Job Details

Overview

We're proud to share that St. Jude has been named one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work—a reflection of our commitment to creating a workplace where people thrive, innovate, and make a meaningful impact. At St. Jude, we foster a collaborative and supportive culture where all team member's contributions are valued. We're seeking a strategic and experienced Director of Payroll to lead and elevate our payroll and tax operations. This key leadership role ensures exceptional service delivery, drives process excellence, and builds strong relationships across all levels of the organization. As part of the Financial Services leadership team, you'll help shape the future of our operations by providing insights, developing policies, and championing best practices that support our mission and people. This is a hybrid role.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of payroll and tax operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing across all areas.
• Lead the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and systems that support organizational goals and regulatory requirements for payroll and tax operations.
• Oversee payroll tax compliance across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, ensuring timely filings, payments, and audit readiness.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders—including HR, Finance, and IT—to optimize workflows and resolve complex issues across payroll and tax functions.
• Monitor and analyze key metrics to identify trends, improve performance, and drive continuous improvement in service delivery.
• Ensure systems and processes are secure, scalable, and aligned with best practices and emerging technologies.
• Serve as a key member of the Financial Services leadership team, contributing insights and strategies to broader organizational initiatives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team responsible for payroll and tax operations, fostering a culture of accountability, service excellence, and professional growth.
• Set clear goals and expectations, provide regular feedback, and support career development for team members across all functional areas.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing to enhance service delivery, operational resilience, and cross-functional effectiveness.

Minimum Education and/or Training

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, auditing, finance, or related field of study required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Minimum Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in finance and accounting, with a strong focus on payroll operations and tax compliance.
• Demonstrated experience leading payroll functions in complex organizations; Workday experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to design and implement systems, tools, and workflows that enhance the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of payroll and tax services.
• Strong track record of collaborating across departments and influencing key stakeholders to drive process improvements and system enhancements.
• Solid understanding of accounting principles, grant compliance, payroll/tax regulations, and confidentiality standards.
• Experience leading and developing teams in a supervisory or leadership capacity, with a focus on performance, engagement, and growth.
• Experience in an academic medical institution or similarly complex environment is a plus.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred.

Leadership Skills

• Strategic mindset with the ability to see the big picture while managing day-to-day operations.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and build trust across all levels of the organization.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Collaborative leadership style that fosters teamwork, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• High level of integrity and discretion, especially when handling sensitive payroll and financial data.

Compensation

In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $138,320 - $262,080 per year for the role of Director of Payroll.

Benefits

Explore our exceptional benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

No Search Firms

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.