Director of Payroll Jobs

Director of Payroll jobs are open across healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and technology, at levels from senior payroll manager to VP of Payroll, with specializations in multi-state compliance, payroll system implementation, and workforce analytics. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles25
Top stateNew York
Top employerDistro
Top cityBronx, NY
Work type60% Remote
Top industryEducation

Showing 4 of 25+ Director of Payroll jobs

Payroll Manager of HCM
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New 21h ago
Payroll Manager of HCM
Distro
Georgia
IT Support
Project Management
Technical Program Management
$62k - $85k/yr
High school diploma or GED

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Director of Benefits Compensation and Payroll
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Added 5d ago
Director of Benefits Compensation and Payroll
Beusa Energy
The Woodlands, Texas
Program Management
Project & Program Management
Project Management
Bachelor's degree in finance
11-50

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Payroll Administrator - Office of Finance and Accounting
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Added 6d ago
Payroll Administrator - Office of Finance and Accounting
City of Noblesville
Noblesville, Indiana
Accounting
Investment Banking & Capital Markets
$67k.12 - $75k.8/yr
201-500

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Senior Manager of Global Payroll - Workday
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Added 6d ago
Senior Manager of Global Payroll - Workday
Accurate Background, Inc.
Irvine, California
Consulting & Professional Services
Customer Service & Support
Customer Success
$130k - $170k/yr
Bachelor's degree
201-500

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Director of Payroll Job Market

Who's Hiring

Distro2 open roles
Haga Kommer2 open roles
BNY1 open role

Top Industries Hiring

  • Education

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in director of payroll jobs.

  • 7 or more years of progressive payroll experience, including at least 2 in a leadership role
  • Proficiency with enterprise payroll systems such as ADP Workforce Now, Ceridian Dayforce, or UKG
  • Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and multi-state filing requirements
  • CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification from the American Payroll Association
  • Experience managing payroll for a workforce of 1,000 or more employees across multiple jurisdictions
  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, human resources, or a related field

Tips for Your Director of Payroll Job Search

Quantify payroll volume on your resume

Hiring managers want to see the scale you've managed. State the number of employees in your payroll cycle, the frequency, and the states covered. Directors who've run payroll for 5,000-plus employees across multiple states stand out from those who list only software names.

Highlight multi-state compliance experience specifically

Many director of payroll postings screen for multi-state tax compliance and wage-and-hour law knowledge. Call out the specific states you've filed in and any experience with reciprocal agreements, state-specific garnishment rules, or year-end W-2 reconciliation at scale.

Lead with your payroll system migrations

Employers at the director level often need someone who can manage or oversee a system change. If you've led a migration from one platform to another, make that a headline achievement on your resume, not a buried bullet under daily responsibilities.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists director of payroll openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.

Prepare for a technical compliance interview round

Director of payroll interviews frequently include scenario questions on overtime calculations, retroactive pay corrections, and IRS deposit schedules. Rehearse walking through a real compliance problem you resolved, including the root cause, your decision, and the outcome.

Negotiate total comp using payroll-specific leverage

When negotiating, frame your value in terms of compliance risk reduced and audit exposure avoided. Directors who can speak to the cost of a payroll error or a failed audit tend to have stronger negotiating positions than those who rely on market rate comparisons alone.

Director of Payroll Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most director of payrolls?

The most active employers for director of payrolls right now are Distro, Haga Kommer, and BNY, and the most openings are in New York, Georgia, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Healthcare systems, large retailers, and professional services firms tend to post at this level most consistently.

How many director of payroll jobs are remote?

About 80% of director of payroll openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong employer flexibility at the senior level. Roles focused on payroll system administration and compliance reporting tend to be most remote-eligible, while positions tied to HR leadership teams or in-person workforce oversight are more likely to require on-site presence.

How do you become a director of payroll?

Most directors of payroll build toward the role by starting in payroll processing or coordination, then moving into a payroll manager position where they gain multi-state compliance experience and team leadership responsibility. Earning a CPP certification from the American Payroll Association strengthens your candidacy significantly. From there, taking ownership of a full payroll cycle, managing a system implementation, or leading an audit response are the experiences that typically open the door to director-level hiring.

Can you get a director of payroll job with limited senior experience?

Getting hired as a director of payroll without prior director-level experience is possible if you've managed a large, complex payroll function as a senior manager or led a high-stakes project like a system conversion or a multi-state expansion. Employers care more about the scope of what you've run than the title you held. Gaps in experience are easier to close if you hold a CPP certification and can point to measurable outcomes, such as reducing error rates or improving compliance reporting.

What does the director of payroll interview process look like?

The director of payroll interview process typically moves through an initial screening call with HR, a technical interview focused on compliance scenarios and system knowledge, and a final round with senior finance or HR leadership. Expect questions on how you've handled payroll discrepancies, managed audits, or led a team through a system change. Some employers add a case study or ask you to review a mock payroll register and identify issues.

Where can I find and apply to director of payroll jobs?

You can find and apply to director of payroll jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience and location preferences, then apply directly to each one that fits.

See All 25 Director of Payroll Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Director of Payroll Jobs