Director of Payroll

Toronto, ON

Mejuri is the category-defining fine jewelry brand designing high-quality pieces created to be worn every day. Feeling disconnected from an industry that typically markets to men, co-founder and CEO Noura Sakkijha leveraged her learnings as a third-generation jeweller to rethink the way women purchase jewelry—for themselves. In only seven years, and with a team of over 75% women, Mejuri has shipped over one million orders and opened eight retail stores across the globe, all while introducing new products weekly.

As part of Noura’s original vision to empower women to invest in themselves, the brand launched the Mejuri Empowerment Fund to support underrepresented women and non-binary individuals with the tools to empower themselves. Mejuri continues to reach new customers through exciting community initiatives and expansion into international markets, such as the UK, Australia and Germany.

We are a team of retailers, creatives, technologists and strategists, and we are looking for someone special to join our team.

Who you'll be working with:

Hi, I’m Mengbin Wu, and I’m currently the VP Corporate Controller at Mejuri, looking for a Director of Payroll to join our growing Finance team. I’ve recently joined this fast-growing organization and I am responsible for leading our global accounting, payroll and accounts payable teams. I am excited to grow my team and be part of this amazing journey at Mejuri.

Reporting to the VP Corporate Controller, you are an accomplished leader with strong business acumen and you will oversee our global payroll function. This includes developing and leading the strategic framework for global payroll with a focus on scalability for growth, internal and regulatory compliance, while also partnering cross-functionally to support the implementation of new technologies. You will also own the payroll, including the implementation of a new payroll system. We are looking for someone with a strategic mindset who can effectively scale a payroll function as we build a best-in-class payroll department.

You will direct all aspects of payroll processing operations, establish and oversee payroll processes and procedures, including internal controls, for processing, regulatory reporting and internal/external financial reporting. You will design short and long-term strategies to achieve continuous improvement and efficiencies in payroll processing and delivery operations. You will partner with the business to support our growth initiatives, including expansion into new jurisdictions. You will keep stakeholders informed about the status of payroll laws and regulations in all of our jurisdictions, and develop implementation plans for required changes to operations. This is an exciting time to join the team, as Mejuri looks to grow and expand into new territories, and take the next step towards becoming a world class jewelry brand.

What you’ll do:

Lead, develop and manage the global payroll team in achieving business objectives and meeting stakeholder needs
Manage all aspects of the payroll process, including approving transactions, remittances and filings, reviewing exemptions, and analyzing variances, to ensure payroll is processed on time and in compliance with legislative requirements across all jurisdictions
Keep abreast of legislative changes that affect our global payroll and advise senior leadership on implementation strategy and implications
Develop a global payroll strategy to support our continued expansion into new jurisdictions, and partner cross-functionally to provide expertise on local laws and regulations
Partner with key business stakeholders, such as HR, to ensure process integration and strong cross functional collaboration
Assess technology requirements, lead implementation projects such as a new payroll system, and maintain payroll systems
Create, design and implement policies, processes and procedures while fulfilling internal governance and external legislation requirements
Design, implement and maintain internal controls over the payroll processes
Design, implement and deliver key SLA and KPI metrics to drive operational excellence
Review payroll accounting journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations, and lead year-end close and audit requirements in payroll-related areas

What you bring to the team:

Leadership: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Human Resource Management, or a similar field; 10+ years of progressive payroll leadership experience, including at least 5 years of global payroll experience
Confidentiality: Always ensures confidentiality to the highest standard
Payroll Designation: Certified Canadian Payroll Manager, with American Payroll Association designation considered a strong asset
Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of Canada, US and international payroll legislation, regulations and compliance
Problem Solving: Ability to work through complex and ambiguous situations, and to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
Process Improvement: Proven track record in scaling organizations through automation and systems implementations
Customer Focus: Customer service centric; ability to build relationships with and effectively communicate to internal & external stakeholders
Skills: Extensive knowledge of payroll software, such as Ceridian, ADP and Workday, and excellent knowledge of accounting ERP systems
Special Demands: To adhere to unusual working hours during the monthly, quarterly, and annual close periods, annual review, and during ad hoc projects

Things we consider an asset:

SOX and other ICFR compliance frameworks
Excellent organizational, time management, and presentation skills
Experience in payroll for retail employees and within eCommerce, manufacturing or consumer packaged goods industries
Experience in cross-border taxation, international taxation, and US/Canada treaty issues

Benefits at Mejuri:

A minimum of three weeks vacation, plus personal days and three religious observance days.
A hybrid work model for all corporate roles.
‘Mejuri Passport’ which allows employees who meet specific criteria to work in other locations for one month per year.
Comprehensive medical and dental benefits, including mental health coverage, and generous personal and sick days for our full-time employees. We also offer bereavement leave, including miscarriage and stillbirth support.
Parental leave salary top-up of up to 80%, as well as a personalized return-to-work transition and accommodation plan for full-time employees
Semi-annual performance and compensation reviews.
Internal coaching department and learning and development to support career growth and plans for everyone.
A generous product discount!

Please note that these benefits apply to full-time employees.

Location:

At Mejuri we embrace a hybrid working environment and support our corporate employees to be successful whether they are at home or in the office. The primary purpose of our offices is to drive collaboration and deepen relationships with one another.

Accommodation / Accessibility:

Mejuri does not discriminate in hiring or terms and conditions of employment because of an individual’s race, ancestry, colour, place of origin, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, sexual orientation, family status or marital status, or any other protected category recognized by provincial or federal laws.

Should you require any accommodation, please inform us and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any accessibility-related assistance, requests for information in accessible alternative formats or to report any accessibility problems, please share in your application.