Director, Payroll Services - Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
About the Job
Overview
The Payroll Services department is dedicated to supporting the University’s teaching and research mission by striving to provide excellent customer service to all faculty, staff and students in the payments of their salaries, wages and stipends. The department is responsible for ensuring all employees are paid timely and accurately and that all payments and withholdings are made in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations. For calendar year 2020, the department processed payrolls totaling approximately $900 million in gross wages and more than 15,000 W-2 tax forms.
The Director, Payroll Services will directly manage and provide strategic and operational leadership for the development, improvement and maintenance of systems, processes and resources for the University’s Payroll operations. The position will lead the development and execution of strategies that ensure all payroll processes adhere to internal controls, federal and state regulatory pay requirements.
The Director must foster a positive culture and a high-performance business environment that delivers excellent service to faculty, staff, researchers and students as well as external customers on payroll matters that are often complex, deadline sensitive and heavily regulated. The director will work collaboratively with key university stakeholders including the Office of Human Resources, Finance and Treasury, Office of Information Technology, Graduate School and the Dean of the Faculty as well as external federal and state taxing agencies, auditors and vendors. The position will also oversee payroll processing for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) which the university manages on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.
This position will manage a team of six, including three direct reports.
The Office of Finance & Treasury actively searches for staff members of exceptional ability and promise who share in Princeton University's commitment to excellence, and who present a diversity of viewpoints and cultures. We offer varied professional opportunities spanning all aspects of financial management, analysis, and processing in support of the teaching and research mission. As part of the University community, we respect the dignity and individuality of each member while trying to foster a sense of shared experience and common purpose. We are unwavering in our commitment to both diversity and community and embrace the variety of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives of all of our colleagues.
Responsibilities
Provide Strategic and Operational Leadership
- Manage the overall operations and administration of payroll processing
- Responsible for payroll strategy, planning, communications and marketing
- Lead the payroll services team to ensure payroll operations occur on time and accurately.
- Evaluate processes for accuracy and efficiencies and drive continuous improvement throughout the Payroll Services department that results in reduced errors, increased productivity, strengthened controls, and improved service delivery and performance levels.
- Critically review and analyze current payroll, benefits, and tax procedures in order to recommend and implement changes leading to best practice operations
- Ensure compliance with all applicable government and regulatory laws, regulations, and requirements; as well as with internal guidelines, policies and procedures.
- Responsible for strategic input and functional support for the development, enhancement and operations of the payroll system in conjunction with Finance Technology and OIT
- Monitor the reconciliation and analysis of related balance sheet accounts, ledgers, and journals.
- Develop and maintain departmental policies and procedures.
- Ensures appropriate metrics are in place to measure and manage service levels, business risks and improve decision making.
- Support the University’s annual Financial Statements audit as well as other internal and external audits, investigations or reviews
- Develop and direct the preparation of reports summarizing payroll payments, deductions, withholdings, etc.
- Deliver information in support of financial statement reporting including the form 990.
- Ensure timely and accurate delivery of monthly, quarterly and year-end reporting deliverables including W2.
- Implement new reporting requirements
- Maintain documentation for reports inventory
Build and Strengthen Collaborations
- Participate in University-wide strategic initiatives and projects that interface with the PS HCM system and processes supported by Payroll Services
- Monitor the University’s relationship with ADP to ensure service delivery expectations are met as they relate to compliance, contractual agreements, and quality.
- Collaborate with key campus HR partners including Office of Human Resources, Dean of the Graduate School, Dean of the Faculty, Student Employment Office and PPPL to establish goals and objectives for an effective and efficient payroll operation.
- Strengthen partnership with the Global Financial Services team to ensure payroll services for non-residents are accurately processed and timely performed
- Oversee Payroll Services communication and training initiatives for campus stakeholders.
- Communicate information with stakeholders and establish improvement plans through operational review meetings.
Team Development
- Lead and provide strategic direction and support to the Payroll Services team on policies, procedures, and changes affecting payroll processes
- Develop a culture among the Payroll Services team that delivers a high level of customer service
- Manage talent acquisition and provide coaching, performance management, professional development and training.
Other Duties
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies
- Oversee assigned project work and performs other job-related duties as requested.
- Support ad-hoc data requests
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Management, or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 10 years of in-depth experience in payroll processing function
- At least 7 years payroll management experience in multi-state environment
- At least 5 years of experience with large and complex payroll management systems
- At least 5 years of experience performing a payroll function in a leadership role.
- Experience processing payroll for US and non-residents
- Experience in processing payroll for Non-US based citizens hired to work outside of the United States
- Demonstrated knowledge of relevant payroll laws and regulations.
- Strong ethics and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including strong execution, and timely and thorough follow-through.
- Ability to prioritize workload, utilize a wide degree of creativity and latitude to accomplish goals, understand business implications of decisions, and complete projects with minimal supervision.
- Ability to think through payroll processes and propose technological solutions to save time, improve controls and improve service quality.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks/projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical, diagnostic, and problem-solving skills. Attention to detail.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to communicate clearly with all levels within the organization.
- Excellent customer service focus.
- Effectively build and manage relationships with all levels in the organization
- Ability to collaborate, influence, and gain buy-in from disparate stakeholders
- Advanced level proficiency with Microsoft Office Tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- Experience using ad-hoc reporting tools
Preferred Qualifications:
- CPP (Certified Payroll Professional)
- Experience working in higher education
- Experience with PeopleSoft HRMS
- Advanced degree in business or related field
- Experience collaborating with a 3rd party payroll tax filing service
- Basic proficiency with Microsoft Visio
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
