Director of Payroll Systems & Technology

Tucker Parker Smith Group (TPS Group); Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Tucker Parker Smith Group (TPS Group) in Culver City, CA seeks a Director of Payroll Applications & Technology to lead the strategy, reliability, modernization, and support of the payroll tech ecosystem for North America.

This executive role combines strategic vision with hands-on payroll systems expertise, owning the technical roadmap for payroll and workforce management applications and guiding vendor partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in payroll systems, HRIS, workforce management, payroll technology, or related enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated experience leading business-critical payroll technology environments and technical teams.
• Hands-on experience configuring, administering, implementing, or troubleshooting enterprise payroll or workforce management platforms.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end payroll

Responsibilities

• Own the technology strategy, health, operating model, and multiyear roadmap for payroll and workforce management applications.
• Lead modernization initiatives to improve reliability, automation, scalability, controls, analytics, and user experience.
• Set technical standards across configuration, integrations, reporting, automation, security, and controls.
• Oversee integrations and data flows between payroll systems and enterprise platforms like Workday, SAP Finance, banking, tax, and time & attendance.
• Provide senior technical leadership for complex payroll production issues involving applications, integrations, calculations, timekeeping, data, and postings.
• Lead root-cause analysis and permanent resolution of critical incidents with data analysis and testing.
• Ensure temporary workarounds are replaced with Sustainable long-term solutions.
• Provide leadership during payroll cycles, system releases, go-lives, and stabilization periods.
• Mentor payroll technology resources and establish standards around ownership, responsiveness, and documentation.
• Build internal capabilities through coaching, playbooks, and knowledge management.
• Manage technology vendors, budgets, contracts, SLAs, and vendor performance.
• Partner with Payroll Operations, HR Technology, Finance, Information Security, Audit, and other stakeholders.
• Provide clear executive communication on system health, incidents, priorities, and progress.
• Maintain technical documentation, change controls, runbooks, and audit-ready materials.
• Ensure payroll technology complies with payroll and tax requirements, SOX, data privacy, and audit controls.

Skills

Payroll systems

HRIS

Workforce management

Leadership

Vendor management

Enterprise applications

Technical leadership

Tools

Infor WFM

UKG Payroll

Workday

SAP Finance

Job description

Director, Payroll Applications & Technology

Pay Rate: $95–$100/hour

Location: Culver City, CA

W-2 assignment budgeted through 3/26/2027

About the Company

A leading global entertainment and media organization with operations spanning film, television, content production, distribution, and digital entertainment. The organization operates a complex, large-scale environment supporting diverse employee populations and business operations across North America.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director, Payroll Applications & Technology to lead the strategy, reliability, modernization, and support of the technology ecosystem supporting North American payroll.

This position combines strategic technology leadership with hands‑on payroll systems expertise. The Director will own the technical roadmap for payroll and workforce management applications, lead technical teams and vendor partners, oversee complex implementations and enhancements, and provide senior‑level leadership during critical payroll production issues.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience with enterprise payroll and workforce management systems, strong knowledge of end‑to‑end payroll processes, and the technical depth to troubleshoot complex application, integration, data, and configuration issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the technology strategy, technical health, operating model, and multiyear roadmap for payroll and workforce management applications, including Infor WFM and UKG Payroll.
• Lead modernization initiatives focused on improving system reliability, automation, scalability, controls, analytics, and the overall payroll user experience.
• Establish and maintain technical standards across system configuration, integrations, reporting, automation, security, and controls.
• Oversee integrations and data flows between payroll systems and enterprise platforms including Workday, SAP Finance, banking, tax, and time & attendance systems.
• Provide senior technical leadership for complex payroll production issues involving applications, integrations, calculations, timekeeping, access, data, and financial postings.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and permanent resolution of critical incidents through data analysis, configuration and log reviews, interface tracing, testing, and business validation.
• Ensure temporary workarounds are controlled and replaced with sustainable long‑term solutions.
• Provide leadership during critical payroll cycles, system releases, implementations, cutovers, go‑lives, and stabilization periods.
• Lead, mentor, and develop payroll technology resources while establishing strong standards around ownership, responsiveness, documentation, and technical rigor.
• Build internal capabilities through coaching, cross‑training, support playbooks, diagnostic standards, knowledge management, and succession planning.
• Manage technology vendors, contractors, managed service providers, budgets, contracts, statements of work, service levels, and overall vendor performance.
• Partner closely with Payroll Operations, HR Technology, Finance, Information Security, Audit, integration teams, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide clear executive‑level communication regarding system health, incidents, priorities, project progress, risks, dependencies, and required decisions.
• Maintain current technical documentation, testing evidence, change controls, runbooks, support procedures, and audit‑ready materials.
• Ensure payroll technology solutions comply with payroll and tax requirements, collective bargaining agreements, SOX, information security, data privacy, and audit controls.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in payroll systems, HRIS, workforce management, payroll technology, or related enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated experience leading business‑critical payroll technology environments and technical teams.
• Hands‑on experience configuring, administering, implementing, or troubleshooting enterprise payroll or workforce management platforms.
• Strong understanding of end‑to‑end payroll