Payroll Manager

This is a senior, high-ownership role for a payroll professional who's ready to do more than maintain a function — you'll help shape one. SNDL recently transitioned its payroll operations to an outsourced delivery model, and we're looking for an experienced leader to take accountability for that relationship, establish strong operational foundations, and ensure our 2,700+ employees across Canada are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time.

You'll serve as SNDL's subject-matter expert for payroll, benefits, and WCB — guiding the vendor team, owning governance and compliance, and acting as the final word on complex payroll decisions. If building something well is more motivating to you than inheriting something finished, this role was made for you.

What you'll own

• End-to-end payroll accountability for 2,700+ employees across multiple Canadian provinces — including governance frameworks, approvals, reconciliations, statutory remittances, and year-end reporting (T4, T2200)

• Single point of accountability for the outsourced BPO provider — guiding the vendor team, leading governance reviews, monitoring KPIs and SLAs, and driving continuous performance improvement and remediation

• Escalation ownership for complex payroll, benefits, and leave issues — including root-cause analysis and corrective action

• Cross-border payroll for U.S. executives, including workday splits and FX rate application

• WCB program compliance and integrity across all applicable provinces

• Payroll and HRIS system upgrades, configuration changes, and ongoing process optimization

• Internal and external audit management, SOX controls, and cross-system data integrity between payroll and benefits platforms

What you bring

• 8+ years of progressive, full-cycle payroll experience across multiple Canadian jurisdictions

• Demonstrated experience overseeing outsourced or offshore payroll delivery teams, with a track record of building accountability and driving performance

• Proven vendor management experience — SLA oversight, governance reviews, and escalation ownership

• Strong knowledge of multi-jurisdictional payroll legislation, WCB compliance, statutory remittances, and year-end reporting

• Experience with cross-border payroll (Canada/U.S.) and FX rate application

• Exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical skills, and the composure to manage competing priorities under pressure

• Clear communicator who can translate payroll complexity for HR, Finance, and executive stakeholders

• Workday or comparable HRIS/payroll system experience nice to have

• CPM, PCP, or equivalent payroll certification nice to have

Who thrives here

You're a builder — someone who establishes structure and process where it's still taking shape, stays composed when priorities shift, and leads vendor teams and internal stakeholders through influence, clear expectations, and consistent follow-through. You hold yourself to a high standard, bring professionalism and discretion to sensitive work, and approach challenges with a constructive, solutions-focused mindset.