Payroll Director — Multi-State & Equity Programs

Starz; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Coverage – Medical, Vision, and D

Annual discretionary bonus

Work/Life Balance – sick/vacation/hol/

401(k) company matching

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

STARZ in Santa Monica, CA is seeking a Director, Payroll to lead the payroll function across the organization, ensuring timely, accurate payments and strict compliance with laws. You will guide a multidisciplinary team and partner with Finance, Tax, HR and external vendors.

The role requires 8+ years multi-state payroll, equity compensation expertise, and proficiency with Workday and ADP SmartCompliance. You’ll drive process improvements, automation, and strong controls to support payroll

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years multi-state payroll experience
• Experience in equity compensation, stock administration, and payroll integration processes
• Extensive knowledge of Workday & ADP SmartCompliance
• Excel expertise and advanced MS Office skills
• Extensive knowledge of multi-state payroll (CA, CO, NY) regulations and procedures
• Experience creating and implementing payroll systems and processes
• Strong urgency to meet deadlines and maintain confidentiality
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Working knowledge of payroll tax at federal, state, and local levels

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll administration for multi-state payroll, ensuring accuracy and on-time processing
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll requirements
• Oversee payroll balancing, audits, and period-end reporting (tax forms and wage statements)
• Manage equity compensation payroll activities (grants, vesting, exercises)
• Ensure taxes related to equity compensation are calculated, withheld, and remitted
• Maintain payroll controls to support accuracy and regulatory adherence
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows and automation
• Collaborate with Finance, Tax, HR and external vendors to resolve payroll issues
• Manage relationships with payroll vendors and auditors
• Handle employee pay questions and requests

Skills

Strong communication

Deadline driven

Confidentiality

Leadership

Education

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

Tools

Workday

ADP SmartCompliance

Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

STARZ in Santa Monica, CA is seeking a Director, Payroll to lead the payroll function across the organization, ensuring timely, accurate payments and strict compliance with laws. You will guide a multidisciplinary team and partner with Finance, Tax, HR and external vendors.

The role requires 8+ years multi-state payroll, equity compensation expertise, and proficiency with Workday and ADP SmartCompliance. You’ll drive process improvements, automation, and strong controls to support payroll