Director Executive Payroll Operations

McKesson; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 124,000 - 207,000; Full time

Job summary

McKesson is seeking a Director of Executive Payroll Operations to lead end-to-end executive payroll processing, governance, and controls for executive compensation programs. You will ensure timely, confidential payroll across senior leaders while partnering with Finance, Tax, Legal, and Total Rewards.

In this high-visibility role you will drive process improvements, maintain SOX-compliant documentation, and coach the payroll team to deliver precise, compliant pay and year-end activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience including leadership in complex environments.
• Experience with executive compensation, equity or deferred pay programs.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax, wage reporting, reconciliations, and internal controls.
• Ability to handle confidential compensation matters with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Lead executive payroll operations for executives and senior leaders with accuracy and confidentiality.
• Own execution for executive compensation events including bonuses, equity-related payrolls, deferred compensation, mobility, and severance.
• Maintain payroll controls, reconciliations, SOX evidence, and audit-ready documentation.
• Support payroll tax and accounting teams with wage reporting and year-end activities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to resolve complex payroll matters.

Skills

Executive payroll

Leadership

SOX & audit

Cross-functional collaboration

Workday Payroll

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance/HR

Tools

Workday Payroll

CPP certification

Job description

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you.

Job Description Summary

The Director of Executive Payroll Operations is responsible for leading the end-to-end execution, governance, controls, and service delivery of payroll operations supporting executive compensation programs and senior leader pay activities. This role ensures executive payroll is processed accurately, timely, confidentially, and in compliance with federal, state, local, and applicable regulatory requirements. The Director partners closely with Executive Compensation, Total Rewards, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Legal, HR Operations, Stock Administration, Global Mobility, and external providers to support complex executive pay events, including incentive payouts, equity-related taxable events, deferred compensation, mobility-related payments, severance, special payments, and year-end reporting. This role also provides strategic and operational support to payroll tax and payroll accounting teams to ensure accurate tax treatment, wage reporting, reconciliations, accounting entries, audits, and year-end payroll activities.

Top Responsibilities

• Lead executive payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, compliant, and confidential processing for executives and senior leaders.
• Own operational execution for executive compensation events, including bonuses, incentive payouts, equity-related payroll transactions, deferred compensation, severance, relocation, mobility, and special payments.
• Maintain strong payroll controls, reconciliations, documentation, approval workflows, audit evidence, and SOX compliance support for executive payroll processes.
• Support payroll tax and payroll accounting teams through accurate wage reporting, tax validation, account reconciliations, general ledger support, audit documentation, and year-end reporting activities.
• Partner cross-functionally with Executive Compensation, Total Rewards, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Payroll Tax, Payroll Accounting, Legal, HR Operations, Stock Administration, Global Mobility, and external advisors to resolve complex payroll matters.
• Serve as an escalation point for sensitive executive payroll inquiries, ensuring a high-touch service experience, strong judgment, and appropriate discretion.
• Drive process improvement, automation, reporting enhancements, data quality, and standardization across executive payroll operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop payroll team members while fostering a culture of accountability, accuracy, confidentiality, continuous improvement, and service excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership experience in a large, complex, multi-state or highly controlled environment.
• Experience supporting executive compensation, equity compensation, deferred compensation, incentive compensation, or other complex pay programs.
• Strong knowledge of payroll tax, wage reporting, supplemental wages, payroll accounting, reconciliations, internal controls, and audit requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive compensation matters with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders across Payroll, HR, Finance, Tax, Legal, Accounting, and Total Rewards.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), compensation certification, public company experience, Workday Payroll experience, or SOX/audit experience preferred.

Key Competencies

• Executive payroll expertise and compensation operations acumen
• Strong governance, control, reconciliation, and audit readiness mindset
• Executive presence, stakeholder management, and clear communication
• Confidentiality, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment
• Analytical thinking, issue resolution, and root cause problem-solving
• Operational excellence, process improvement, and continuous improvement leadership
• People leadership, coaching, accountability, and team development

We are proud to offer a competitive compensation package at McKesson as part of our Total Rewards. This is determined by several factors, including performance, experience and skills, equity, regular job market evaluations, and geographical markets. The pay range shown below is aligned with McKesson's pay philosophy, and pay will always be compliant with any applicable regulations. In addition to base pay, other compensation, such as an annual bonus or long-term incentive opportunities may be offered. For more information regarding benefits at McKesson, please click here.

Our Base Pay Range for this position

$124,400 - $207,400

McKesson is an Equal Opportunity Employer

McKesson provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other legally protected category. For additional information on McKesson’s full Equal Employment Opportunity policies, visit our Equal Employment Opportunity page.

McKesson is committed to being an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers including job seekers with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, please contact us by sending an email to (United States) [e-mail] or (Canada) [e-mail]. Resumes or CVs submitted to this email box will not be accepted.