Posted February 2, 2026 | Expires February 17, 2026
Overview Milwaukee County is seeking authentic people who want to make a difference and bring their whole selves to work. We are looking for Changemakers to join our diverse and versatile community of independent spirits and unique talents, redefining how you think about Milwaukee County.
Director of Payroll Office of the Comptroller – Milwaukee County
Salary Range: $112,444.80 - $168,688.00/yr
Job Summary: Milwaukee County is seeking a strategic, county-wide payroll leader to serve as Director of Payroll. This senior leadership role oversees payroll operations for a large, complex, and diverse public-sector workforce while establishing governance, documented procedures, and risk management practices to ensure accuracy, compliance, and continuity. Reporting to the Milwaukee County Comptroller, the Director provides vision and leadership for payroll strategy, workforce system optimization, and operational excellence, with a strong emphasis on communication, transparency, and stakeholder trust.
The Opportunity: As a strategic leader, the Director will move beyond day-to-day payroll execution to focus on long-term planning, risk mitigation, and sustainability. This role owns payroll governance and serves as the County’s authority on payroll policy, internal controls, and the Dayforce payroll and workforce management system. The Director works closely with executive leadership, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, Labor Relations, unions, and external auditors, requiring exceptional communication skills and the ability to explain complex payroll and system issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Key Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight of end-to-end payroll operations
Ensure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance while proactively identifying and mitigating operational and compliance risks
Establish, maintain, and continuously improve documented payroll procedures, internal controls, and governance standards
Lead payroll staff through clear expectations, coaching, and professional development
Serve as executive owner of the Dayforce Payroll and workforce management system, including configuration, upgrades, testing, and long-term governance
Drive process improvement, automation, and standardization to reduce risk and increase efficiency
Communicate payroll policies, system changes, and impacts clearly to departments, leadership, and employee groups
Represent payroll in audits, regulatory reviews, and cross-functional leadership forums
Ideal Candidate Profile
Proven strategic payroll leader with experience operating at an enterprise level
Demonstrated strength in risk management, internal controls, and compliance governance
Track record of building and maintaining well-documented procedures that support consistency and business continuity
Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across diverse stakeholders
Experience leading payroll systems or enterprise HRIS platforms (Dayforce, Workday, Infor, or similar)
Confident leader in complex, regulated, and unionized environments
Qualifications Education
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field required
Experience
5+ years of senior payroll leadership experience required
5+ years of supervisory or management experience required
Preferred Qualifications
Public-sector and/or unionized workforce experience
Experience applying collective bargaining agreements and civil service rules
Why Milwaukee County
Executive-level influence over payroll operations impacting thousands of employees
Ownership of payroll strategy, governance, and risk management
Opportunity to lead modernization, documentation, and system optimization efforts
Mission-driven public service with measurable community impact
Additional information Note: This position is unclassified and not subject to Civil Service Rules and Regulations. This application is open to qualified candidates authorized to work in the United States. Appointee must establish Wisconsin State residency within six months of appointment and maintain such residency during incumbency. During the application process, please upload your updated resume and cover letter outlining your experience.
Milwaukee County is committed to fostering an equitable working environment, free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. We prohibit harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, FMLA status, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local law. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing, background checks, and pre-employment physicals subject to job requirements. If special accommodations are needed, please contact 414-278-3936.
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Overview Milwaukee County is seeking authentic people who want to make a difference and bring their whole selves to work. We are looking for Changemakers to join our diverse and versatile community of independent spirits and unique talents, redefining how you think about Milwaukee County.
Director of Payroll Office of the Comptroller – Milwaukee County
Salary Range: $112,444.80 - $168,688.00/yr
Job Summary: Milwaukee County is seeking a strategic, county-wide payroll leader to serve as Director of Payroll. This senior leadership role oversees payroll operations for a large, complex, and diverse public-sector workforce while establishing governance, documented procedures, and risk management practices to ensure accuracy, compliance, and continuity. Reporting to the Milwaukee County Comptroller, the Director provides vision and leadership for payroll strategy, workforce system optimization, and operational excellence, with a strong emphasis on communication, transparency, and stakeholder trust.
The Opportunity: As a strategic leader, the Director will move beyond day-to-day payroll execution to focus on long-term planning, risk mitigation, and sustainability. This role owns payroll governance and serves as the County’s authority on payroll policy, internal controls, and the Dayforce payroll and workforce management system. The Director works closely with executive leadership, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, Labor Relations, unions, and external auditors, requiring exceptional communication skills and the ability to explain complex payroll and system issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Key Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight of end-to-end payroll operations
Ensure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance while proactively identifying and mitigating operational and compliance risks
Establish, maintain, and continuously improve documented payroll procedures, internal controls, and governance standards
Lead payroll staff through clear expectations, coaching, and professional development
Serve as executive owner of the Dayforce Payroll and workforce management system, including configuration, upgrades, testing, and long-term governance
Drive process improvement, automation, and standardization to reduce risk and increase efficiency
Communicate payroll policies, system changes, and impacts clearly to departments, leadership, and employee groups
Represent payroll in audits, regulatory reviews, and cross-functional leadership forums
Ideal Candidate Profile
Proven strategic payroll leader with experience operating at an enterprise level
Demonstrated strength in risk management, internal controls, and compliance governance
Track record of building and maintaining well-documented procedures that support consistency and business continuity
Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across diverse stakeholders
Experience leading payroll systems or enterprise HRIS platforms (Dayforce, Workday, Infor, or similar)
Confident leader in complex, regulated, and unionized environments
Qualifications Education
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field required
Experience
5+ years of senior payroll leadership experience required
5+ years of supervisory or management experience required
Preferred Qualifications
Public-sector and/or unionized workforce experience
Experience applying collective bargaining agreements and civil service rules
Why Milwaukee County
Executive-level influence over payroll operations impacting thousands of employees
Ownership of payroll strategy, governance, and risk management
Opportunity to lead modernization, documentation, and system optimization efforts
Mission-driven public service with measurable community impact
Additional information Note: This position is unclassified and not subject to Civil Service Rules and Regulations. This application is open to qualified candidates authorized to work in the United States. Appointee must establish Wisconsin State residency within six months of appointment and maintain such residency during incumbency. During the application process, please upload your updated resume and cover letter outlining your experience.
Milwaukee County is committed to fostering an equitable working environment, free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. We prohibit harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, FMLA status, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local law. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing, background checks, and pre-employment physicals subject to job requirements. If special accommodations are needed, please contact 414-278-3936.
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