Senior Payroll Consultant

Employment Type: Contract (3–6 months)

Location: Toronto, ON (Remote-first, occasional in-office/onsite)

Rate: $70-90/hr

Industry: Mining & Metals

Position Type: New Role

About the Opportunity

Our client is seeking an experienced Payroll Consultant to step in as an interim payroll lead and quickly stabilize a complex, decentralized payroll environment. Reporting to senior finance leadership, you will be the go-to expert for diagnosing current issues, tightening controls, and building a more reliable, well-documented payroll operation across corporate and multiple site locations in Canada and the US.

This contract role is ideal for a hands-on payroll professional who enjoys rolling up their sleeves to untangle payroll risks, reconcile taxable benefits and equity plans, and bring structure to disorganized processes. You will collaborate closely with existing payroll staff, finance, and site administrators, while also playing a key role in an upcoming US payroll conversion in Dayforce. The work is primarily remote with flexibility, and offers a meaningful opportunity to leave a lasting impact on how payroll is run and governed.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct a thorough review of year-to-date payroll, including Q4 equity/RSU processing, to identify errors, risks, and control gaps.
• Implement audit recommendations and strengthen controls (e.g., biweekly taxable benefit checks, remittance and tax reporting cadence).
• Develop and formalize payroll documentation, including process maps, run-books, checklists, and standard operating procedures.
• Organize, clean up, and structure the payroll shared drive and source documentation for easy access and ongoing maintenance.
• Perform payroll and GL reconciliations (e.g., taxable benefits monthly, equity quarterly) and partner with finance to establish recurring reconciliation routines.
• Review and audit multi-site payroll processes (e.g., vacation pay, 4% payouts, time and attendance, multi-shift/hourly calculations) for locations such as Timmins and Fox.
• Provide remote and/or onsite support to site payroll administrators, including targeted audits and process remediation.
• Lead or support the Dayforce US payroll conversion and contribute to any related system migrations or implementations.
• Collaborate tactfully with existing payroll staff to transition day-to-day responsibilities, provide coaching, and transfer knowledge.
• Assess the long-term operating model and provide recommendations on whether payroll should remain in-house or be outsourced.

What You Bring

• Extensive, hands-on payroll experience in a senior payroll consultant, lead, or manager capacity.
• Strong experience with Dayforce payroll; exposure to ADP is an asset.
• Public company payroll experience, including equity, RSU, and stock option processing.
• Background working in multi-site, multi-shift hourly payroll environments (e.g., mining, manufacturing, or similar industries).
• Proven track record implementing payroll controls, executing payroll audits, and reconciling taxable benefits and remittances.
• Experience with payroll system conversions or implementations, particularly supporting or leading Dayforce projects.
• Demonstrated ability to create clear, practical payroll documentation, checklists, and process guides.
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills, including payroll-to-GL reconciliations.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to constructively challenge finance and operations where needed.
• High degree of professionalism and discretion in navigating sensitive personnel situations and change management.
• Self-starter mindset, comfortable working independently in a remote-first setting and delivering meaningful improvements within a 3–6 month timeframe.

Next Steps

We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Clarity Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. If you require accommodation, please let us know in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note: We use AI-assisted tools for notetaking during the screening process.

About Clarity Recruitment

Clarity is an executive search and recruitment firm specializing in Finance & Accounting talent across Canada - from accountants to CFOs. Additionally, Clarity partners with organizations to hire exceptional talent in HR, Operations, and IT, helping build the teams that power business success. Our process is designed to minimize risk, maximize alignment, and move quickly. With dedicated practices in Executive Search, Full-Time Search, and Project & Interim Consulting, we help organizations grow with confidence. Visit findingclarity.ca to learn more!

JOB ID #3569598