Head of Government Relations

Paychex is reimagining how businesses manage their workforce by bringing payroll, HR, benefits, and advisory services together into a single connected HCM platform. As Paychex and Paycor come together, we're combining innovative technology, data-driven insights, AI, and human expertise to help organizations work smarter, support their people, and achieve better business outcomes. This is an exciting time to join our team as we continue to invest in innovation, simplify client experiences, and shape the future of work. At Paychex, you'll have the opportunity to grow your career, make a meaningful impact, and be part of something bigger as One Paychex.

The Head of Government Relations owns Paychex's entire government relations function at the federal and state levels. This leader builds and executes the company's policy agenda, manages all congressional and agency engagement, and represents Paychex across industry coalitions and trade associations. The role is both defensive and offensive: protecting the company and its clients from harmful or unworkable legislation and regulation, while proactively advancing policy that supports small business, simplifies compliance, and strengthens Paychex's market position. The successful candidate will be Paychex's primary voice in Washington and a trusted advisor to senior leadership on the policy outlook.

• Strategy and Program Ownership • Own the end-to-end government relations strategy, annual policy agenda, and budget, aligned with enterprise priorities. • Monitor, analyze, and forecast federal and state legislative and regulatory developments; translate them into business impact for executives and product, legal, compliance, and tax teams. • Brief the executive leadership team and Board on the policy landscape, emerging risks, and opportunities.
• Federal Advocacy • Plan and lead all Capitol Hill engagement, including member and staff meetings, fly-ins, testimony preparation, and comment letters. • Build durable, bipartisan relationships with congressional offices and committees of jurisdiction, including House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, House Education and the Workforce, Senate HELP, and Small Business committees. • Engage regulators and agencies including the IRS, Treasury, Department of Labor, SBA, and other bodies whose rules affect payroll, tax, benefits, retirement, and money movement.
• State Advocacy • Direct state government relations across key jurisdictions, tracking and influencing legislation on paid leave, wage and hour, pay transparency, payroll tax, unemployment insurance, state retirement mandates, PEO licensing, and data privacy. • Manage outside lobbying firms and consultants, setting priorities, budgets, and performance expectations.
• Defensive and Offensive Advocacy • Defend against legislation and regulation that would create undue compliance burden or business risk for Paychex or its clients. • Proactively shape and advance policy that benefits small and mid-sized businesses and Paychex, including drafting language, building coalitions, and securing champions.
• Coalitions and Representation • Serve as Paychex's executive sponsor and representative to industry consortiums, trade associations, and agency advisory groups. • Lead positions and coordinate with peer companies and associations to amplify Paychex's voice. • Partner with Communications on public policy messaging and with leadership on the Paychex Small Business Index and related thought leadership.
• Governance and Compliance • Ensure full compliance with lobbying disclosure (LDA), state lobbying registration, ethics, and gift rules. • Oversee any political engagement programs in coordination with Legal.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share that the starting base pay range for this position is $124,900 to $196,200 annually. Please keep in mind that this range is the base pay only and does not consider other components that make up the total rewards package for the Talent Acquisition & Onboarding position. If you are hired at Paychex, your overall compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience which may result in total compensation outside of this range.

Act with uncompromising integrity.

Provide outstanding service and build trusted relationships.

Drive innovation in our products and services and continually improve our processes.

Work in partnership and support each other.

Be personally accountable and deliver on commitments.

Treat each other with respect and dignity.

• We value your well-being: We provide over 21 comprehensive rewards, including medical coverage, virtual wellness classes, tuition reimbursement, 401(k) + employer match, adoption assistance, financial assistance, and much more.


• We value your time: From paid time off to company holidays, culture days, and comprehensive work-life balance programs, we will ensure you have the flexibility you need to be your best.


• We value your development: Our award-winning training and development programs empower our employees with ongoing learning opportunities to give you the building blocks to grow your career.


• We value your perspective: Our company culture reflects the diversity of our employees. We want you to be you and your voice to be heard.


• We value our communities: We offer paid time off for volunteerism and promote many company-wide and local initiatives that benefit organizations you care about.


Note: The benefits described apply to full-time employees. Benefits for part-time, contract, and intern roles may vary.

At Paychex, we know that great talent comes in many forms. If you're passionate about the role but don't check every box, we still encourage you to apply. You might be the right fit - either for this position or another opportunity with us.


Paychex is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated fairly and evaluated based on their qualifications, experience, and merit. We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment.