Payroll Specialist Lead - Canada

Remote; Amer; Remote; EUR 80,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

work from anywhere

flexible paid time off

flexible working hours (async)

16 weeks paid parental leave

budget towards co-working spaces, and

mental health support services

stock options

home office budget & IT equipment

Job summary

Remote is seeking a Senior Payroll Operations Specialist to own end-to-end payroll processes across regions. You will manage the Zendesk ticketing system, streamline SOPs, and mentor diverse teams in a fully remote, async environment.

Applicants bring several years of payroll experience, strong analytical skills, and fluency in English. The role reports to the Manager, Payroll Operations and offers global collaboration with cross-functional groups.

Qualifications

• Several years in regional or global payroll operations with best-practice knowledge.
• Proven ability to lead teams with a hands-off, empowering approach.
• Strong analytical mindset and problem-solving capabilities.
• Thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced international environment.
• Excellent written and spoken English communication.
• Proficient with SAP, Excel and Google Sheets to drive accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Deliver payroll with precision and accountability, meeting deadlines.
• Manage and optimize Zendesk ticketing system and workflows.
• Own SOPs, checklists, and internal resources across teams.
• Provide cross-team training, mentorship, and knowledge sharing.
• Proactively make decisions and propose high-impact solutions.
• Offer global client support and stakeholder management.
• Lead global testing, projects, and cross-functional engagements.

Skills

Payroll operations

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Adaptability

Remote/asynchronous work

English proficiency

Tools

SAP

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

About Remote

Remote is building the infrastructure that makes global payroll and employment possible for everyone, everywhere. Our team is made up of people who want to own a piece of that work, not just contribute to it. That work happens across six continents, only Antarctica left to go, entirely remote. It also requires real fluency with AI in every role, not just familiarity with it.

Remote is building the infrastructure that makes global payroll and employment possible for everyone, everywhere. Our team is made up of people who want to own a piece of that work, not just contribute to it. That work happens across six continents, only Antarctica left to go, entirely remote. It also requires real fluency with AI in every role, not just familiarity with it. Our standards are high, and the ownership is total. You'll have the trust and space to find your own way to the best answer, and the support to see it through, because that's how we build things that actually work at this scale. In return, your career grows faster, because at Remote, growth is tied to results. We're founded on the principle that where someone lives should never limit what they can achieve, and we operate exactly that way.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver payroll with precision and accountability: Consistently meet 99% of deadlines for assigned tasks while maintaining an accuracy rate of 99.5%. Implement strategic checks and controls to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and continuously refine processes to meet broader business goals.
• Manage and optimize the ticketing system (Zendesk): Take full ownership of the Zendesk queue with strategic oversight, ensuring tickets are assigned within 24 hours. Identify trends or recurring issues, addressing root causes to prevent future escalations and enhance long-term efficiency.
• Strategically Manage SOPs and internal resources: Take ownership of SOPs, checklists, and internal resources, not only ensuring they are updated but also leading efforts to optimize and improve these documents across teams, aligning them with company goals and best practices.
• Provide cross-team training, mentorship, and knowledge sharing: Proactively offer training and mentorship across teams, including Implementation and PCST, to standardize best practices and elevate operational effectiveness across departments. Take ownership of personal development by actively pursuing learning opportunities and sharing knowledge with the team. Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement that drives operational excellence and long-term success.
• Proactive decision making and initiative: Demonstrate initiative in making informed decisions, often resolving issues independently. Proactively suggest solutions that have a broader impact on business operations, ensuring strategic long-term benefits.
• Global client support, communication, and stakeholder management: Provide comprehensive client support with a global perspective, ensuring follow-ups and problem-solving are handled efficiently. Focus on delivering long-term solutions that enhance client satisfaction and improve service delivery across regions. Demonstrate exceptional communication skills, building strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Provide clarity and insight in complex situations, acting as a trusted advisor for key business decisions.
• Lead global testing, projects, and cross-functional engagement: Actively seek opportunities to participate in global testing and high-impact projects, providing insights and leadership that extend beyond the immediate team or region. Engage with and support other teams across functions using collaboration tools like Slack, offering troubleshooting and guidance. Ensure effective execution, measurable results for global initiatives, and maintain strong communication across departments to resolve issues and drive success as a cross-functional senior specialist.

What you bring

• Experience: Several years in regional or global payroll operations, with a solid understanding of global payroll best practices.
• Leadership: Passionate about managing teams with a hands-off approach, empowering individuals without micromanaging while fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in payroll software tools such as SAP, Excel, and Google Sheets, using these tools to drive accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Problem Solving: Possesses an analytical mindset with strong problem-solving abilities, capable of addressing complex challenges and finding innovative solutions.
• Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced international environment, consistently delivering impactful results while adapting quickly to changes.
• Efficiency: Constantly seeks opportunities to improve productivity, streamline processes, and optimize efficiency in all areas of work.
• Working Method: Comfortable working asynchronously and remote in a globally distributed team.
• Language Skills: Fluent in both written and spoken English.

Practicals

• You'll report to: Manager, Payroll Operations
• Team: Payroll Operations
• Team size: N/A
• Location: United States or Canada
• Start date: As soon as possible

Application process

Roughly 2 hours across 3 weeks

• 1. Interview with recruiter
• 2. Interview with future manager
• 3. Interview with executive
• 4. Bar Raiser Interview
• 5. Prior employment verification check

Benefits

Our full benefits & perks are explained in our handbook at remote.com/r/benefits. As a global company, each country works differently, but some benefits/perks are for all Remoters:

• work from anywhere
• flexible paid time off
• flexible working hours (we are async)
• 16 weeks paid parental leave
• budget towards co-working spaces, learning and wellness (including gym memberships)
• mental health support services
• stock options
• home office budget & IT equipment

How you’ll plan your day (and life)

We work async at Remote which means you can plan your schedule around your life (and not around meetings). Read more at remote.com/async.

You will be empowered to take ownership and be proactive. When in doubt you will default to action instead of waiting. life-work balance is important and you will be encouraged to put yourself and your family first, and fit work around your needs.

Not only do we encourage folks from all ethnic groups, genders, sexuality, age, abilities, disability status and any other under-represented group to apply, but we prioritize a sense of belonging. We have 4 ERGs (Women, Disability, Queer, Minorities in Tech) who meet regularly with the People team. During your interviews and beyond, we ask & encourage anybody who needs an accommodation to request one from their recruiter.

We will ask you to voluntarily tell us your pronouns at interview stage, and you will have the option to answer our anonymous demographic questionnaire when you apply below. As an equal employment opportunity employer it’s important to us that our workforce reflects people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences and this data will help us to stay accountable. We thank you for providing this data, if you chose to.

At Remote, we embrace AI as a valuable tool while prioritizing human creativity and authenticity. We look forward to meeting candidates who balance innovation with genuine expertise and experience. To learn more about Remote's AI guidelines check see here.

Please note we accept applications on an ongoing basis.