Director, Payroll

Overview

Real Chemistry is seeking a Director of Payroll to lead end-to-end payroll operations for our U.S. employee population of approximately 1,700 employees across multiple entities. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll execution across salaried, hourly, and temporary workforces. The Director will serve as a key partner to HR and Finance, oversee a small team, and drive continuous improvement in payroll processes, controls, and systems to support a growing, multi-entity organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle U.S. payroll operations across multiple entities, including bi-monthly (salaried) and bi-weekly (hourly/temporary) payroll cycles
• Ensure accurate and timely processing for ~1,700 employees, including both permanent and contingent workforce populations
• Manage and develop a team of Payroll Analysts, providing coaching, performance management, and operational oversight
• Oversee payroll-related components including taxes, benefits, and 401(k), ensuring compliance across federal, state, and local jurisdictions
• Serve as a primary partner to HR and Finance on employee lifecycle events, reporting, reconciliations, and issue resolution
• Ensure compliance with all payroll regulations, including tax filings, audits, and resolution of agency notices
• Drive process optimization, documentation, and strengthening of internal controls to support audit readiness and scalability
• Support payroll-related system initiatives, including integrations and data flow optimization between payroll and HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP, Workday)

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of progressive payroll experience, including team leadership
• Deep expertise in multi-state U.S. payroll operations and regulatory compliance
• Hands-on experience with ADP (Workforce Now or similar platform) required
• Experience with Workday or other HRIS systems strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive data with a high level of accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality
• Strong cross-functional partnership skills with HR, Finance, and external providers
• Experience driving system implementations, integrations, and process improvements

Preferred Profile

• Strategic, hands-on leader who can balance operational execution with process transformation
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, multi-entity, and largely remote environment
• Proven ability to build scalable processes and enhance controls in a growing organization

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Payroll is consistently accurate, on time, and audit-ready
• Strong partnership with HR