Director Payroll Services ( Hybrid )

 

When you join Sunrise Senior Living, you will be able to use your unique skills to empower residents to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Not only will you build meaningful relationships with residents, their families, and team members alike, you will also gain joy in serving others and deep fulfillment in your work. Explore how you can follow your passions and shed light on meaningful ways to serve, grow, and shine together.

Sunrise Senior Living was again certified as a Great Place to Work® by Activated Insights. This is the 7th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

COMMUNITY NAME

Community Support Office

Job ID

2025-227394

JOB OVERVIEW

The Director Payroll Services provides enterprise-level leadership for payroll strategy, operations and compliance across Sunrise’s U.S. and Canadian locations while mentoring and developing a high-performing payroll team and serving as the most senior escalation point for complex payroll and compliance matters. This role oversees the execution of all payroll services, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant payroll delivery while driving innovation, automation and scalability within payroll systems and processes. The role also partners with senior leaders in Human Resources (HR), Finance, Legal, Information Technology (IT) and Operations to align payroll initiatives with organizational strategy, manage compliance risk and deliver a best-in-class experience for Sunrise team members. In addition, this role leads cross-functional initiatives related to system enhancements, process transformation, audits and organizational growth, including M&A activity.

RESPONSIBILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS

  Responsibilities:As a part of the Sunrise team, supporting our Mission, Principles of Service and Core Values is a fundamental part of this job. Our foundational belief is the sacred value of human life. The unique responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to the essential functions listed as follows:• Lead enterprise-wide payroll strategy, including transformation initiatives that improve scalability, automation and cost-efficiency• Provide strategic direction and oversight of payroll operations across the U.S. and Canada, ensuring timely and accurate processing for a large, multi-state/provincial workforce• Oversee payroll compliance and risk management, ensuring adherence to all applicable tax laws, wage and hour regulations and internal controls• Lead all payroll-related audit activities, including internal audits, SOX compliance and financial reporting audits, ensuring controls are documented, tested and refined as needed• Drive the optimization and continuous improvement of payroll systems, particularly Workday Payroll and Time Tracking, collaborating closely with IT and HRIS to enhance functionality and system integration• Lead cross-functional collaboration with HR, Legal, Finance and Operations to support complex organizational priorities, such as M&A integrations, workforce changes and policy updates• Oversee payroll-related month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities, including journal entries, reconciliations, and financial analytics• Develop and maintain payroll-related KPIs and service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring a consistent, high-quality team member experience across all communities• Guide the development and implementation of standardized payroll policies, procedures and internal documentation to support audit readiness and regulatory compliance• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex payroll matters and inquiries, ensuring rapid, accurate resolution and continuous process improvement• Mentor and coach the payroll leadership team and staff, supporting career development, team engagement and professional growth• Maintain compliance in assigned required training and all training required by state/province or other regulating authorities as applicable to this role to ensure that Sunrise standards are always met• Perform other duties as assigned Core Competencies: • Proven leadership in payroll operations with the ability to drive large-scale transformation, system optimization and operational efficiency• Deep knowledge of complex payroll compliance requirements, including multi-state/provincial taxation, wage and hour laws and payroll accounting practices• Demonstrated expertise in Workday’s enterprise-level payroll system, with experience leading implementations and enhancements• Highly developed cross-functional collaboration and influencing skills, with the ability to build consensus and drive change across departments• Strategic thinking and analytical rigor to develop and implement scalable payroll solutions that align with long-term business goals• Exceptional leadership and team development skill