Director, Payroll Applications & Technology

The Director Payroll Applications & Technology is accountable for the strategy reliability modernization and support of the application ecosystem that enables North American payroll.

Combining strategic leadership with practical technical depth this Director sets the technology roadmap develops high-performing technical teams governs delivery and vendor partnerships and provides decisive leadership for complex production issues and solution decisions.

The Director fosters a culture of ownership disciplined execution and continuous improvement. The role ensures teams use available data and tools to investigate issues implement sustainable solutions and engage vendor expertise strategically while maintaining clear internal accountability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technology Strategy & Architecture

• Own the technical health operating model and multiyear roadmap for payroll and workforce management applications including Infor WFM and UKG Payroll.
• Set technology strategy and investment priorities to increase reliability reduce complexity modernize capabilities and improve the payroll user experience.
• Establish and uphold solution standards across configuration integrations reporting automation security and controls.
• Ensure integrations and data flows across Workday SAP Finance banking tax time and attendance and related enterprise systems are resilient documented monitored and supportable.
• Advance automation observability analytics self-service and responsible AI-enabled capabilities that improve efficiency reliability and decision-making.

Production Support & Operational Excellence

• Provide senior technical leadership for complex issues involving payroll applications integrations data calculations timekeeping access and financial postings.
• Lead evidence-based diagnosis through data analysis configuration and log review interface tracing testing and business validation.
• Drive critical incidents from containment through root-cause analysis permanent correction validation documentation and preventive action.
• Ensure temporary workarounds are controlled time-bound and replaced by sustainable solutions.
• Lead through critical payroll cycles releases cutovers go-lives and stabilization periods prioritizing employee compliance financial and operational impact.
• Engage vendors for specialized expertise while retaining internal ownership of diagnosis stakeholder communication and resolution.

Team Leadership & Capability

• Lead mentor and develop payroll technology resources building a cohesive and accountable delivery organization.
• Set clear expectations for ownership responsiveness technical rigor documentation communication and measurable outcomes.
• Build durable internal capability through coaching cross-training support playbooks diagnostic standards succession planning and knowledge management.
• Anticipate capacity and capability gaps and implement sourcing strategies that balance internal expertise partners cost and risk.
• Foster a culture of curiosity accountability collaboration inclusion and practical innovation.

Delivery Governance & Partnership

• Lead payroll technology implementations enhancements releases and operational initiatives using fit-for-purpose Agile and delivery practices.
• Partner with Payroll Operations HR IT Finance Global Finance Operations Participations & Residuals Information Security Audit integration teams and other stakeholders.
• Provide concise decision-ready executive communication on service health priorities incidents delivery progress risks dependencies and required decisions.
• Manage technology budgets Agile funding contracts statements of work service levels and vendor performance against defined outcomes.
• Align delivery commitments to payroll-cycle timing and business criticality proactively managing risks dependencies resource constraints and contingency plans.
• Maintain current technical documentation testing evidence change controls runbooks support procedures and audit-ready artifacts.
• Ensure solutions and operations comply with payroll and tax requirements collective bargaining agreements SOX information security data privacy and audit controls.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• 10 years of progressive experience in payroll systems HRIS workforce management payroll technology or related enterprise applications including leadership accountability for business-critical production environments.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience configuring administering troubleshooting or implementing enterprise payroll or workforce management platforms.

• Proven success leading complex incident diagnosis root-cause analysis technical decision-making and resolution across applications integrations infrastructure dependencies and data.

• Strong understanding of end-to-end payroll including Hours-to-Gross Gross-to-Net controls integrations and U.S. and Canadian payroll requirements.

• Experience leading technical teams contractors managed service providers and vendors while maintaining clear accountability for outcomes.

• Experience with integrations APIs secure file transfers data validation SQL and reporting queries testing releases change management cutover and stabilization.

• Experience managing technology budgets vendor relationships service performance and competing operational and project priorities.

• Strong executive communication and stakeholder-management skills with the ability to operate effectively across strategy technical detail operations and people leadership.

• Bachelors degree in a relevant discipline or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Hands-on experience with Infor WFM and UKG Payroll; experience with both platforms is strongly preferred.
• Experience with Workday Core HCM and Compensation SAP Finance Cognos Power BI SQL advanced Excel or comparable technologies.
• Experience supporting complex multi-entity U.S. and Canadian payroll environments spanning union and non-union populations.
• Knowledge of entertainment-industry collective bargaining agreements and their implications for payroll technology calculations and controls.
• Experience leading payroll technology implementations migrations cutovers go-lives and post-production stabilization.
• Experience applying automation scripting monitoring analytics or responsible AI-enabled tools to improve technology support and delivery.
• Relevant Agile Scrum ITIL project management payroll or platform certification.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race color religion sex national origin disability veteran status age sexual orientation gender identity or other protected characteristics.

SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.

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