generate, review, post, and reconcile general ledger files following each pay run.
Oversee receipt and processing of employee-initiated direct deposit and Form W-4 updates within the HRIS.
Administer wage garnishments, tax levies, and other court-ordered deductions in compliance with federal and state regulations.
Monitor inbound and outbound payroll integrations with third-party vendors.
Coordinate with Dayforce Tax Services to establish, maintain, and close tax accounts as required.
Lead year-end payroll activities, including reconciliation and issuance of Forms W-2 and 1095-C.
Respond to and resolve complex employee payroll inquiries with professionalism and discretion.
Provide strategic oversight of payroll systems, ensuring optimal configuration, controls, and data integrity.
Identify opportunities for payroll process improvement and lead cross-functional implementation efforts.
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve payroll documentation, standard operating procedures, and internal knowledge resources.
Collaborate with IT and system administrators on payroll-related integrations, reporting, upgrades, and testing.
Lead payroll-related system implementations, enhancements, and testing cycles.
Ensure business continuity planning for payroll operations.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements.
Oversee preparation and submission of required payroll tax filings and reconciliations.
Coordinate audits related to payroll, benefits deductions, tax reporting, and general ledger activity.
Prepare payroll-related reports for leadership, Finance, HR, and external agencies.
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes affecting payroll operations and implement necessary updates.
Support institutional reporting needs, including census, accreditation, or regulatory reporting tied to payroll data.