Position OverviewThe Payroll Manager leads the payroll team and is responsible for the accurate and timely execution of end-to-end payroll operations across multiple pay groups in the United States and Canada, including union and prevailing wage employees. This role manages, develops, and coaches payroll team members while serving as a subject matter expert in payroll processing, compliance, and systems, ensuring adherence to all applicable U.S. federal, state, and local regulations, Canadian federal and provincial requirements, collective bargaining agreements, and prevailing wage laws. The Payroll Manager works cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and IT to improve process efficiency, maintain strong internal controls, and deliver a high-quality employee experience.
Key Responsibilities Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of payroll professionals supporting U.S. and Canadian payroll operations.
- Set clear goals and priorities, assign and balance workload, and hold the team accountable for accuracy, timeliness, and service quality.
- Conduct regular one-on-ones, provide ongoing feedback, and manage performance, development, and career growth for direct reports.
- Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training to build team capability, cross-training, and backup coverage.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and continuous improvement culture within the team.
Payroll Processing & Operations
- Oversee full cycle payroll processing for U.S. and Canadian employee populations across multiple pay groups, including union and prevailing wage employees.
- Maintain payroll calendars, deadlines, and funding processes to ensure timely and accurate payroll execution.
- Review and validate payroll data including earnings, deductions, taxes, and garnishments prior to final submission.
- Process off-cycle payments, adjustments, and corrections as needed.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, including FLSA and final pay requirements, as well as Canadian federal and provincial employment standards and payroll legislation.
- Ensure accurate administration of Canadian statutory deductions and remittances, including CPP/QPP, EI, QPIP, and federal and provincial income taxes, as well as timely issuance of Records of Employment (ROEs).
- Interpret and apply pay rules in accordance with company policies and collective bargaining agreements, including negotiated wage rates, premiums, overtime, and differentials.
- Ensure compliance with federal and state prevailing wage requirements, including Davis-Bacon and related acts, accurate wage and fringe benefit determinations, and timely certified payroll reporting.
- Administer union dues, fees, and remittances, and partner with HR and Labor Relations to implement payroll changes resulting from collective bargaining agreements.
- Maintain audit readiness through proper documentation, controls, and adherence to internal audit and SOX requirements.
- Stay current on regulatory changes and assess impact to payroll processes.
Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as subject matter expert for Workday including configuration support, testing, and issue resolution.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and automation to increase efficiency and reduce risk.
- Develop, document, and maintain payroll procedures and standard operating processes.
Data, Reporting & Reconciliation
- Perform payroll reconciliations, including variance analysis and general ledgers.
- Generate and analyze payroll reports to identify discrepancies, trends, and areas of risk.
- Support U.S. and Canadian year-end activities, including W-2, T4, and RL-1 processing, tax filings, and audit requirements.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with HRIS and IT on system integrations and data integrity.
- Act as an escalation point for complex payroll issues and inquiries.
- Resolve complex payroll discrepancies with a high level of accuracy and responsiveness.
- Communicate payroll-related updates, impacts, or issues clearly to employees and stakeholders.
Governance & Controls
- Execute and monitor payroll controls, including approvals, audit trails, and segregation of duties
- Support internal and external audits by providing documentation and responding to audit requests
- Identify and mitigate payroll risks, proactively addressing gaps in processes or controls
- Maintain payroll-related business processes, security roles, and integrations.
- Monitor inbound and outbound integrations to ensure data accuracy and system stability.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- 6+ years of payroll experience, including full cycle payroll processing in a multi-state U.S. and multi-province Canadian environment.
- 3+ years of hands-on Workday Payroll experience, including payroll processing, configuration, testing, and reporting.
- 1-3 years of people leadership experience, including managing, coaching, and developing payroll team members.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local and Canadian federal and provincial payroll laws and regulations.
- Proven ability to manage complex Payroll scenarios with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- Experience processing payroll for union populations is preferred.
- Experience with prevailing wage requirements and compliance is preferred.
- Experience supporting payroll in a SOX-controlled environment
