Director of Payroll (Finance)

• Lead a high-performing payroll team, including Associate Director and Managers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development to build functional, technical, and leadership capabilities across the team.
• Oversee talent strategies, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and training initiatives for the Payroll unit.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, human resources, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years of progressive payroll experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership capacity.
  • Proven track record of leading payroll modernization or optimization initiatives, preferably in higher education or similarly complex environments.
• Skills:
  • Advanced expertise in Oracle HCM Cloud Payroll or equivalent systems.
  • Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence across organizational levels.

FLSB1310 Equivalency:
4 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for bachelor's degree.
6 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for master's degree.Working at USF
\n
With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF's rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida's best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state's 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.
\n
About USF
\n
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu .
\n
Compliance and Federal Notices
\n
This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.
\n
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws :
\n
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
\n
Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

• Strategic Oversight: Develop, implement, and sustain a comprehensive payroll strategy aligned with university objectives, ensuring scalability and resilience.
• System Modernization: Drive the optimization and continuous modernization of Oracle Cloud Payroll, leveraging automation, analytics, and best practices to enhance processing efficiency, compliance, and reporting capabilities.
• Problem Solving: Address complex, multi-stakeholder payroll challenges through innovative, data-driven, and collaborative solutions.
• Operational Management: Ensure timely, accurate payroll processing for all employees, integrating operations seamlessly with Oracle HCM Cloud and other institutional systems.

Communication and Collaboration

• Serve as the primary liaison for payroll operations across university functions, aligning strategies with HR, Finance, IT, and external partners.
• Represent Payroll on cross-departmental initiatives, influencing policy, technology, and process decisions to support institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with external agencies, auditors, and vendors to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations and standards.

Operational Latitude and Impact

• Responsible for the strategic direction and operational success of payroll operations, contributing to the university's mission of academic and research excellence.
• Formulate policies affecting payroll and related HR systems.
• Provide input on cross-functional policy development with direct and indirect impacts on institutional areas

Knowledge and Expertise

• Comprehensive understanding of payroll operations, compliance frameworks, and cloud-based payroll systems, with particular expertise in Oracle Cloud Payroll optimization and modernization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale payroll transformations, including automation, system integration, and process reengineering for complex, diverse organizations.
• Deep knowledge of payroll requirements for large, research-intensive higher education institutions.