Director of Payroll (Workday/AI)

Location: Hybrid position based at headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Hiring pay range: $185,378.40–$231,723.00 per year.

Company

hirify.global is a private biomedical research philanthropy supporting biomedical research, educators, students, and the next generation of scientists across the United States.

What you will do

• Lead the payroll function end to end, including accurate, timely pay, compliance, controls, documentation, and team leadership.
• Redesign payroll processes from first principles by identifying manual, slow, error-prone, and unnecessary steps.
• Drive deeper Workday adoption through configuration, automation, controls, reporting, and reduction of spreadsheets and workarounds.
• Apply current AI tools to reduce manual effort and identify payroll errors before they affect employees.
• Partner with People & Culture and Science on onboarding, leaves, terminations, compensation changes, timekeeping, and benefits deductions.
• Brief the President, COO, and General Counsel on payroll strategy, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations while developing the payroll team through change.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in multi-state payroll, tax, wage and hour compliance, garnishments, off-cycle and retroactive pay, year-end processes, and payroll mechanics.
• Experience designing payroll processes rather than only operating existing ones.
• Strong command of Workday Payroll, including configuration, automation, controls, and reporting.
• Practical fluency with current AI tools and the ability to identify where AI can improve payroll operations.
• Strategic thinking combined with the ability to maintain accurate and timely payroll execution.
• Eligibility to work in the United States is required; visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice to have

• Experience working closely with benefits teams and understanding benefits administration.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time, permanent position with a hybrid schedule at headquarters.
• Competitive pay and total rewards, including health benefits, retirement plans, time off, recognition, and wellness programs.
• Direct partnership with Finance, People & Culture, Science, and executive leadership.
• Opportunity to modernize payroll through Workday, AI, automation, and redesigned operating practices.