Associate Director, Payroll

Broad Institute
401(k)
United States, Massachusetts, Cambridge
May 05, 2025
Description & Requirements The Controller's Office is seeking a highly motivated and dependable full-time Associate Director of Payroll to lead all aspects of payroll administration at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard. This includes ensuring the accurate and timely processing of bi-weekly and weekly payrolls in Workday Payroll for over 2,000 employees; providing guidance on payroll and tax compliance; and driving process improvements to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience. Reporting directly to the Controller, the Associate Director of Payroll oversees the end-to-end payroll function, including maintaining payroll records, calculating and remitting taxes, reconciling payroll accounts, and managing the team members of the payroll staff. This role works closely and collaboratively with other Institute departments (in particular, Accounting, Human Resources, Benefits ts and the Office of Sponsored Research). A successful candidate will possess a proficient knowledge of payroll principles, technology, methods, and procedures, be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You will make recommendations for improvements and efficiencies in processes and internal controls, as well as provide mentoring and coaching to a dedicated team of payroll professionals WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: We are ideally seeking candidates who bring experience in managing direct reports and handling multi-state payroll. Prior experience with Workday configurations, tax preparation software, and payroll solution software programs would be highly beneficial. This position has a hybrid work schedule, allowing for in-office collaboration as well as flexibility with work-from-home days weekly. WHY BROAD? The Broad Institute is pioneering a new model of collaborative biomedical science to transform biology and medicine. To do that, we have created a unique community of amazing, creative people - "Broadies" - each with a passion for pushing scientific frontiers. Our community transcends academic and organizational barriers, encouraging different points of view and making all Broadies part of something meaningful. Our unique culture of collaboration, along with the common theme of our people being deeply passionate about making a difference in the world and improving human health, unite us all as Broadies. Broad Institute is committed to meeting the most critical challenges in biology and medicine. We are dedicated to applying our deep knowledge of human genetics to empower a revolution in biomedicine and accelerate the pace at which the world conquers disease. Through our partnerships with MIT, Harvard, and the Harvard teaching hospitals, we've become the "hub" of cutting-edge science in the Boston biomedical community. At the Broad, we understand that the most important thing that will lead to these breakthroughs in human biology, health, and disease is our people. In joining us, you will also be able to join a community that deeply values diversity and continually strives for inclusion, which are essential to achieving our scientific mission. You'll also be eligible for comprehensive benefits. At Broad, we care deeply about all of the people in our community and believe in the importance of supporting Broadies in all aspects of their lives. We aspire to maintain a culture that emphasizes wellness and balance through a range of benefits for you and your family members. We are committed to helping life work by offering a range of benefits designed to support your physical, emotional, and financial well-being. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Manage weekly and bi-weekly payroll operations to ensure timely and accurate delivery of payments to all employees, both salaried and hourly, in a multi-state environment. Develop, implement, and maintain payroll policies, procedures, and controls to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with all Federal, state, and local regulations, legal/contractual obligations, and industry best practices. This includes multi-jurisdiction tax withholding, garnishments, and key annual audits (e.g., 401(k) audit, workers' compensation, external financial audit, etc.). Oversees all required filings to ensure compliance. - Manage the payroll team (currently two analysts), ensuring appropriate skill alignment, clear roles, and effective checks and balances to support compliance and operational efficiency. A successful candidate will demonstrate strong management and coaching capabilities and foster team development. Serve as the primary point of contact for the Payroll department as it pertains to outside vendors (e.g., Workday, ADP). Provide exceptional customer service when responding to employee and other stakeholder inquiries. Lead system testing and implementation efforts for the payroll team, including Sprintax software, Workday configurations and interfaces, and special payroll projects. Evaluate and recommend improvements on payroll processes, including controls, compliance, documentation, and automation opportunities to ensure department effectiveness. Provide leadership for implementing changes in these areas. Oversee tax disbursements/filings for Federal, State, and Local taxes, and ensure remote workers are compliant with applicable withholding. Perform tax treaty analysis for the non-resident alien employee population to determine tax withholding exemptions. Conduct in-depth analyses and audits of payroll data to ensure accuracy and compliance. Prepare month-end accounting entries. Coordinate with the accounting team to ensure accurate recording of payroll-related expenses and liabilities, and to promptly research and resolve any reconciling items. Coordinate with HR teams to ensure accurate and timely submission of payroll data. Collaborate in a cross-functional team environment with partner departments (HR, Office of Sponsored Research, Legal, etc.). Assist with payroll-related requests for external audits. - Create and maintain process documentation for daily tasks. Maintain up-to-date knowledge on compliance issues related to wage and tax matters and identify potential implications of new regulations or issues. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related business field Minimum 10+ years of current end-to-end payroll processing experience, including with multi-state payroll and tax implications of a remote workforce At least 5 years of Payroll management experience CPP certification is preferred, but not required Prior experience with Workday Payroll preferred Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (v-lookup, pivot tables, etc.) and Google Suite Strong coaching and mentoring skills Excellent organization skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently, multi-task, and meet project deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and timeliness Outstanding customer service skills with the ability to work collaboratively across functions and within a team The Broad Institute will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.