Payroll and Benefits Lead - Fully Remote

Valor Search; Toronto; Remote; CAD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking a Payroll and Benefits Specialist for a fully remote role. This position involves ownership of payroll systems across Canada and the U.S., driving process improvements, and ensuring compliance. Ideal candidates will have extensive payroll experience and a proactive communication style. The role offers a competitive salary of $85,000, stock options, and comprehensive benefits, including 4 weeks vacation and professional development support.

Benefits

Stock option grant

4 weeks vacation

$2,000 home office setup budget

$500 annual professional development

4% RRSP match

Comprehensive health and dental benefits

Monthly virtual team lunches

Enhanced parental leave coverage

Annual performance review and salary increase

Qualifications

• 35 years of payroll and/or benefits experience, including cross-border (Canada and U.S.).
• Strong attention to detail and comfort working autonomously in a remote setting.
• Knowledge of Canadian and U.S. employment standards, tax regulations, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end Canadian and U.S. payroll.
• Lead benefits administration and employee onboarding conversations.
• Drive a payroll system migration.

Skills

Sales Experience

Microsoft Office

Customer Service

Communication skills

Business Management

Benefits Administration

Human Resources

Education

CPA, PCP, CPM or related certification

Tools

Humi

Gusto

Paychex

Rippling

HiBob

Job description

Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Fully Remote-first (GTA preferred)

85K Stock Options 4 Weeks Vacation

Build It. Own It. Elevate It.

Our client is building the future of retail media networks, helping retailers turn digital marketing into a profit center. Backed by cutting-edge AI and automation, their platform delivers performance that outpaces online media benchmarks and is already trusted by some of the biggest names in retail.

Headquartered in Toronto and operating remotely, they are a diverse, high-performance team of professionals who care deeply about building meaningful products, driving results, and shaping a positive, inclusive culture.

They are now bringing payroll and benefits in-house for the first time and are looking for someone ready to take full ownership of the function.

This is more than just processing payroll. It's a chance to build smarter systems, be the go-to expert across the company, and partner directly with People and Finance leadership. If you're tired of maintaining outdated processes and want to leave things better than you found them, this is your role.

You'll step into a high-impact position with immediate visibility, autonomy, and the runway to modernize how payroll and benefits are delivered across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.

Why This Role Stands Out

• Greenfield opportunity - Take over from an outsourced provider and make it your own
• High-trust, low-bureaucracy environment
• System migration in motion - Play a leading role in selecting and implementing a global payroll provider
• Full leadership support - Reporting to the Head of People with close collaboration from the CFO, Controller, and Director of Finance

Ideal Candidate Profile

You're someone who's:

• Ready to step out of a narrow task-based payroll role
• Looking to own and shape a function from the ground up
• Energized by tech systems and solving messy problems
• Trusted, accountable, and happiest when people rely on you

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end Canadian and U.S. payroll (plus one employee in Australia)
• Lead benefits administration and employee onboarding conversations
• Serve as the first point of contact for all payroll and benefits inquiries
• Drive a payroll system migration (vendors like ADP currently being evaluated)
• Improve documentation workflows and compliance processes
• Support broader compensation projects and people operations initiatives

What Our Client Is Looking For

• 35 years of payroll and/or benefits experience, including cross-border (Canada and U.S.)
• Experience with platforms like Humi, Gusto, Paychex, Rippling, or HiBob
• Strong attention to detail and comfort working autonomously in a remote setting
• Knowledge of Canadian and U.S. employment standards, tax regulations, and compliance
• Proactive communicator with strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills
• CPA, PCP, CPM, or related certification is a plus
• Familiarity with multi-entity, multi-currency, and PEO/EOR environments is an asset

Total Rewards

• 85,000 base salary
• Stock option grant
• 4 weeks vacation, paid holidays, and wellness time
• $2,000 home office setup budget (one-time)
• $500 annual professional development
• 4% RRSP match
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits
• Monthly virtual DoorDash team lunches
• Enhanced parental leave coverage
• Annual performance review and salary increase cycle

Why Now

This is a rare opportunity to build something meaningful at exactly the right time. The strategy is set, the team is supportive, the migration is coming. All that's missing is the right person to own it.

Key Skills

Sales Experience, Microsoft Office, Customer Service, Communication skills, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Business Management, Benefits Administration, Microsoft Excel, Insurance Sales, Customer Relationship Management, Human Resources

Employment Type : Full Time

Experience : years

Vacancy : 1