Director Payroll

Durham School Services; Warrenville (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Holiday pay

PTO

Retirement plan

Job summary

Summit School Services in Warrenville, IL, seeks a Director of Payroll to oversee US and Canadian payroll, lead a payroll team, and ensure accurate, on‑time compensation in compliance with laws and contracts.

You will drive payroll process improvements, manage external providers, and partner with HR, IT and Finance to integrate payroll with HRIS platforms such as Oracle Fusion, Workday or SAP.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Payroll Administration, Accounting, Business.
• 10+ years’ experience in payroll and/or HR Services related areas.
• In-depth knowledge of payroll procedures, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with ADP, Oracle, and other payroll systems.
• Strong leadership and management skills with a demonstrated ability to lead a team.
• Experience managing multiple payrolls in a large payroll environment with multiple customer contracts and union collective bargaining agreements.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ability to use complex features.

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the daily operations of the US and Canadian payroll department.
• Ensure accurate and timely payment of compensation payable employees, while confirming correct processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, taxes, and other deductions.
• Oversee payroll reconciliations, audits, and regulatory procedures to ensure payroll tax reporting and remittance are timely and in compliance with applicable federal, state and local tax laws.
• Verify time and labor rules are set up correctly within the payroll system and follow customer contracts, union collective bargaining agreements, and corporate guidelines.
• Review exception reports, coordinate and resolve inaccurate information with field operations.
• Collaborate with various internal departments to ensure seamless integration of payroll processes and vendors into business processes.
• Lead, develop and performance manage payroll staff, provide guidance and support to ensure high performance and professional development of both onsite and remote team.
• Develop and maintain payroll policies and procedures that follow company policies and regulatory requirements. Ensure they are properly administered and communicated to employees.
• Drive automation, efficiency, and continuous improvement in payroll operations, including system upgrades, and integration with HRIS platforms like Oracle Fusion, Workday, or SAP.
• Maintain an effective internal control structure, with audit procedures that ensure the consistent application of payroll policies and practices.
• Manage external payroll service vendor relationships with a focus on process improvements, cost savings, and innovative technology solutions.
• Stay updated on changes in payroll technology, regulations, and processes.
• Prepare payroll reports and presentation for management and audit purposes.
• Manage escalated payroll issues and inquiries.

Skills

Payroll leadership

Analytical skills

Communication

Time management

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Payroll Administration, Accounting, Business

Tools

ADP

Oracle

Workday

SAP

Job description

Summit School Services companies share a strong commitment to provide the highest level of transportation safety, quality transportation, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations. Our corporate headquarters, located in Warrenville, Illinois, houses the administrative and corporate support functions for the organization. Our 250+ local customer service centers (CSCs) are supported by regional operations teams located throughout North America.

Position Overview

The Director of Payroll is responsible for overseeing all payroll procedures for Summit School Services (Summit LLC) in accordance with US federal, state, local laws, Canadian provisional regulations, and corporate policies. The position manages a team of payroll administrators, partners with various departments including Human Resources, HR Information Systems, Accounting, Finance, Operations, and Information Technology. Oversees external payroll service providers to ensure employees are compensated accurately and on time. Drives strategic improvements in payroll systems and processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the daily operations of the US and Canadian payroll department.
• Ensure accurate and timely payment of compensation payable employees, while confirming correct processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, taxes, and other deductions.
• Oversee payroll reconciliations, audits, and regulatory procedures to ensure payroll tax reporting and remittance are timely and in compliance with applicable federal, state and local tax laws.
• Verify time and labor rules are set up correctly within the payroll system and follow customer contracts, union collective bargaining agreements, and corporate guidelines.
• Review exception reports, coordinate and resolve inaccurate information with field operations.
• Collaborate with various internal departments to ensure seamless integration of payroll processes and vendors into business processes.
• Lead, develop and performance manage payroll staff, provide guidance and support to ensure high performance and professional development of both onsite and remote team.
• Develop and maintain payroll policies and procedures that follow company policies and regulatory requirements. Ensure they are properly administered and communicated to employees.
• Drive automation, efficiency, and continuous improvement in payroll operations, including system upgrades, and integration with HRIS platforms like Oracle Fusion, Workday, or SAP.
• Maintain an effective internal control structure, with audit procedures that ensure the consistent application of payroll policies and practices.
• Manage external payroll service vendor relationships with a focus on process improvements, cost savings, and innovative technology solutions.
• Stay updated on changes in payroll technology, regulations, and processes.
• Prepare payroll reports and presentation for management and audit purposes.
• Manage escalated payroll issues and inquiries.

The annual salary range is $150k - $165k.

Qualifications

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Payroll Administration, Accounting, Business, or related field.
• 10+ years’ experience in payroll and/or HR Services related areas.
• In-depth knowledge of payroll procedures, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with ADP, Oracle, and other payroll systems.
• Strong leadership and management skills with a demonstrated ability to lead a team.
• Experience managing multiple payrolls in a large payroll environment with multiple customer contracts and union collective bargaining agreements.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management abilities.
• High level of integrity and ability to maintain confidential information.
• Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate and interact positively and professionally with all levels of individuals, both internal and external.
• Proficiency in MS Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ability to use complex features.

Summit School Services has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with its policies and values, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. Summit School Services is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children and passengers.

We offer medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance coverage, holiday pay, and PTO accrual. Additionally, employees are able to enroll in a retirement savings plan.

At Summit School Services our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Summit School Services LLC’s independent subsidiaries and affiliates are an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer

The pay rate range, along with most all of the other terms and conditions of employment, vary between different sites, geographical markets, customer/ contractual terms and positions.