People Lead

Summary

Join Emplifi's People & Culture team as a People Lead, overseeing U.S. and Canadian HR operations. This fully remote role requires expertise in U.S. labor laws, payroll, benefits, and compliance, along with basic Canadian employment regulations knowledge. You will manage a distributed HR team, ensuring consistent service delivery and acting as the primary HR contact for North America. Responsibilities include managing the employee lifecycle (excluding recruitment), ensuring regulatory compliance, and partnering with business leaders. You will also handle payroll, benefits, and tax administration, maintain employee records, and analyze HR metrics. The ideal candidate will have 6+ years of progressive HR experience with management responsibilities and a people-centric approach.

Requirements

• 6+ years of progressive HR experience, with management responsibilities
• Deep expertise in U.S. employment law, compliance, benefits, and payroll
• Basic knowledge of Canadian labor practices and legislation and willingness to develop in that area
• Experience with mandatory training programs and health & safety compliance
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with business leaders, executive leadership
• People centric approach focused on employee experience
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace
• Proficiency in using payroll systems (e.g., ADP or equivalent platforms)

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a distributed HR team across the U.S. and Canada, ensuring consistent delivery of HR services and guidance
• Serve as the primary HR contact for North America, providing day-to-day support to employees and managers
• Provide coaching and strategic input to business leaders, including C-suite stakeholders
• Oversee main aspects of the employee lifecycle: onboarding, performance management, engagement, payroll, compensation and benefits and offboarding
• Champion best practices and ensure HR systems and processes are streamlined and effective
• Participate and lead company-wide global people projects and initiatives
• Ensure compliance with U.S. federal and state employment laws and Canadian provincial labor regulations
• Own and maintain employee handbooks, HR policies, and employment documentation
• Oversee mandatory employee trainings, including harassment prevention, ethics, and other regulatory topics
• Lead and support health and safety compliance efforts across jurisdictions
• Partner with Finance and external providers to manage payroll and benefits administration for U.S. and Canadian employees
• Ensure accurate tax filings, benefits enrollments, and leave tracking
• Support year-end processes such as W-2s (U.S.) and T4s (Canada)
• Maintain accurate employee records in the HRIS
• Track and analyze HR metrics to inform strategy and ensure operational excellence
• Manage vendor relationships related to benefits, payroll, compliance, and employee programs
• Oversee HR metrics, dashboards, and regular reporting of key workforce data
• Act as a strategic HR advisor to senior leadership, supporting business decisions with relevant people insights
• Drive organizational health and culture initiatives across North America
• Collaborate with global HR peers to align practices and ensure consistency across regions

Preferred Qualifications

HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR)

Benefits

• Benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Coverage Options
• Flexible Working Hours
• Unlimited PTO
• 8 weeks paid maternity leave or 4 weeks paid paternity leave; adoption and foster care leave available as well
• 12 paid Holidays
• 2 Paid Community Service Days
• Company paid STD and LTD
• 401K
• Educational Reimbursement Opportunities
• Referral Bonus Program
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Scheduled Company Learning Days and access to additional courses via our online Emplifi Academy