Director of US Payroll and Tax Compliance

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

This is a critical leadership role overseeing accurate, timely, and compliant payroll operations across 15+ US state tax jurisdictions. You will serve as the subject matter expert for multi-state payroll, tax compliance, and payroll systems while leading and developing a dedicated payroll team. The role combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic oversight, process improvement, and executive-level reporting. You will manage complex tax and payroll escalations while ensuring strong data integrity and regulatory compliance. As a remote leader, you will collaborate closely with US-based operations while supporting a global workforce. This is an opportunity to modernize payroll processes, strengthen compliance, and build scalable operational excellence.

Accountabilities:

• Lead, supervise, and mentor junior payroll professionals, supporting their development while maintaining high standards for payroll accuracy and service delivery.
• Oversee the complete payroll lifecycle across 15+ US states, serving as the final escalation point for complex payroll, tax, and system-related issues.
• Manage multi-state tax withholding, filings, reconciliations, and compliance requirements, including SUTA, FUTA, FICA, and local tax obligations.
• Serve as the payroll systems subject matter expert, particularly for ADP Workforce Now, ensuring effective system configuration, integration, and data integrity.
• Lead the registration and maintenance of state tax IDs and oversee ongoing federal and state payroll tax compliance as the US footprint expands.
• Manage responses to federal and state tax notices, garnishments, audits, and year-end W-2/W-3 reconciliations.
• Prepare accurate and timely executive reporting covering audits, 401(k) activities, payroll trends, and other key operational metrics.
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve payroll workflows, replacing manual processes with scalable, efficient, and reliable solutions.
• Support additional payroll, compliance, reporting, and operational projects as required.

Requirements

• Extensive experience managing US payroll, with significant multi-state payroll experience and a strong understanding of federal, state, and local tax requirements.
• Advanced knowledge of payroll compliance, including SUTA, FUTA, FICA, state tax registrations, withholding, reconciliations, garnishments, and year-end reporting.
• Strong proficiency with payroll platforms such as ADP Workforce Now and Kronos/UKG, with the ability to troubleshoot systems and maintain high levels of data accuracy.
• Advanced Excel skills, including PivotTables, VLOOKUPs, and Macros, with the ability to analyze and report on complex payroll data.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline; Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification is highly valued.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, delegation, and quality oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex payroll and tax matters to US-based stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and process-improvement skills, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• Willingness and ability to work 10:00 PM-7:00 AM PHST to align with US Eastern and Central time zones.

Benefits

• 100% remote work from anywhere in the Philippines.
• Competitive night shift differential for graveyard working hours.
• Premium HMO coverage, with options to add dependents.
• Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement within a stable US-based organization.
• Paid holidays and 15 days of paid time off, offered on an accrual basis.
• Exposure to complex US multi-state payroll operations and opportunities to lead payroll transformation and process automation.