Assistant Payroll Director

Job Details

Posting Number: PG194698EP

Internal Recruitment: No

Working Title: Assistant Payroll Director

Anticipated Hiring Range: $120,000 - $123,000

Work Schedule: Core Business Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (This position is eligible for a flexible work arrangement to include hybrid remote work).

Job Location: Raleigh, NC

Department: University Controller's Office

About the Department

The University Controller’s Office is a department within the Finance Division. The office has business units covering the following areas: general accounting, cash services, asset management, financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable, debt, and the university’s tax compliance.

The University Controller’s Office works to advance NC State as a leader in fiscal accountability and responsibility through partnerships with our campus community, strong relationships with our peer groups, improvements in the University’s financial systems and internal controls, and efficient and effective business operations. The office continues to focus on collaborative efforts and on providing fiscal leadership, oversight, accounting, reporting, training, and outreach services that exemplify the highest standards of quality, performance, and service. Having professional staff and managers with imagination, knowledge, and people skills is paramount in the successful implementation of these goals.

The University Controller’s Office is responsible for fiscal accountability, accuracy, and reporting of the university with a net position of approximately $2.0 billion, including timely and accurate payment of monthly and biweekly wages to over 18,000 staff, faculty, student workers, and temporary employees, over 117,000 vendor payments annually, and management of a $550 million external debt portfolio.

The University Payroll section of the University Controller’s Office is responsible for 1) timely and accurate payment of wages to approximately 10,000 monthly and 8,000 biweekly staff, faculty, undergraduate and graduate student workers, postdocs, foreign national, and temporary employees with an annual payroll of over $1.3 billion; 2) proper deduction, monthly plan reconciliation and vendor payment of mandatory, voluntary and statutory (garnishment) deduction plans, including the employer’s matching contributions for retirement and health insurance; and 3) compliance for, payment to, and proper reporting of wages and tax withholdings to the federal government and approximately 35 states and territories.

Essential Job Duties

The Assistant Payroll Director serves as a trusted partner to the Payroll Director, helping lead payroll operations for one of the state’s largest and most complex employers. This position provides leadership across payroll administration, tax compliance, financial oversight, systems management, and staff development, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with evolving regulations. In this role you will play a critical part in supporting business continuity, guiding strategic payroll initiatives, and delivering reliable payroll services to the university community.

Key Responsibilities fall within the following four functional areas.

Leadership & Personnel Management

• Supervise the Payroll Tax Manager, Foreign National Tax Manager, and broader payroll staff, including training, performance management, and professional development.
• Serve as a delegate for the Payroll Director, providing leadership for payroll operations, strategic planning, and business continuity efforts.
• Serve as the primary contact for internal, external, and state auditors.

Financial Oversight & Compliance

• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll-related financial transactions, including payments to tax agencies, retirement systems, and benefit providers, year-end reconciliation activities, payroll and benefit expense distribution, and review of salary encumbrances.
• Review payroll tax documentation, resolve complex tax-related issues, and support responses to W-2 inquiries.
• Maintain internal controls, separation of duties, and documentation standards for payroll transactions and adjustments.

Operational Strategy, Systems & Reporting

• Lead payroll-related system upgrades, testing, documentation, and implementation activities while partnering with technical teams to support payroll resiliency, disaster recovery, and business continuity initiatives.
• Participate in governance and planning activities related to HR and payroll systems.
• Compile, analyze, and report payroll performance metrics and key performance indicators.

Problem Resolution & Communication

• Investigate payroll discrepancies, coordinate corrective actions, and manage repayment and collection processes when necessary.
• Advise university departments on payroll regulations, tax requirements, and implementation of legislative or policy changes.
• Coordinate payroll-related communications through websites, listservs, mass communications, and other university channels.

Other Responsibilities: In addition to the core responsibilities of this role, there will be occasional opportunities to participate in special projects.

Minimum Education and Experience

Requires post-baccalaureate credentials with 7+ years of relevant experience, including or exceeded by 2+ years of supervisory experience; a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of experience, including or exceeded by 1-2 years of supervisory experience, may be substituted for the advanced qualifications on an exceptional basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of federal and state employment laws and payroll tax regulations, including Internal Revenue Code requirements.
• Payroll administration in a large, complex organization with multiple funding sources, employing entities, foreign national payments, and multistate payroll considerations.
• Customer service experience involving consultation, issue resolution, and professional written communication with diverse stakeholders.
• Use of PeopleSoft Query, SQL, or similar tools to analyze, interpret, and report payroll, financial, or HR data.
• Ability to adapt to changing regulations, systems, priorities, and organizational needs while maintaining service quality and compliance.
• Experience handling confidential employee and financial information while exercising sound judgment and discretion.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please provide the following: Resume, Cover Letter, Contact Information for at least 5 PROFESSIONAL references, 2 of which MUST be current or former direct managers or supervisors.

Use your cover letter to highlight specific examples that demonstrate your experience with complex payroll operations, compliance-related problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. Focus on how you approach accuracy, deadlines, and process improvement in a high-volume environment.