Head of Payroll Operations

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Payroll Operations based in United States.

The Head of Payroll Operations will lead the development and scaling of a modern payroll function supporting businesses in the agricultural sector. This role combines operational leadership, compliance expertise, customer partnership, and process innovation to deliver accurate and reliable payroll services. You will own payroll operations strategy, build high-performing teams, and establish scalable systems that improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. Working in a fast-paced technology environment, you will collaborate closely with product, sales, and implementation teams to enhance payroll solutions. The ideal candidate is a strategic payroll leader who enjoys solving complex operational challenges and building processes from the ground up. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by transforming how workforce management and payroll are delivered to customers.

Accountabilities:: The Head of Payroll Operations will oversee the end-to-end delivery of payroll services, ensuring accuracy, compliance, operational excellence, and exceptional customer experiences. This role requires a hands-on leader who can build teams, optimize processes, and partner across functions to support business growth.

Lead and scale payroll operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll execution for all customers.

Design, improve, and standardize payroll implementation processes to increase efficiency while maintaining high compliance and service standards.

Diagnose payroll issues, drive immediate resolutions, and develop long-term solutions through process improvements and product enhancements.

Own payroll accuracy, compliance practices, and operational performance across customer accounts.

Provide payroll and tax guidance to customers during onboarding and throughout ongoing service delivery.

Partner closely with product teams to ensure software solutions meet payroll compliance requirements and continuously improve customer workflows.

Hire, train, mentor, and manage payroll operations team members, including implementation, support, and payroll specialists.

Establish operational metrics, workflows, and best practices that enable the team to scale effectively.

Maintain strong relationships with payroll providers and external partners.

Travel approximately 25% of the time to support customer relationships and operational needs.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate is an experienced payroll operations leader with a strong background in compliance, team leadership, and building scalable processes. You should be comfortable operating in a high-growth environment and balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution.

5+ years of experience in payroll operations, with demonstrated expertise in building and improving payroll processes.

Proven experience leading and developing high-performing operational teams.

Strong understanding of payroll regulations, compliance requirements, policies, and industry best practices.

Experience managing payroll providers, vendors, and operational partnerships.

Ability to troubleshoot complex payroll challenges and implement sustainable solutions.

Strong customer-facing skills with the ability to communicate payroll guidance clearly and effectively.

Exceptional attention to detail with a commitment to accuracy and quality.

Experience improving operational efficiency while maintaining strong customer satisfaction.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup-style environment with changing priorities.

Strong leadership, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Benefits:

Competitive compensation package based on experience, skills, location, and market factors.

Opportunity to play a key leadership role in transforming payroll operations within a rapidly growing technology environment.

Flexible and innovative workplace culture focused on ownership, impact, and continuous improvement.

The chance to work on solutions that modernize workforce management for businesses and improve access to financial tools for workers.

Collaborative environment with opportunities to partner across product, sales, and operations teams.

Inclusive workplace culture that values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

Opportunities for professional growth while building and scaling a critical business function.

How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!  Why Apply Through Jobgether?    Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.     #LI-CL1