Fractional Payroll & Operations Director

Fractional, part-time payroll and operations professional to take ownership of payroll, commission processing, and related operational workflows for a growing residential mortgage operations firm transitioning to mortgage banking. Role should start in the coming month. Initial scope targets about 5–10 hours/week (with an expectation to reduce to under 5 hours/week through process improvement and automation). Success metrics: payroll paid on time, commissions calculated and paid accurately, and collaborative execution of payroll/process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end payroll processing in Paylocity (weekly payroll runs, direct deposit).
• Review and import timecards; preregister and reconcile timecard data.
• Process bonuses and commission payroll (track mortgage commission payments and calculations; accept commission documentation from loan officers/brokers).
• Ensure payroll deductions and 401(k) elections are applied correctly.
• Produce and run labor distribution and other payroll reports; handle intercompany payroll tax transfers as needed.
• Prepare and post payroll-related journal entries (coordinate format with finance lead as needed).
• Coordinate with outsourced accounting provider and external CPA for report requests and year-end items.
• Support 1099/1098 workflows with the outsourced accounting provider (coordinate, provide data/answers) and assist with year‑end tax needs.
• Support insurance-related tasks: annual applications, worker’s comp audit integration, renewals, and certificates of insurance.
• Drive process improvement and automation (system integrations and lightweight database/automation tools recommended) to reduce manual work and streamline payroll/commission workflows.
• Triage payroll-related emails and ad hoc requests; collaborate directly with the founder or operations leadership.
• Potentially support related HR/payroll-adjacent tasks and accounts payable as needed during a transition period.

Qualifications

• Proven payroll experience, including direct use of Paylocity.
• Experience with QuickBooks Desktop or similar desktop-based accounting workflows (VPN or remote desktop usage expectations).
• Strong experience calculating and processing commissions and payroll-related journal entries.
• Comfortable coordinating with external accounting providers and CPAs for reporting and year-end tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to document, improve, and automate operational workflows (experience with automation/low-code tools is a plus).
• Excellent attention to compliance nuances (1099 vs W-2 classification) and payroll tax handling.
• Strong communicator; able to work directly with company leadership and external providers.
• Senior operator (director/VP-level) preferred, though experienced individual contributors who can independently own payroll are acceptable.
• Mortgage or residential real estate experience preferred but not required.
• U.S.-based candidates preferred; availability for Central to West Coast hours preferred.