Director of Payroll - Accounting

Posted Monday, January 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM

Bay Cove Human Services’ mission is to partner with people to overcome challenges and realize personal potential. Bay Cove pursues this mission by providing individualized and compassionate services to people facing the challenges associated with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness at more than 175 program sites throughout Greater Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Job Summary:

The Director of Payroll is responsible for leading the end-to-end payroll function across the organization, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for a multi-state workforce. This role provides strategic and operational leadership, oversees payroll systems and vendors, ensures regulatory compliance, and partners closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and external providers to support business growth and operational excellence.

FLSA: Exempt

Supervisory Responsibilities: Payroll Department of two employees

Essential Functions of Position:

• Further develop and execute a long-term payroll strategy, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Drive transformation initiatives to streamline processes, improve internal controls, and ensure best-in-class service delivery.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on payroll-related risks, performance, and compliance posture.
• Lead and manage payroll-related projects, including system upgrades, integrations/migrations, vendor transitions, and process improvement initiatives.

• Oversee the accurate processing of multi-state U.S. payroll, special payments, garnishments, tax with holdings, and benefit deductions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and regulations, including multi-state payroll tax registrations and updates.
• Ensure absolute accuracy, timeliness, and compliance in payroll operations.
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure proactive compliance.
• Manage relationships with external payroll vendors, ensuring performance against SLAs, cost efficiency, and compliance standards.
• Ensure payroll processes follow robust internal controls and support all internal and external audits, including payroll reconciliations, workers compensation and documentation of key procedures.
• Understand complex and integrated system/technology landscape (e.g., Dayforce) downstream systems, integrations and reporting
• Manage year-end payroll activities, including tax reporting (e.g., W-2) and reconciliation processes.

• Develop, coach, and inspire a team of payroll professionals to deliver with excellence, integrity, and purpose.
• Cultivate a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and build future leadership within the team; foster cross-functional learning and upskilling.

• Support payroll system implementations, upgrades, and enhancements.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, automation, and accuracy.
• Partner with HR and Finance leadership to align payroll strategy with broader business objectives.
• Establish and enhance payroll system controls, procedures, and internal controls.
• Manage relationships with payroll vendors, tax providers, and external auditors.
• Ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are met and continuously evaluate vendor performance.

• Collaborate with HR, Total Rewards, Finance, and Legal teams on payroll-related initiatives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on payroll matters, risk mitigation, and regulatory changes.
• Act as the internal and external face of payroll, ensuring transparency and proactive communication.

• Identify opportunities for process automation and digitalization.
• Implement best practices to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Develop analytics and reporting tools to monitor payroll performance and support decision-making.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Business…