Director of Payroll - Higher Ed & Multi-State Lead

American Musical and Dramatic Academy; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

AMDA College of the Performing Arts seeks a Director of Payroll to lead payroll operations for its Los Angeles and New York campuses and nationwide remote staff. This role directly supervises Payroll Administrators and personally processes full-cycle biweekly payroll for staff and student employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Reporting to the CFO and Senior VP of HR, the director ensures compliance with federal, state, and local requirements, maintains controls, and leads process

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, Business Admin, or related field (or equivalent).
• At least seven years of progressive payroll experience with supervisory responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of California and New York payroll laws and wage‑hour rules.
• Experience in higher education or multi‑campus payroll preferred.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or similar payroll system.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll operations for AMDA’s Los Angeles and New York campuses and remote employees nationwide.
• Directly supervise the Payroll Administrator(s) and ensure timely payroll processing.
• Personally process full-cycle, biweekly payroll for staff and student employees.
• Audit and approve payrolls across locations before submission.
• Ensure compliance with payroll-related laws and internal policies.
• Provide responsive payroll support to employees and leadership.

Skills

Leadership experience

Payroll expertise

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Multi-state payroll

Problem solving

Supervisory experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, Business Admin, or related field

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Payroll systems

Job description

AMDA College of the Performing Arts seeks a Director of Payroll to lead payroll operations for its Los Angeles and New York campuses and nationwide remote staff. This role directly supervises Payroll Administrators and personally processes full-cycle biweekly payroll for staff and student employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Reporting to the CFO and Senior VP of HR, the director ensures compliance with federal, state, and local requirements, maintains controls, and leads process