Senior Manager, Payroll and People Operations

Role Overview

The Senior Manager, Payroll and People Operations is a hands-on leader who owns payroll, benefits, leaves, compensation, and HR operations across Versaterm’s U.S., Canadian, and Quebec entities. This role combines close, working oversight of payroll with building a reliable, well-run People Operations function and a structured, well-managed approach to compensation and benefits.

What You Will Do

Payroll Leadership: Own accurate, timely payroll processing, including ad hoc payments, commissions, and bonuses. Maintain the ability to personally step in and run a full payroll cycle in any entity. Ensure compliance with federal, state, provincial, and Quebec-specific payroll tax regulations.

Why It Might Be a Fit

The Senior Manager leads execution, day-to-day program management, and compliance accountability across the full scope of the role. The role requires a genuine, daily user of AI tools, strong vendor management and project management skills, and high discretion and professionalism in handling confidential payroll, benefits, and compensation information.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred; PLP or CPP designation, or actively working toward one.
• 10+ years of progressive payroll, benefits, and HR operations experience, including multi-entity, cross-border (U.S./Canada) operations; Quebec payroll experience is a strong asset.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of demonstrated people leadership experience
• In-depth knowledge of U.S. and Canadian payroll, tax, and benefits regulations, and familiarity with pay equity and pay transparency requirements.
• Working knowledge of compensation practices and benchmarking, or strong aptitude and motivation to build this capability.
• Experience owning or administering an HRIS (BambooHR or similar); comfortable as a technical system owner, not just an end user.
• Familiarity with Employer of Record (EOR) arrangements (Rippling or similar) and job classification/FLSA exemption analysis is an asset.
• A genuine, daily user of AI tools (Claude, Copilot) in your own work — for research, drafting, analysis, and problem-solving.
• Prior experience operating as both a player and a coach — comfortable personally executing a payroll run, not just managing others who do.
• Strong vendor management and project management skills.
• High degree of discretion and professionalism in handling confidential payroll, benefits, and compensation information.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills; able to manage several complex priorities simultaneously under deadline pressure.

Benefits

• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Equity (ownership stake)
• Relocation assistance
• Flexible work arrangements

Tagged as: Project Management