Director of Payroll

Belmont University; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Belmont University is seeking a Director of Payroll to provide strategic and operational oversight of all payroll activities. You will own the Oracle Cloud HCM/Payroll environment, guide system architecture, and ensure accurate, timely pay for faculty, staff, and student workers.

You will lead a payroll team, manage tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, and collaborate with Finance, HR, and campus leadership to optimize controls and processes while maintaining SOX-compliant records.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Seven to nine years of progressively more complex payroll experience.
• Experience with Oracle Cloud/HCM strongly preferred.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to meet fixed deadlines in a high-pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Direct end-to-end payroll operations, including biweekly and monthly payroll processing for faculty, staff, and student employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Lead the Oracle Cloud HCM/Payroll strategy, configuration, testing, upgrades, and integration with Finance and HR systems; serve as SME post-go-live.
• Oversee multi-state and remote-employee tax compliance, maintaining withholding accounts and ensuring timely filings.
• Supervise, coach, and develop the payroll team, including hiring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Own payroll compliance and SOX-aligned recordkeeping, coordinating with internal and external auditors.
• Partner with Finance, HR, Budget, and leadership on compensation changes and year-end processes (W-2, ACA, 1042-S).
• Drive continuous improvement of payroll processes and document standard operating procedures.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Tax compliance

Payroll systems

Oracle Cloud/HCM

Analytical skills

Leadership

Microsoft Office

Deadline-oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Oracle Cloud/HCM

Job description

We are now accepting applications for a qualified Director of Payroll at Belmont University.

Employment Type

Staff

Internal Job Category

Exempt (Staff) Full-Time

Department

Finance and Accounting

Hours

37.5

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Director of Payroll leads the university's payroll function, providing strategic and operational oversight for all payroll processing, tax compliance, and payroll systems administration. This role directs the payroll team, serves as the institution's primary owner of the Oracle Cloud HCM/Payroll platform, and partners with Finance, Human Resources, and campus leadership to ensure accurate, compliant, and timely pay for the university community. The Director is accountable for the internal controls, regulatory compliance, and system strategy that protect the university's payroll operations at scale.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff in the department.
• Oversees the daily workflow of the department.
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Direct the university's end-to-end payroll operations, including biweekly and monthly payroll processing, ensuring accurate and on-time pay for all faculty, staff, and student employees. Serve as the executive-level owner of payroll accuracy, controls, and disbursement integrity.
• Lead the university's Oracle Cloud HCM/Payroll strategy, including system configuration, testing, upgrades, and integration with Finance and HR systems. Serve as the institution's primary subject matter expert during the Oracle implementation and as the ongoing owner of payroll system architecture post-go-live.
• Oversee multi-state and out-of-state tax compliance, including establishing and maintaining state withholding accounts, monitoring remote-employee footprint, and ensuring timely, accurate filing and payment across all applicable jurisdictions.
• Supervise, coach, and develop the payroll team, including hiring, performance management, workload distribution, and succession planning. Build team capability in Oracle and modern payroll practices.
• Own payroll compliance and audit readiness, including federal, state, and local wage and tax law, internal controls, SOX-aligned recordkeeping, and coordination with internal and external auditors.
• Partner with Finance, Human Resources, Budget, and academic and administrative leadership on compensation changes, labor cost reporting, benefits reconciliation, and year-end processes (W-2, ACA, 1042-S).
• Drive continuous improvement of payroll processes and internal controls, identifying automation opportunities within Oracle to reduce manual work and risk, and documenting standard operating procedures.

Required Qualifications

Belmont University seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff who will support our mission and vision. As a Christ-centered and student-focused community, we aim to:

• Form diverse leaders of character;
• Equip people to solve the world’s complex problems through teaching, research and service;
• And be radical champions for helping people and communities flourish.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field required. Master's degree in a related field preferred. Experience can substitute for education at the discretion of Human Resources, based on directly relevant progressive payroll leadership experience.
• Seven to nine years of progressively more complex payroll experience is required.
• Payroll operations, tax compliance, payroll systems leadership.
• Direct experience with Oracle Cloud/HCM strongly preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of the payroll function including preparation, balancing, internal control, and payroll taxes.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Experience with meeting fixed deadlines and work in a periodically high-pressured role.

Required Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field required. Master's degree in related field preferred. Experience can substitute for education at the discretion of Human Resources, based on directly relevant progressive payroll leadership experience.

Required Experience

Seven to Nine years of progressively more complex payroll experience is required. Payroll operations, tax compliance, payroll systems leadership. Direct experience with Oracle Cloud/HCM strongly preferred.

The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.

Belmont University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Belmont University is a Christ-centered community. The University faculty, administration, and staff uphold Jesus as the Christ and as the measure for all things. As a community seeking to uphold Christian standards of morality, ethics, and conduct, Belmont University holds high expectations of each person who chooses to join the community. In compliance with federal law, including provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973/the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or sexual orientation in its administration of education policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; or employment. Consistent with applicable civil rights law, the University primarily hires employees of the Christian faith who are committed to support the mission of the University. The University has appointed the Chief Human Resources Officer/Deputy Title IX Coordinator to serve as coordinator of non-discrimination compliance for staff and faculty. The Director of Institutional Equity and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator serves as coordinator of compliance for Title IX (sex discrimination) issues and questions for students. Click here to learn more.

*In accordance with accrediting standards for its professional education programs in law and medicine, the University does not apply religious criteria in hiring employees within those programs. All employees hired by the University, regardless of religious faith, shall be committed to Belmont’s Christ-centered, student-focused mission.

Belmont's Office of Human Resources will conduct ongoing evaluations of the means by which candidates for employment are sought, to the end that the pool of candidates will include qualified women, minorities, veterans and disabled individuals. Belmont University is an equal opportunity employer under all applicable civil rights laws.