Senior Payroll Operations Leader - Hybrid, AI-Driven

Pennant Services; Eagle (ID); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

True Work-Life balance

Full benefits package

PTO & holidays

Professional development

Leadership exposure

Job summary

Pennant Services in the United States seeks a senior payroll leader to drive end-to-end payroll operations, strategy, and continuous improvement across a multi-entity environment. You will oversee integrations, governance, and scalable technology enablement with a focus on accuracy and compliance.

The role partners with Tax, Time & Attendance, HRIS, Finance and Legal to translate enterprise priorities into roadmaps, mentor analysts, and push automation and AI-enabled opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, HR, information systems, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including leadership in a complex, multi-state, multi-entity environment.
• Demonstrated experience with Workday Payroll, integrations, implementation or transformation leadership, controls, and process redesign.
• CPP, PMP, or comparable payroll/program credential preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll operations strategy, service delivery, controls, and continuous improvement.
• Lead future integrations for acquisitions, joint ventures, and new business; establish readiness, validation, cutover, and stabilization plans.
• Direct payroll optimization, automation, AI-enabled opportunities, systems enhancements, testing, and production governance.
• Translate enterprise priorities into a sequenced roadmap with accountable owners, milestones, risks, and measurable outcomes.
• Exercise authority over operating methods, resource deployment, escalations, and recommendations affecting payroll policy and systems.
• Lead and develop assigned payroll analysts; set priorities, review complex work, and maintain backup coverage.
• Partner with Payroll Tax, Time & Attendance, HRIS, Finance, Legal, and business leaders on cross-functional decisions.
• Own function-level SOPs, policies, control evidence, audit readiness, and issue remediation.

Skills

Workday Payroll

Payroll leadership

Multi-state payroll

Process redesign

CPP/PMP preferred

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, HR, information systems, or equivalent experience

Tools

HRIS systems

Job description

Pennant Services in the United States seeks a senior payroll leader to drive end-to-end payroll operations, strategy, and continuous improvement across a multi-entity environment. You will oversee integrations, governance, and scalable technology enablement with a focus on accuracy and compliance.

The role partners with Tax, Time & Attendance, HRIS, Finance and Legal to translate enterprise priorities into roadmaps, mentor analysts, and push automation and AI-enabled opportunities.