DIRECTOR, PAYROLL

Company Overview

ATSG is a leading provider of air cargo transportation and related services.

Our customers are domestic and foreign air carriers and other companies that outsource their air cargo lift requirements. We, through our leasing and airline subsidiaries, are the world's largest owner and operator of converted Boeing 767 freighter aircraft.

Through our principal subsidiaries, including three airlines with separate and distinct U.S. FAA Part 121 Air Carrier certificates, we provide aircraft leasing, air cargo lift, passenger ACMI and charter services, aircraft maintenance services and airport ground services.

Position Summary

The Director of Payroll is responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, compliant, and efficient payroll administration for a diverse, geographically dispersed workforce. The Director will establish consistent payroll standards, strengthen internal controls, optimize payroll systems and processes, and serve as a trusted partner to Accounting/Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and operating company leadership.

The successful candidate will combine deep technical payroll expertise with strong leadership, analytical capabilities, and a continuous improvement mindset. This individual will play a key role in advancing ATSG's payroll operations while maintaining service excellence, regulatory compliance, and financial integrity.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Payroll Leadership and Operations

• Direct and oversee payroll operations across ATSG and its operating companies, ensuring accurate and timely processing for all employees.
• Establish enterprise-wide payroll policies, procedures, service standards, and operating practices while accommodating legitimate business-unit and jurisdictional requirements.
• Provide oversight of payroll processing, adjustments, deductions, garnishments, special payments, and off-cycle payroll activities.
• Ensure appropriate administration of varied pay structures, including salaried, hourly, shift differentials, overtime, incentive compensation, and other applicable earnings arrangements.
• Partner with operating company leaders to address business-specific payroll requirements while promoting consistency and operational efficiency

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll, wage and hour, tax withholding, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Oversee payroll tax administration, including accurate and timely deposits, filings, reconciliations, and year-end reporting.
• Maintain effective controls related to payroll authorization, processing, data integrity, and financial reporting.
• Partner with Legal, Human Resources, and Finance to evaluate payroll implications of regulatory changes, compensation programs, employment policies, and organizational initiatives.
• Support internal and external audits, including the development and implementation of corrective actions when necessary.
• Maintain appropriate safeguards for confidential employee and financial information.
• Ensure compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and other specialized pay requirements where relevant.

Payroll Systems, Technology, and Process Improvement

• Provide functional leadership for payroll technology, systems, integrations, and related process improvements.
• Collaborate with HRIS, IT, Finance, and operating company stakeholders to maintain accurate employee data and effective information flow across systems.
• Identify opportunities to standardize, automate, and streamline payroll processes to improve accuracy, efficiency, and the employee experience.
• Lead or support system enhancements, implementations, upgrades, testing, and optimization initiatives.
• Evaluate payroll workflows, reporting capabilities, and internal controls to identify gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish appropriate documentation, cross-training, and business continuity procedures to support uninterrupted payroll operations.

Financial Controls, Reporting, and Reconciliation

• Partner with Accounting and Finance to ensure accurate payroll accounting, general ledger reconciliation, and financial reporting.
• Oversee payroll-related reconciliations, including wage payments, taxes, benefits deductions, accruals, and other payroll liabilities.
• Support financial close activities, annual audits, budgeting, forecasting, and payroll-related financial analysis.

Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, develop, and support payroll team members, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, accuracy, and service excellence.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, training standards, and performance expectations.
• Build effective working relationships with Human Resources, Benefits, Compensation, Finance, IT, and operating company leadership.
• Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert and escalation point for complex payroll matters.
• Partner with HR and operational leaders to resolve payroll concerns promptly and professionally.
• Develop succession planning, knowledge-sharing, and cross-training practices to reduce operational dependency on individual employees.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible payroll experience, including at least 3 years in a payroll management or leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing complex, multi-state payroll operations for a large, multi-entity or geographically dispersed organization.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations, wage and hour requirements, payroll reporting, and related compliance obligations.
• Experience managing payroll operations, controls, reconciliations, audits, and year-end activities.
• Proficiency with enterprise payroll systems and related HRIS and financial system integrations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively across functions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee and financial information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) credential.
• Experience leading payroll operations for an organization with 3,000 or more employees.
• Experience in aviation, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, or another operationally complex, highly regulated industry.
• Experience supporting multiple legal entities, pay groups, and payroll schedules.
• Experience with UKG payroll and HRIS platforms.
• Experience supporting unionized workforces, collective bargaining agreements, or complex shift-based compensation arrangements.
• Experience leading payroll system implementations, automation initiatives, process standardization, or shared services transformations.
• Familiarity with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) internal control requirements, where applicable.