Manager, Payroll and Labour Processes

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a global, luxury hotel management company. We manage over 120 hotels and resorts and 50 private residences in 47 countries around the world and growing.  

Central to Four Seasons employee experience and social impact programming is the company’s commitment to supporting cancer research, and the advancement of diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging at Four Seasons corporate offices and properties worldwide. At Four Seasons, we are powered by people and our culture enables everything we do.

The Manager, Payroll and Labour Processes (18 Month Contract) leads a team of two payroll professionals to oversee and manage all corporate payroll functions across multiple jurisdictions. The Payroll and Labour Processes team executes day-to-day payroll and employment tax activities including understanding and applying employment and tax laws, transaction processing, ADP system administration, journal entries, and reconciliation. The Manager ensures strong internal controls and adherence to corporate HR and accounting policies. In addition, the Manager leads and support various department initiatives involving budgeting and forecasting, process improvement, automation, and systems implementation.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Payroll Processing and General Accounting

• Ensure Four Seasons Corporate Offices adhere to all payroll and remittance guidelines set out by the regulatory bodies such as Canadian Payroll Association (CPA), Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Inland Revenue Service (IRAS) and other national, provincial / state and local employment and tax agencies. Research and adopt new requirements as appropriate, advise management on impact and recommendations.
• Oversee payroll workflows and processes to ensure accuracy of payment and data input from HRIS (Workday) and other sources into the payroll processing systems (ADP, Excelity), maintain the manual pay system for the Dubai Office and accurate booking of data into the general ledgers.
• Oversee payroll providers and processors to ensure timely payment of all corporate and sales office payrolls, including Toronto (semi-monthly), Toronto (bi-weekly), US (semi-monthly), monthly payrolls in Dubai, London, Amsterdam and Singapore. Review payroll data for payrolls processed by third parties on behalf of the Corporate Offices.
• Review and approve payroll processing reports; spot check changes against source information, document process gaps and findings. Use this information to adjust and optimize the workflow and process.
• Oversee issuance of employee forms, including tax forms, records of employment, etc.
• Support corporate finance in annual internal and external audits.

Labour Administration

• Maintain accruals for incentives, benefits, regional staff, ex-patriot employees, retirement plans and other miscellaneous payments and benefits. Review and approve journal entries, paying particular attention to exceptions and adjustments.
• Work alongside Labour Administration and P&C to collect eligible earnings data for incentive calculations and communicate approved corporate incentive payments with global paymasters.
• Administer RVP LTIP plan and communicate plan payments with property Directors of Finance.

Process Improvement, Automation and Data Integrity

• Lead / support systems implementation (e.g. ADP WorkForce Now, Blackline, DEWS), leverage opportunities to streamline and improve processes and controls.
• Update and document payroll processes and internal controls to standardize input and processes across global entities promoting efficient workflow and reliable data.
• Identify where payroll information conflicts with the data in HRIS to determine areas that require review and/or updating.

Staffing/Leadership

• Serve as key point of contact for employee payroll enquiries.
• Lead a high-performance team, develop staff knowledge and skills.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationship with the staff in the overseas’ corporate offices such as London, Singapore, Dubai, Amsterdam, Geneva, Hong Kong, etc.
• Support the CPA and finance intern program; develop high-potential future finance leaders.

What You Bring:

• Minimum 3 - 5 years of work experience in Finance, Accounting. Experience in Payroll or Human Resources would be an asset.
• Undergraduate Degree with focus in Finance, Accounting, Human Resources or Business-related discipline
• CPA, working towards CPA, or PCP (Payroll Compliance Professional).
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Knowledge and experience managing payroll is an asset.
• Familiarity with Workday and payroll services (ADP)
• Familiarity with transactional accounting principles (Debits, Credits, GL terms, Balance Sheet and Income Statement accounts)
• Professional and courteous attitude; exercise discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Excellent communication skills; verbally articulate with strong written composition with high degree of diplomacy and tact.
• Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills
• Excellent relational skills to support professional interaction with internal and external partners at all levels.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple tasks within time constraints.
• Possesses sound analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, customer service-focused environment.
• Demonstrated excellence in organization development, HR strategy, talent development and conflict resolution.

All internal applications must be submitted and approved in Workday by December 22, 2023

This role will be a Hybrid working model, which will require 3 days per week in the Four Seasons Corporate Office located at 1165 Leslie Street, Toronto, Ontario

Four Seasons is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise Human Resources if you require accommodation.