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Position Summary:
The Virginia Tech Controller's Office is seeking to hire a Director of Payroll to join our team. The position reports directly to the Associate Controller for Accounting Operations and serves as a key member of the Controller's Office leadership team. This position is responsible for overseeing all aspects of payroll operations and directly supervises a team of five individuals responsible for international tax payments, payroll tax calculations and payments, and deductions/garnishments. Also directly reporting to the Director of Payroll is the Manager of Payroll Operations who leads a team of six individuals responsible for performing production control functions related to payroll processing. The payroll team is responsible for paying over 17,000+ employees bimonthly on time and correctly. In 2017, annual gross payroll payments totaled $695 million with annual federal tax liabilities of $170 million.
Duties include the management of the following functions:
• Provides leadership and oversight of university payroll processes by establishing strategies for executing payroll policies, procedures, processes, functions, activities, and related services such that payrolls are processed efficiently with minimal adjustments or retroactive corrections. Proactively coordinates university-wide payroll related changes (salary increases, change in benefits or withholdings, etc.) with other administrative offices and effectively communicate to the campus community.
• Recommend the creation/revision of university policies involving payroll.
• Provides leadership for electronic payroll subsystems such as the Tax Navigator, Online I-9 / EVerify, and TimeClock Plus (wage payroll).
• Coordinates with the IT technical team to do the following: plan, design, test, and implement new software releases and enhancements to payroll systems; create or modify ad hoc and recurring exception reports to analyze payroll and fringe benefit transactions and expenditure data to ensure the accuracy of payroll processes.
• Coordinates responses to internal and external audits or reviews for payroll processes.
• Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations as well as university policy regarding payments of wages, tax withholding for US citizens, permanent residents and non-resident aliens, garnishments, and employee elected deductions. Ensures taxes and other required government withholdings are executed, collected, deposited and reported on a timely basis to federal, and state authorities in a secure manner. Coordinates year-end tax activities including adjustments to tax withholdings, submission of IRS employer reports, and distribution of wage and tax statements (W-2 and 1042-S) to employees. Performs research and analysis of current tax issues (i.e. global payroll initiatives, cell phone stipends, university provided vehicles, relocation compensation) and proposes and implements appropriate solutions.
• Provides leadership to numerous processes for fringe benefits including remittances to vendors and complex monthly reconciliations activities especially those related to state retirement and state health insurance programs.
• Recruit, develop, and retain employees by identifying growth opportunities to engage staff and create succession plans for future organizational needs.

Required Qualifications:
• Master's degree in Accounting or allied field or Bachelor's degree and significant related experience;
• Significant professional payroll management experience with considerable knowledge of generally accepted payroll practices, tax law, and automated payroll operations within a large, complex, and decentralized organization;
• Experience in analyzing business processes and recommending and/or coordinating with IT technical team to implement improvements and new software releases, create reports, etc. while ensuring appropriate internal controls are maintained;
• Experience researching and interpreting tax law;
• Experience supervising complicated projects to ensure programs align with strategic objectives, university policies, and/or applicable laws or regulations;
• Demonstrated experience in leading and developing people and multiple teams. Strong communication skills to address all levels within the organization;
• Direct supervisory experience to include recruiting, performance management, employee relations, and/or training/development;
• Advanced level experience using automated ERP payroll systems, personal computers and software such as Microsoft Office applications (specifically Word, Excel and PowerPoint) in an accounting oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Certified Public Accountant license ( CPA ), Fundamental Payroll Certification ( FPC ) or the Certified Payroll Professional ( CPP );
• Experience developing global payroll strategies;
• In-depth knowledge of internal controls as they relate to payroll and other business processes in higher education;
• Working knowledge of university ERP payroll systems and Commonwealth of Virginia operating processes and procedures;
• Experience with multi-state tax compliance and payroll tax functions.



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