Senior Director of Payroll

Overview

Founded in 1973, Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. is a leading global security company, providing a full range of physical security services to government and commercial customers on four continents. Inter-Con specializes in providing customized security services to clients whose needs exceed the capabilities of traditional guard firms. Clients include the Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, Energy, and Defense, as well as Fortune 500 companies, major public utilities, and ultra-high net worth individuals.

Inter-Con employs over 35,000 security personnel worldwide, trained and managed by a team of professionals with unsurpassed military, law enforcement, and security experience. Inter-Con remains 100% family owned and managed and operates as the industry leader in the field of customized, high-requirement security solutions.

Inter-Con is Everywhere Security Matters.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Payroll is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational excellence, and overall performance of Inter-Con's enterprise payroll function. This role oversees the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of payroll across a large, complex, multi-state workforce while driving continuous improvement, strengthening internal controls, and optimizing payroll technology and processes.

Reporting to executive leadership, the Senior Director serves as the organization's subject matter expert on payroll operations, partnering closely with Finance, HR, Accounting, Operations, IT, and Legal to ensure payroll supports the company's continued growth. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who is equally comfortable solving complex operational challenges, leading large-scale process improvements, and presenting recommendations to senior executives.

Payroll Leadership & Operations

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all payroll functions across the organization.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across multiple pay groups, pay frequencies, and jurisdictions.
• Establish departmental goals, service standards, and key performance indicators to drive operational excellence.
• Lead, coach, and develop payroll leadership while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the final escalation point for complex payroll issues and high-risk matters.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, local, tax, wage and hour, and collective bargaining agreement requirements.
• Develop and maintain strong internal controls, audit procedures, and reconciliation processes that minimize payroll risk.
• Partner with Internal Audit, Finance, HR, and Legal to support audits, investigations, and regulatory compliance initiatives.
• Monitor legislative changes and implement necessary payroll process updates.

Process Improvement & Technology

• Develop and execute the long-term payroll strategy, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and accuracy.
• Lead payroll technology initiatives, system enhancements, integrations, and future implementations.
• Drive automation, reporting, and workflow improvements while reducing manual processes and operational risk.
• Establish meaningful payroll analytics and dashboards to measure performance, identify trends, and support executive decision-making.

Executive & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as the executive payroll advisor to Finance and senior leadership on payroll operations, compliance, labor costing, and related business initiatives.
• Partner closely with Accounting to support payroll reconciliations, accruals, month-end close, and financial reporting.
• Collaborate with HR, Benefits, Operations, Strategic Operations, IT, and Accounting to improve upstream data quality and payroll readiness.
• Support organizational growth initiatives, acquisitions, client transitions, and operational changes from a payroll perspective.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 12 years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including significant experience leading enterprise payroll operations.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-state payrolls for large employee populations.
• Extensive experience supporting union and non-union workforces with complex pay rules and collective bargaining agreements.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, wage and hour laws, and payroll tax compliance.
• Experience with enterprise payroll systems; ADP experience required.
• Proven experience leading payroll system implementations, upgrades, or major process transformation initiatives.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to build credibility and influence across executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience with varied and complex payroll benefits deductions and structures.
• Being able to handle fire drills like same day backpay calculations and off cycle payroll runs.
• Experience with enterprise payroll systems; ADP experience required (Workforce Now required and Lyric preferred).
• Extensive experience supporting union and non-union workforces with complex pay rules and collective bargaining agreements. This also includes experience with the Service Contracts Act (SCA).

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting organizations with 20,000 employees.
• Background in security, healthcare, hospitality, facilities management, logistics, construction, or other labor-intensive industries.
• Experience working with shared services or offshore payroll support teams.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel and payroll reporting tools.
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation preferred.

Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Disability/Veteran.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Payroll management: 10 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Pasadena, CA 91105 (Required)

Work Location: In person