Payroll Director

Vaco; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco in New York, NY seeks a Director of Payroll to lead end-to-end payroll operations for a large healthcare employer. This hybrid role requires hands-on leadership, deep NYS/federal tax knowledge, and multi-state payroll experience to ensure accuracy and compliance.

You will optimize payroll structures, partner with HR and IT for HRIS implementations (Paylocity, Workday, ADP, Paycom), and build a high-performing team with strong controls and SOPs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive, full-cycle payroll experience with leadership responsibility.
• Deep knowledge of federal, NY state and local payroll regulations and multi-state withholding.
• Experience preparing payroll tax filings (Form 941s, W-2s) and year-end reporting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills for large data sets and reconciliations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end multi-state payroll processing for a large workforce.
• Lead payroll team with SOPs and performance metrics; drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with HR and IT to optimize HRIS/payroll systems (Paylocity, Workday, ADP, Paycom).
• Direct tax filings and reconciliations for federal, state, and local levels.
• Ensure internal controls and audit readiness across payroll processes.
• Provide pre-processing audits and analyze variances impacting costs and reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Multi-state payroll

Excel

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting

CPP/CPA preferred

Tools

Paylocity

Workday

ADP

Paycom

Job description

Director of Payroll

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)

Salary: $170,000-210,000

The Opportunity:

We are seeking an experienced Director of Payroll to lead, optimize, and scale the end-to-end payroll operations for a premier healthcare employer in New York State with nearly 4,000 employees.

Reporting to senior finance leadership, this permanent executive role is responsible for ensuring payroll accuracy, regulatory compliance, internal controls, and system efficiency. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on payroll leader with deep New York State and federal tax expertise, multi‑state exposure, and a proven track record of optimizing payroll structures, pay codes, and enterprise software platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end multi-state payroll processing for a large, complex workforce. Drive cross‑training, operational continuity, and performance metrics across the payroll team.
• Partner with HR and IT to optimize payroll and HRIS systems (including platforms such as Paylocity, Workday, ADP, and Paycom). Streamline pay codes, earnings/deductions structures, and department setups to eliminate manual workflows.
• Direct federal, New York State, and local payroll tax filings, reconciliations, and year‑end reporting (W‑2s, Form 941s, state filings). Manage multi‑state tax withholding for remote and hybrid employees.
• Perform pre‑processing audits and payroll outputs for accuracy. Identify trends or variances that impact workforce costs, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting.
• Establish and enforce robust internal control frameworks over payroll processing to mitigate operational risk, prevent overpayments, address misclassifications, and ensure full audit readiness.
• Lead, mentor, and build a high‑performing payroll team, establishing clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) and driving a culture of continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 7+ years of progressive, full‑cycle payroll experience, including direct leadership and team management responsibilities in a high‑volume, complex organizational setting.
• Deep technical expertise in federal, New York State, and local payroll regulations, wage‑and‑hour laws, and multi‑state tax withholding.
• Hands‑on experience preparing and reviewing payroll tax filings, including Form 941s, W‑2s, and state/local quarterly returns.
• Expert‑level Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, complex formulas, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, reconciliations, and handling large data sets).

Preferred Qualifications (Nice‑to‑Have)

• Background handling payroll within a Healthcare or Unionized environment.
• Hands‑on experience configuring or managing enterprise payroll platforms such as Paylocity, Workday, ADP, or Paycom.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or CPA designation.