Payroll & Benefits Manager

Calgary Office, 505 3rd St SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Posted Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:00 a.m.

The Payroll and Benefits Manager plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the seamless execution of payroll and benefits operations across the organization. This position is responsible for the design, administration, and continuous improvement of payroll and employee benefits programs that support organizational growth, compliance, and employee satisfaction.

Working closely with HR, Finance, and external vendors, the Payroll and Benefits Manager ensures that employees are paid accurately and on time, benefit programs are competitive and cost-effective, and all statutory obligations are met. This person brings a deep understanding of both U.S. and Canadian labor and tax regulations, and the ability to operate at both a tactical and strategic level.

This is a high-impact role that requires exceptional attention to detail, regulatory knowledge, and a customer-focused mindset. The Manager will also play a key role in scaling systems and processes, integrating acquisitions or new entities, and advising leadership on compensation and benefits trends that enhance talent attraction and retention all with a service-oriented approach to support a positive employee experience and maintain operational excellence.

• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing for U.S. and Canadian employees on a semi-monthly or bi-weekly basis.
• Validate and process payroll data including new hires, terminations, pay changes, and time-off adjustments.
• Ensure accurate calculation and distribution of wages, tax with holdings, statutory deductions (e.g., EI, CPP, QPP in Canada; FICA, FUTA in U.S.), and bonuses.
• Reconcile payroll data and review audit reports to ensure accuracy prior to each payroll cycle.
• Manage payroll-related compliance for both countries, including reporting and remittance to IRS, CRA, provincial/state authorities, and other agencies.
• Prepare and distribute year-end tax forms (e.g., W-2s in the U.S., T4s/T4
  
  As in Canada).
• Ensure payroll systems are properly configured to accommodate local laws and employee classifications (e.g., exempt vs. non-exempt, union vs. non-union).
• Serve as the main liaison with external payroll vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and issue resolution.

• Oversee health, dental, vision, life, disability, and retirement plans in both countries.
• Coordinate with benefits brokers in the U.S. and Canada to manage plan renewals, enrollment, and compliance.
• Lead open enrollment processes for both countries, including employee communications and system setup.
• Administer leave programs such as FMLA (U.S.), ADA accommodations, provincial statutory leaves (e.g., parental leave in Canada), and STD/LTD.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with ACA (U.S.), COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, as well as Canadian requirements under provincial health and employment standards.
• Maintain and update employee benefit records and ensure eligibility tracking and accuracy.

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of payroll and benefits professionals to ensure high-quality service delivery and operational excellence.
• Assign workloads, set performance goals, and conduct regular reviews and check-ins to support professional development and accountability.
• Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture within the team and across HR and Finance departments.
• Serve as a point of escalation for complex payroll and benefits issues, guiding team members toward resolution.
• Identify skill gaps and recommend training or process improvements to ensure team capabilities keep pace with business growth.

• Stay on labour, payroll, and benefits legislation across U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes in both countries and implement necessary updates to payroll and benefit practices to ensure full compliance.
• Ensure accurate filing of reports such as 1094/1095-C, W-2s, T4s, T2200s, and ROEs (Record of Employment).
• Partner with legal and finance teams to mitigate risk and support audits.

• Optimize payroll and HRIS systems to streamline cross-border payroll and benefits functions.
• Maintain data integrity and ensure accurate integration with accounting systems and general ledger.
• Document payroll and benefits workflows and ensure standard operating procedures are kept up to date.
• Lead or support implementation of new systems or tools for better cross-country scalability and compliance.
• Assist with additional HR initiatives, projects, and cross-functional efforts as needed to support team objectives and evolving business priorities.

• Act as the primary contact for payroll and benefits inquiries from U.S. and Canadian staff.
• Respond to employee inquiries regarding payroll and benefits in a timely and…