Senior Manager, HR Operations & Payroll

Team Leadership & Service Delivery Excellence

• Provide senior leadership to the HR Operations & Payroll team, setting clear standards for service quality, accuracy, risk management, and employee and stakeholder experience.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk HR operations and payroll issues, applying sound judgment and resolving matters decisively and fairly.
• Remain actively engaged in day-to-day work, including reviewing transactions, coaching through complex cases, and troubleshooting issues alongside the team.
• Build a high-performing team culture focused on accountability, learning, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Establish clear performance expectations, monitor capacity and workload trends, and proactively adjust priorities to meet service levels and business needs.
• Coach and develop team members to strengthen technical capability, problem-solving skills, and confidence in handling complex cases independently.

HR Operations & Payroll Governance

• Own the end-to-end delivery and governance of HR Operations and Payroll, including onboarding, offboarding, benefits administration, payroll processing, data management, and HR reporting.
• Provide oversight of payroll operations to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant pay delivery, leveraging deep payroll expertise to manage risk and resolve issues.
• Review and approve HR and payroll transactions as required, ensuring alignment with legislation, internal controls, policies, and organizational values.
• Ensure data integrity across HR and payroll systems, partnering with stakeholders to define clear ownership, controls, and processes for employee data changes.
• Oversee compliance with employment legislation, payroll regulations, internal policies, and data privacy requirements.
• Lead regular audits and reviews of HR and payroll processes, identifying gaps, and opportunities for scalability to drive corrective action.
• Support the design, implementation, and ongoing administration of HR programs where operational rigor and payroll expertise are required.

Strategic Enablement & Change Execution

• Translate HR strategic initiatives into executable HR Operations and Payroll plans, ensuring operational readiness, resourcing, sequencing, and risk mitigation.
• Lead HR operational planning and execution for enterprise initiatives such as acquisitions, organizational changes, and workforce transitions.
• Assess operational and payroll impacts of change initiatives, identifying required work, dependencies, risks, and control considerations.
• Allocate and prioritize team resources to ensure the right expertise is assigned while maintaining day-to-day service delivery.
• Track execution, resolve issues, and escalate risks as required to ensure commitments are delivered accurately and on time.
• Balance strategic project work with ongoing operational demands through disciplined prioritization and capacity management.

Process, Policy & Control Design

• Use daily operational exposure, escalations, and service trends to identify broken, inefficient, or unclear processes and policies.
• Diagnose root causes of recurring issues and translate findings into sustainable solutions.
• Lead the design and implementation of improved processes, controls, and service models, balancing employee experience, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Partner closely with HR Technology to reimagine workflows, introduce automation, and design scalable, low-risk solutions.
• Draft, revise, and govern HR policies, procedures, and process documentation, ensuring legislative compliance and operational clarity.
• Introduce and strengthen control points, review mechanisms, and governance structures to prevent errors and improve consistency.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented changes and continuously refine based on performance data and stakeholder feedback.

Let's Talk About You!

• Undergraduate degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of HR operations and payroll experience (payroll mandatory, HR Operations preferred).
• 5+ years of experience leading and coaching a team in HR services, operations, or payroll.
• Strong understanding of HR processes, payroll practices, and relevant legislation.
• Hands-on experience with HRIS systems (Ceridian Dayforce preferred).
• Proven ability to triage and resolve complex issues in real time, balancing urgency, risk, and employee experience.
• Demonstrated success in translating operational insight into improved processes, policies, and controls.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.