Manager-Payroll
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 9, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 8, 2026.
Join our team and what we'll accomplish together
The Payroll Manager is responsible for leading national payroll operations, strategy, and compliance for over 25,000 employees across Canada. This role oversees the accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of multi-province biweekly and monthly payrolls, manages payroll system enhancements, and leads a dedicated team of payroll professionals. The Payroll Manager serves as a technical subject matter expert and trusted advisor to People & Culture, Finance, and executive leadership, ensuring alignment with federal and provincial regulations, risk & compliance, and corporate objectives.
What you'll do
Payroll Operations & Execution
Lead and oversee full-cycle biweekly and monthly payroll processing for 25,000 salaried and hourly team members across all Canadian provinces and territories
Ensure 100% accuracy and timeliness of payroll calculations, deductions, garnishments, taxable benefits, and expense reimbursements
Manage payroll financial processes, including general ledger postings, journal entries, payroll accruals, account reconciliations, and wire transfers
Oversee year-end processing, including T4/T4A and RL-1 preparation, filing, and distribution, as well as PIER report resolutions
Compliance, Audit & Risk Management
Ensure strict adherence to Canadian federal and provincial employment standards, tax legislation, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines, and Revenu Québec (MRQ) regulations
Maintain and enforce robust internal controls to comply with corporate governance and audit requirements
Serve as the primary liaison for internal, external, and government regulatory audits, preparing required documentation and reports
Monitor evolving payroll laws and regulations across Canada, proactively implementing required process or system updates
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Provide direct leadership, mentoring, and performance management for a team of payroll specialists and advisors
Foster a culture of continuous learning, service excellence, and cross-functional collaboration within the payroll team
Establish operational KPIs and benchmarks to monitor payroll accuracy, inquiry response times, and processing efficiency
Systems, Strategy & Process Optimization
Drive continuous process improvement and automation initiatives to simplify payroll workflows and enhance data integrity
Serve as the functional/business lead for enterprise payroll software and HRIS modules (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors / ECP / SAP Payroll)
Partner with IT, HR Operations, and Finance teams to test, configure, and implement payroll system upgrades, interfaces, and tools
Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory
Act as the primary technical resource and advisor on complex payroll matters for P & C Business Partners, Finance, Total Rewards, and Legal
Manage escalated payroll inquiries and complex compensation scenarios with high confidentiality, discretion, and customer focus
Oversee relationships with third-party payroll vendors, benefit carriers, and tax authorities
What you'll bring
Required Experience & Qualifications
Experience: 7-10+ years of progressive payroll management experience in large-scale, multi-province Canadian organizations supporting 20,000+ employees
System Expertise: Deep hands-on experience with enterprise HRIS/payroll systems (SAP Payroll / SAP SuccessFactors ECP highly preferred) and advanced MS Excel capabilities
Regulatory Knowledge: Thorough understanding of Canadian federal/provincial payroll legislation, CRA, Revenu Québec, statutory remittances, and audit frameworks
Labor Environment: Experience managing payroll within both unionized and non-unionized operating environments
Leadership: Proven track record of leading, coaching, and developing high-performing payroll operations teams
Required Education & Professional Designations
Payroll Certification: Certified Payroll Manager (CPM) designation from the National Payroll Institute (NPI) required; Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation considered
Accounting / Finance Designation: CPA designation or post-secondary degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or Business Administration preferred
Core Competencies & Skills
High degree of analytical thinking, detail orientation, and quantitative problem-solving skills
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present complex financial data to non-finance stakeholders
Strong change management skills with comfort operating in fast-paced, evolving corporate environments
Bilingualism in English and French (oral and written) is considered a strong asset
Advanced knowledge of English is required because you will most of the time interact in English with external parties (clients, suppliers, candidates, external partners, etc.); interact in English with internal parties (colleagues, internal partners, stakeholders, etc.) as part of this position's main responsibilities given its national scope.