Sr. Manager, Payroll

Payroll Operations

• Own the full payroll cycle (semi-monthly and off-cycle) for all US and Canadian employees, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and clean audit trails.
• Manage payroll calendar, cut-off deadlines, and coordination with HR and Finance for data integrity.
• Serve as primary escalation point for discrepancies, queries, and issues.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, reducing manual effort while increasing controls.

Technology & Systems

• Work within Workday Payroll and Workday HCM for pay runs, earnings/deduction codes, and audit reporting.
• Utilize ADP Smart Compliance for multi-state/provincial tax filing, remittance, and amendments.
• Partner with HRIS and IT on system upgrades, open enrollment, and configuration changes.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual reconciliation and improve data accuracy.

Tax Compliance (US & Canada)

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local US payroll taxes (multi-state nexus, SUI, SDI, local levies).
• Manage Canadian payroll taxes (CPP, EI, provincial income tax, Quebec QPP/QPIP).
• Own year-end processes (W-2, W-2c, T4, T4A, RL-1) including reconciliation, distribution, and filing.
• Manage tax registration, filing, amendments, and penalty responses.
• Stay ahead of legislative changes and update processes/systems.

Equity & Supplemental Compensation

• Manage payroll processing and tax withholding for RSU vesting, coordinating with Stock Administration on schedules and sell-to-cover.
• Ensure correct treatment of ESPP, NQSOs, ISOs, and other equity instruments.
• Partner with Legal and Tax on equity income sourcing and IRS/CRA reporting.
• Reconcile equity payroll data to stock admin records quarterly.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and performance-manage a team of 4-5 payroll professionals.
• Build team culture emphasizing accuracy, ownership of deadlines, and early problem surfacing.
• Create redundancy and cross-training.
• Coach team on technical depth in tax law, equity mechanics, and compliance.

Controls, Audit & Governance

• Design and maintain SOX-compliant controls, including segregation of duties and exception reporting.
• Lead responses to internal/external audits, closing findings.
• Maintain payroll policies and procedures.
• Produce monthly metrics and variance analysis for leadership.

Requirements

• 8+ years of hands-on US and Canada payroll experience, with at least 3 years in leadership managing a team.
• Deep knowledge of US multi-state payroll tax (nexus, reciprocity, SUI/SDI, supplemental withholding).
• Solid understanding of Canadian payroll compliance (CPP/QPP, EI/QPIP, T4/RL-1).
• Proven experience managing RSU and equity payroll processing and reconciliation.
• Strong command of payroll reconciliation, GL mapping, and accruals.
• Experience leading teams of 4+ people.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent preferred.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with Workday Payroll and HCM.
• Hands-on experience with ADP Smart Compliance.
• Background supporting high-growth tech companies with rapid scaling.
• Familiarity with Shareworks for equity integration.
• Experience with mobile employee payroll and equity tax rules.
• Exposure to global payroll coordination.