Director of HR and Payroll

Primary responsibilities

HR governance and employee relations

· Develop, maintain, interpret, and administer HR policies, procedures, handbook provisions, and employment practices.

· Advise leaders on employment law, investigations, complaints, corrective action, performance improvement plans, accommodations, leave, and termination.

· Lead formal investigations and maintain complete, confidential, and legally defensible documentation.

· Oversee FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEOC, E-Verify, I-9, unemployment, employment records, regulatory reporting, and HR audits.

Payroll, benefits, compensation, and systems

· Direct payroll operations, payroll tax filings, year-end reporting, deductions, garnishments, PTO accruals, prevailing-wage compliance, and payroll controls.

· Oversee benefits administration, open enrollment, brokers, carriers, employee communications, and applicable benefit-plan compliance.

· Administer pay structures, approved compensation changes, incentive-plan documentation, and compensation processes.

· Own HRIS and payroll-system administration and employee-data integrity.

· Partner with the Controller on payroll accounting, labor-cost allocation, reconciliations, benefit accounting, budgets, and financial reporting.

Recruiting administration and screening

· Maintain approved job descriptions, classifications, compensation ranges, requisitions, and selection documentation.

· Conduct or coordinate application review, minimum-qualification screening, background checks, drug testing, references when required, and employment-eligibility verification.

· Prepare and administer approved offers, employment documents, new-hire records, and required notices.

· Review interview questions, scoring tools, candidate records, and hiring practices for compliance.

Leadership and administration

· Lead, train, and cross-train HR and payroll personnel and establish service standards and measurable goals.

· Provide the Controller with timely operational, compliance, staffing, budget, and risk information while protecting need-to-know confidentiality.

· Improve HR and payroll workflows through automation, standardization, and continuous improvement.

Required coordination and escalation

Coordination points

· Coordinate with People & Culture before changes affecting recruiting workflow, onboarding experience, engagement, leadership development, employee communication, or retention.

· People & Culture refers policy, pay, benefits, leave, accommodation, complaints, investigations, discipline, termination, and other formal employment matters to HR.

· Notify the Controller promptly of material compliance, payroll, benefit, staffing, budget, litigation, or employment risk.

· Escalate executive employment matters, significant legal exposure, and unresolved role conflicts to the President