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About the Role

The Director of Payroll is a strategic and hands-on leader responsible for managing, executing, and improving payroll operations across Goodwill NYNJ and its affiliated entities. This role oversees payroll administration for a diverse workforce, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and efficiency, while also providing leadership and technical expertise. The Director will collaborate with various departments and play a key role in developing payroll administration services as a revenue-generating business line for Good Temps.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, develop, and manage the Payroll Department, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer service.
Serve as a player-coach who balances strategic leadership with hands-on operational involvement in payroll activities.
Oversee daily payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll processing.
Establish departmental goals, performance metrics, service standards, and development plans.
Create cross-training and succession planning strategies to ensure operational continuity.
Provide coaching and technical expertise to payroll staff while maintaining a strong understanding of day-to-day processing requirements.
Build and maintain a high-performing payroll team capable of supporting organizational growth and evolving business needs.
Direct all payroll activities across Goodwill NYNJ and affiliated entities.
Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing for a diverse employee population, including salaried, hourly, retail, workforce development, and temporary staffing employees.
Oversee payroll administration involving multiple pay frequencies, overtime and premium pay, shift differentials, leave programs, retroactive adjustments, garnishments and wage attachments, employee reimbursements, and payroll tax compliance.
Review and approve payroll calculations, adjustments, exception reporting, and final payroll transmissions.
Ensure payroll operations align with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Good Temps leadership to ensure payroll processes support business growth, workforce deployment, client requirements, and service delivery expectations.
Develop integrated payroll processes across Goodwill NYNJ and Good Temps while preserving operational requirements unique to temporary staffing operations.
Oversee payroll administration related to temporary employees, job assignments, time collection, pay rate management, client billing interfaces, and statutory compliance requirements.
Evaluate opportunities to streamline systems, processes, reporting structures, and internal controls across organizations.
Serve as the primary payroll liaison between Goodwill NYNJ and Good Temps leadership teams.
Partner with executive leadership to evaluate and develop payroll service offerings as a potential revenue-generating business line for Good Temps.
Identify opportunities to provide payroll administration, payroll processing, compliance support, and related workforce services to nonprofit organizations, public agencies, workforce development partners, and other external employers.
Provide strategic guidance and operational due diligence regarding new payroll business opportunities, including market feasibility, compliance requirements, service delivery models, technology solutions, resource planning, pricing strategies, and profitability.
Design, implement, and scale payroll operating models capable of supporting both internal payroll operations and external client payroll services.
Establish service-level standards, governance structures, client onboarding processes, implementation methodologies, and operational procedures for third-party payroll service engagements.
Collaborate with Business Development, Finance, Operations, and Information Technology teams on proposals, client presentations, contract reviews, implementation planning, and service expansion opportunities.
Develop staffing models, capacity plans, and technology strategies necessary to support growth in payroll service offerings.
Develop and execute a payroll strategy aligned with organizational goals, workforce needs, compliance requirements, and operational excellence initiatives.
Lead departmental transformation efforts focused on automation, standardization, efficiency, and scalability.
Evaluate payroll technologies and emerging industry trends to enhance operational effectiveness.
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting metrics to measure payroll performance and service delivery.
Lead payroll-related projects including system implementations, upgrades, and organizational change initiatives.
Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on payroll-related risks, opportunities, and operational improvements.
Serve as the business owner and subject matter expert for payroll systems and related technologies.
Oversee payroll system administration, configuration, testing, maintenance, and optimization.
Ensure effective integration between payroll, HRIS, workforce management, timekeeping, benefits administration, finance, and staffing platforms.
Lead payroll system implementations, upgrades, conversions, and process redesign initiatives.
Partner with IT, HR, Finance, and external vendors to maintain data integrity and system effectiveness.
Evaluate and recommend technology solutions that improve payroll accuracy, reporting capabilities, compliance, and employee experience.
Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and wage-and-hour laws.
Maintain strong internal controls and governance practices to mitigate payroll risk.
Lead payroll-related audits and coordinate responses to internal, external, regulatory, financial, and tax audits.
Oversee payroll tax filings, year-end reporting, reconciliations, and regulatory submissions.
Ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements, nonprofit regulations, staffing industry requirements, and applicable employment laws.
Develop and maintain payroll policies, procedures, control documentation, and audit trails.
Monitor regulatory developments and proactively implement necessary operational changes.
Lead payroll reconciliation activities and ensure balancing between payroll, human resources, timekeeping, benefits, tax, and general ledger systems.
Perform data triangulation and analytical reviews to identify discrepancies, trends, process gaps, and compliance risks.
Validate payroll accuracy through reporting, exception analysis, audits, and system controls.
Partner with Finance and Accounting to ensure accurate payroll accruals, journal entries, account reconciliations, and financial reporting.
Investigate and resolve complex payroll discrepancies and implement corrective and preventive controls.
Develop meaningful payroll analytics and dashboards to support business decision-making.
Serve as a trusted partner to Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, Retail Operations, Workforce Development, and Good Temps leadership.
Collaborate on organizational initiatives involving compensation, benefits, workforce planning, labor management, compliance, and employee experience.
Manage relationships with payroll providers, tax authorities, auditors, benefit vendors, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
Present payroll trends, compliance findings, operational metrics, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive payroll leadership experience in a complex, multi-site, multi-entity environment.
Minimum of 5 years of experience leading and developing payroll teams.
Deep knowledge of payroll operations, payroll tax regulations, wage-and-hour laws, and compliance requirements.
Demonstrated expertise in payroll systems, HRIS platforms, workforce management systems, and related technologies.
Experience with audit management, internal controls, payroll reconciliations, and regulatory compliance.
Proven ability to function as both a strategic leader and a hands-on payroll practitioner.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management, and decision-making skills.
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.

Skills

Strategic Leadership
Payroll Operations Management
Business Development & Revenue Strategy
Team Leadership & Coaching
Payroll Systems Expertise
Compliance & Risk Management
Audit & Internal Controls
Financial Acumen
Data Analysis & Triangulation
Process Improvement
Client Relationship Management
Change Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Operational Excellence
Executive Presence

Location

New York
Northern New Jersey

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

8-10 years of progressive payroll leadership experience
5 years of experience leading and developing payroll teams

Education Level

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation (Preferred)

About the Company

Goodwill Greater New York and Northern New Jersey (GWNYNJ) believes that the power of work and sustainable fashion is how we unlock the good in our communities.
For over 100 years, we have helped people get jobs, stay employed, and progress in careers across New York and Northern New Jersey.
We believe that diversity drives innovation and strengthens our workplace.
We are committed to fostering our inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute fully.
We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, experiences, and abilities.
We believe in creating space for everyone to do their best work and have individual and collective impact.
We believe in challenging the status quo and setting ambitious goals in the name of doing more good.
We believe that being your best self and helping others do the same is how we bring our mission alive.

Equal Opportunity

We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, experiences, and abilities.
If you require a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, or if you are unable to apply through our recruitment portal, please contact us at humanresources@goodwillny.org. We are happy to assist and ensure you have an equal opportunity to apply.