Director, Payroll & Workday Reporting

The Howard Hughes name is synonymous with an unrelenting passion for excellence. While his achievements in aviation and the silver screen are legendary, it was his investments in real estate that form the foundation of our company. With passion, determination, and limitless imagination, he built one of the great American empires of the 20th century. At Howard Hughes, we live by our purpose to help people discover new ways of experiencing life - because it's not just buildings and places that matter, it's what you do with them that can change the way people live.

We aspire to be the most creatively driven real estate company in the world and we believe in fostering a culture that is built to last by cultivating curiosity and empowering every employee to find their story in this great organization.

About The Role

The Director of Payroll ensures that departmental and functional procedures, internal controls, and reporting conform to company procedures, corporate policies, and state and federal regulations and statutes while directing the overall department operation. Additional responsibilities include identifying areas of functional improvement, developing strong payroll procedures and streamlining the entire process flow.

What You Will Do

• Manages the activities of a department of 2 payroll specialists handling multiple legal entities for US payroll processing services using Workday.

• Designs and directs the collection, calculation, and entering of data in accordance with sound SOX control principles.

• Updates payroll records by reviewing and approving changes in exemptions, insurance coverage, savings deductions, and job titles, and department/ division transfers.

• Pays employees by directing the production and issuance of paychecks, electronic transfers to bank accounts and pay cards.

• Prepares reports using Workday Reporting for compiling summaries of earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability, and nontaxable wages.

• Determines payroll liabilities by approving the calculation of employee federal and state income and social security taxes, and employer's social security, unemployment, and workers compensation payments.

• Reviews, approves and processes tax equalization payments for employees.

• Balances the payroll accounts by resolving payroll discrepancies.

• Builds effective relationships and collaborates with finance, tax, legal and treasury on payroll related matters.

• Provides payroll information by answering questions and requests.

• Maintains payroll guidelines by writing and updating policies and procedures.

• Complies with federal, state, and local legal requirements; enforces adherence to requirements; advises management on needed actions.

• Maintains employee confidence and protects payroll operations by keeping information confidential.

• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.

• Completes operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees, following-up on work results.

• Maintains payroll staff skills and competency by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.

• Maintains payroll staff job results by counseling and disciplining employees, planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.

• Maintains confidentiality of any payroll, private employee information and any proprietary information and ensures payroll information is secure.

• Supports HRIS optimization and other initiatives by recommending process improvements and creating opportunities for automation and reduction of manual processes. Act as a key stakeholder in implementation of new HR systems.

• Identifies and coordinates changes in policy and procedures governed by federal, state and local laws that affect the payroll function.

• Ensures payroll issues are escalated and resolved with root cause analysis and corrective action for all levels of employees and management.

• Ensure payroll reconciliations are completed timely and accurately,

• Develops documentation and train team on payroll practices.

• Establishes a collaborative and supportive team culture built on mutual trust and respect.

• Partners with the human resources benefits team to ensure accurate and compliant deductions from employees' wages for taxes, wage garnishment, health and life insurance, flexible spending accounts, 401k investments, etc.

About You

• Bachelor's Degree preferred.

• CPP Certification

• At least 7 years of payroll operations experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Experience managing in a fast-paced, rapidly changing, and highly complex environment.

• Experienced working within a Shared Services environment.

• High level of organizational skills working with large volumes of information.

• Experience with advanced Excel pivot tables, and HR reporting capabilities.

• Knowledgeable with Workday, UltiPro or similar HR systems.

• Ability to build positive working relationships with employees at all levels within the organization.

• Resourceful and able to work efficiently even if given very little direction and information.

• Able to effectively multi-task and handle multiple projects.

• Exercise sound judgment when making decisions and willing to ask if unsure.

• Able to meet deadlines as necessary.

• Strong Attention to Detail skills.

• Exceptional Communication Skills both verbal and written.

• Good problem solver/creative thinker.

• "Can-do" attitude and pro-active.

• Highly proficient in MS office applications.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

Please note that Howard Hughes does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, HHH will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, HHH explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Howard Hughes.

This job description is not meant to be an "all-inclusive" list of the duties and responsibilities of this job. Other related duties and responsibilities may be assigned. Howard Hughes reserves the right to change or modify job duties as necessary based on business necessity.