Director of Payroll
📍 Brentwood, Tennessee (Hybrid)
💼 Full-Time | Senior Leadership Opportunity
💰 $145,000 – $160,000 Base Salary
🎁 Signing Bonus: Negotiable
📦 Relocation Assistance Available
✈️ Up to 20% Travel
❌ No Visa Sponsorship Available
Lead Payroll Operations at Enterprise Scale
An industry-leading organization is seeking a Director of Payroll to lead payroll operations for a highly complex, multi-state workforce of approximately 55,000 employees nationwide.
This is a rare opportunity for an accomplished payroll leader to step into a highly visible role where you'll influence both payroll operations and payroll technology strategy. You'll serve as the operational leader for enterprise payroll while acting as the key business owner for Oracle Payroll, partnering closely with HR, Finance, and IT to optimize systems, drive efficiencies, and support ongoing transformation initiatives.
If you're passionate about operational excellence, process improvement, and leveraging technology to improve payroll performance at scale, this could be the career-defining opportunity you've been looking for.
What You'll Be Doing
Enterprise Payroll Leadership
Lead payroll operations across a large, multi-state employee population.
Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple payroll cycles.
Provide strategic leadership to a payroll function consisting of:
2 Payroll Managers
Approximately 40 indirect team members
Drive operational excellence, accountability, and service delivery improvements.
Oracle Payroll Leadership
Serve as the business owner and subject matter expert for Oracle Payroll.
Partner closely with HR, Finance, HRIS, and IT teams.
Lead post-implementation Oracle Payroll activities including:
Quarterly release testing
Payroll validation
Troubleshooting and issue resolution
System enhancements
Ongoing optimization efforts
Support future payroll transformation initiatives and additional in-sourcing activities.
Process Improvement & Transformation
Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes and workflows.
Drive automation and operational efficiencies.
Improve reporting, controls, compliance, and system functionality.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance both employee and business outcomes.
What We're Looking For
Required Experience
✔ 10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience within large, complex organizations
✔ Hands-on experience with:
Oracle Fusion Payroll
Oracle Payroll Cloud
Enterprise Oracle Payroll environments
✔ Demonstrated post-go-live Oracle Payroll experience including:
Quarterly release testing
Payroll validation
Troubleshooting
Enhancement requests
System optimization
✔ Experience serving as:
Payroll Business Lead
Payroll Subject Matter Expert (SME)
✔ Strong partnership experience working alongside:
HR
Finance
HRIS
IT
✔ Multi-state payroll leadership experience
✔ Proven experience leading payroll teams within enterprise or shared services environments
✔ Deep understanding of:
Payroll operations
Payroll compliance
Payroll accounting
General ledger reconciliation
Preferred Experience
⭐ Oracle Payroll implementation experience
⭐ Oracle HCM experience
⭐ Shared Services environments
⭐ Payroll automation initiatives
⭐ Payroll transformation and process improvement projects
⭐ Healthcare industry experience strongly preferred
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will have owned payroll operations within an Oracle Payroll environment—not simply participated in an implementation project.
We're seeking a leader who has actively managed payroll following Oracle go-live and has hands-on experience with:
Quarterly releases
Payroll testing and validation
System enhancements
Troubleshooting
Operational optimization
Candidates whose Oracle experience is limited to ERP, Financials, HRIS consulting, project management, or HCM implementations without direct payroll ownership are unlikely to be a fit.
Why This Opportunity Stands Out
✅ Executive-level visibility and influence
✅ Lead payroll operations for a 55,000-employee enterprise
✅ Significant Oracle Payroll ownership and strategic impact
✅ Opportunity to drive transformation, automation, and process improvements
✅ Collaborative leadership environment with strong cross-functional partnerships
✅ Relocation support available
✅ Hybrid work arrangement
✅ Stable organization with long-term growth initiatives
Interview Process
Talent Acquisition Interview
Senior Payroll Leadership Interview
Executive Leadership Interview
Screening Questions
1. Oracle Payroll Experience
Please describe your hands-on experience with Oracle Payroll. Which version(s) have you supported, and what were your primary responsibilities?
2. Post-Go-Live Support
Describe your experience supporting Oracle Payroll after implementation. What role have you played in:
Quarterly release testing
Troubleshooting
Payroll validation
Enhancement requests
Ongoing optimization
3. Payroll Leadership Scope
Describe the largest payroll operation you've led, including:
Number of employees
Number of payroll cycles
States supported
Team size and leadership responsibilities
4. Business Leadership Experience
Have you served as the Payroll business lead or subject matter expert partnering directly with HR, Finance, HRIS, and IT teams? Please provide an example.
Ready for Your Next Leadership Challenge?
This is an exceptional opportunity for an enterprise payroll leader with deep Oracle Payroll expertise to take ownership of a large-scale payroll function, influence technology strategy, and help shape the future of payroll operations within a complex national organization.