Payroll Transformation Leader (Workday + AI)

Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Kentucky; Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 301,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

Howard Hughes Medical Institute is seeking a Director of Payroll to redesign HHMI’s payroll operations into a Workday-native, AI-first system. You will own payroll end-to-end, ensure compliance across multi-state jurisdictions, and lead a team responsible for accuracy and timeliness.

Based at HQ in Chevy Chase, MD with a hybrid schedule, this role partners with People & Culture and Science to align payroll strategy with business needs and executive priorities.

Qualifications

• Deep payroll expertise across multi-state tax, wage and hour, garnishments, off-cycle and retro pay.
• Workday payroll configuration, automation, controls, and reporting.
• Fluent in AI tools for payroll improvement.
• Strategic thinker who partners with People & Culture and Science.
• Proven leadership of payroll teams.

Responsibilities

• Redesign payroll processes from first principles.
• Own payroll end-to-end, including compliance and controls.
• Make Workday do the work with automation and reporting.
• Apply AI to reduce manual effort and errors.
• Build customer service into the payroll design.
• Collaborate with People & Culture and Science and brief executive leadership.
• Lead the payroll team and develop skills.

Skills

Payroll expertise

Workday

AI tools

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional partnership

Tools

Workday

Job description

Howard Hughes Medical Institute is seeking a Director of Payroll to redesign HHMI’s payroll operations into a Workday-native, AI-first system. You will own payroll end-to-end, ensure compliance across multi-state jurisdictions, and lead a team responsible for accuracy and timeliness.

Based at HQ in Chevy Chase, MD with a hybrid schedule, this role partners with People & Culture and Science to align payroll strategy with business needs and executive priorities.