Manager, Payroll and HRIS

Responsibilities

• Lead Payroll Operations End to End for 2000+ employees.
• Own the full payroll cycle across Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, ensuring accuracy, compliance and timely delivery for all employee groups in a lawyer partnership environment.
• Coordinate payroll with UKG for London operations and provide support to payroll operations in Johannesburg.
• Coordinate with regional HR teams on timecards, data changes and escalations – acting as a strategic partner who anticipates their needs.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of employment standards across the provinces.
• Manage year‑end processes, statutory remittances, ROEs and regulatory filings across all jurisdictions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, provincial, Quebec‑specific employment standards, tax legislation and firm policies.
• Own and shape the firm’s UKG HRIS platform, ensuring it serves the firm’s talent strategy.
• Drive system optimisation, configuration and integration with other platforms.
• Partner with IT and external vendors, including UKG and implementation partners, on system enhancements, upgrades and issue resolution.
• Stay current with UKG releases and communicate relevant changes to stakeholders.
• Maintain data integrity, security protocols and access management across the platform.
• Continuously evaluate processes for automation and efficiency, challenging existing practices and driving improvement.
• Build and refine processes that connect payroll and HRIS data to finance, analytics and workforce planning, ensuring clean and well‑governed data.
• Collaborate directly with People Analytics to support data architecture decisions that empower future insights.
• Stay current on payroll technology trends, legislative changes and emerging practices, bringing proactive ideas rather than just compliance.
• Lead, coach and develop a high‑performing payroll team.
• Create an environment where the team thrives, owns their work and raises issues early.
• Manage priorities, workload and competing deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Foster cross‑functional collaboration with HR, Finance, IT and regional teams, building relationships beyond workflows.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to internal clients – partners, lawyers, staff and regional HR teams – with responsiveness, clarity and a commitment to problem‑solving.
• Provide strategic guidance on payroll‑related matters to senior leadership, including tax implications and policy interpretation.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of payroll processes and regulatory monitoring in line with firm quality and compliance standards.
• Manage escalations with professionalism, discretion and confidentiality.

• Bilingual in English and French (spoken and written).
• 7+ years of progressive payroll management experience, including multi‑provincial Canadian payroll with Quebec expertise.
• Hands‑on experience with UKG (UKG Pro, UKG WFM, UKG Payroll).
• Experience with ADP is an asset.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop payroll teams.
• Deep knowledge of Canadian payroll legislation, statutory requirements and compliance frameworks across multiple provinces.
• PCP or PLP certification through the National Payroll Institute, or actively pursuing the certification.

$120,000 to $140,000 per annum. Pay range is commensurate with experience.