Director of Payroll

Vaco by Highspring; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking an experienced payroll leader to oversee end-to-end payroll operations for our New York-based teams. You will ensure accurate, timely processing while maintaining compliance with federal and state laws, and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.

The role requires extensive experience with multi-state payroll, payroll tax filings (941s, W-2s, state filings), and advanced Excel skills. Prior leadership and a CPP/CPA are preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of payroll experience with leadership responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of federal and New York payroll laws and tax reporting.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll requirements.
• Hands-on payroll tax filings experience (941s, W-2s, state filings).
• Advanced Excel skills for reconciliations and large datasets.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end payroll operations for the organization.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing.
• Monitor payroll performance, issues, and operational risks.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead cross-training to strengthen team coverage and continuity.

Skills

Payroll leadership

New York payroll laws

Multi-state payroll

Payroll tax filings

Advanced Excel

Education

CPP or CPA certification

Tools

Paylocity

Workday

ADP

Paycom

Job description

• Ensure accurate, timely, and reliable payroll processing.
• Monitor payroll performance, issues, and operational risks.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Implement cross-training to strengthen team coverage and continuity.

Compliance & Payroll Tax Reporting

• Ensure compliance with federal, New York State, and local payroll tax regulations.
• Oversee multi-state payroll requirements, including remote employees, work location changes, and tax withholding.
• Manage payroll tax filings, reconciliations, and year-end reporting, including W-2s, 941s, and state filings.
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement necessary updates.

Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor the payroll team to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Establish best practices and standard operating procedures.
• Provide oversight and guidance on payroll processes.

Reconciliations & Financial Oversight

• Review payroll outputs for accuracy and reasonableness prior to processing.
• Partner with internal stakeholders on payroll-related matters.
• Identify discrepancies or trends that may affect financial reporting or workforce costs.
• Establish and maintain internal controls over payroll processing.
• Ensure audit readiness with appropriate documentation.
• Mitigate risks related to overpayments, misclassification, and compliance gaps.

Systems & Data Management

• Oversee payroll systems, including Paylocity, Workday, ADP, and Paycom.
• Optimize system configuration, including pay codes, earnings and deductions structures, department setup, and reporting.
• Maintain data accuracy through validation and review processes.
• Support system enhancements that reduce manual effort while maintaining strong controls

Qualifications:

Required

• 7+ years of payroll experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of federal and New York payroll laws and tax reporting.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll requirements.
• Hands-on experience with payroll tax filings, including 941s, W-2s, and state filings.
• Advanced Excel skills, including reconciliations, large datasets, and analysis.
• Proven ability to manage and sustain payroll operations in a complex environment.

Preferred

• Healthcare and/or union payroll experience.
• Experience with payroll systems including Paylocity, Workday, ADP, or Paycom.
• CPP, CPA, or similar certification

Payroll Operations

• Oversee end-to-end payroll operations.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and reliable payroll processing.
• Monitor payroll performance, issues, and operational risks.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Implement cross-training to strengthen team coverage and continuity.

Compliance & Payroll Tax Reporting

• Ensure compliance with federal, New York State, and local payroll tax regulations.
• Oversee multi-state payroll requirements, including remote employees, work location changes, and tax withholding.
• Manage payroll tax filings, reconciliations, and year-end reporting, including W-2s, 941s, and state filings.
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement necessary updates.

Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor the payroll team to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Establish best practices and standard operating procedures.
• Provide oversight and guidance on payroll processes.

Reconciliations & Financial Oversight

• Review payroll outputs for accuracy and reasonableness prior to processing.
• Partner with internal stakeholders on payroll-related matters.
• Identify discrepancies or trends that may affect financial reporting or workforce costs.

Controls & Risk Management

• Establish and maintain internal controls over payroll processing.
• Ensure audit readiness with appropriate documentation.
• Mitigate risks related to overpayments, misclassification, and compliance gaps.

Systems & Data Management

• Oversee payroll systems, including Paylocity, Workday, ADP, and Paycom.
• Optimize system configuration, including pay codes, earnings and deductions structures, department setup, and reporting.
• Maintain data accuracy through validation and review processes.
• Support system enhancements that reduce manual effort while maintaining strong controls

Qualifications:

Required

• 7+ years of payroll experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of federal and New York payroll laws and tax reporting.
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll requirements.
• Hands-on experience with payroll tax filings, including 941s, W-2s, and state filings.
• Advanced Excel skills, including reconciliations, large datasets, and analysis.
• Proven ability to manage and sustain payroll operations in a complex environment.

Preferred

• Healthcare and/or union payroll experience.
• Experience with payroll systems including Paylocity, Workday, ADP, or Paycom.
• CPP, CPA, or similar certification

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).