HR & Payroll Specialist - US/Canada

Job Description

Job Description

Our mission

We're making Africa the first cashless continent.

In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That's for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.

We're solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don't always work, you can still send money with Wave. In 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. Now, we have millions of users across 9 countries and are growing fast.

Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent and that's where you come in...

How you'll help us achieve it 

Wave is now the largest financial institution in Senegal, with over 7 million users. And, we're still in the early days of our product roadmap and potential impact on people's everyday lives. We are looking for an experienced Data Analyst to join our People Tech team. 

As our HR and Payroll Specialist, you will be responsible for managing payroll, HR operations, and benefits within the US Hub, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across multiple countries. A strong and practical understanding of U.S. and Canadian HR and payroll legislation is essential to succeed in this role, as you will be expected to apply this knowledge to ensure legal compliance and best practices. This position combines expertise in payroll management with a strategic HR focus, supporting the full employee lifecycle—including onboarding, benefits administration, and policy implementation.

In this role, you'll:

• Process multi-state payroll, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations.
• Ensure accurate and timely payrolls for assigned countries in compliance with local tax and labor regulations, including variable pay, stock, supplemental pay runs, and tax deposits.
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers across assigned regions.
• Maintain payroll records, process adjustments, and address payroll-related queries promptly.
• Identify and implement improvements in payroll systems and workflows to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Support internal and external payroll audits.

U.S./Canada specifics: 

• • Apply knowledge of IRS guidelines and forms: (W-2, W-4).
  • Apply knowledge of immigration guidelines, as needed.
  • Fringe benefits taxation and reporting, FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) and overtime classification rules. 
  • Support ACA compliance, in collaboration with benefits brokers.
  • Ensure compliance with CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) and provincial payroll tax rules.
  • Administer contributions and filings: EI, CPP, QPP, T4, T4A, R1, ROE.

HR & Benefits Operations:

• Oversee HR administrative tasks such as employee onboarding, health insurance setup, open enrollment, and compliance with local labor laws.
• Serve as the point of contact for HR and benefits-related queries from employees, offering guidance on salary, benefits, and employment policies.
• Oversee public and private healthcare coverage, including renewals and employee communication.
• Support the design and implementation of HR policies and procedures that align with company objectives and local laws.
• Assist in handling sensitive HR cases, including employee relations, contract management, and terminations.
• Collaborate with global HR and finance teams to align payroll and HR practices across regions.
• Maintain relationships with misc. vendors, brokers, CSMs, accounting firms, etc.

U.S./Canada specifics: 

• • Administer health and retirement benefits: open enrollment, renewals, 401(k), ERISA, HSA, COBRA.
  • Manage leave programs: PTO, sick leave, and state-specific paid leave laws.
  • Handle disability claims (short and long-term) and workers' compensation.
  • Ensure compliance with employment regulations, including I-9 verification, E-Verify, and background checks.
  • Support statutory leave programs: maternity, parental (EI-funded), sick leave, bereavement leave.
  • Manage provincial workers' compensation programs (e.g., WSIB in Ontario).
  • Ensure compliance with employment standards acts (e.g., Ontario ESA, BC ESA).
  • Handle background checks, just cause termination, and constructive dismissal processes.

Key Details

• Candidates must be based in the Eastern Time Zone, USA
• Wave is a distributed team, and we fund up to three in-person get-togethers a year, in line with Wave's travel policy.
• Our salaries are competitive and are calculated using a transparent formula. For this role, we are offering a salary of up to $115,200 USD plus a generous equity package.
• Major benefits:
• Subsidized health insurance for you and your dependents and retirement contributions (both vary from country to country).
• 6 months of fully paid parental leave and subsidized fertility assistance.
• Flexible vacation, with most folks taking between 21-30 days exclusive of statutory holidays.
• $10,000 annual charitable donation matching.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in global payroll management, with a strong focus on the US and Canada.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, HR, or related field.
• Payroll/HR Certification :
  • US: CPP (Certified Payroll Professional).
  • Canada: CPP (Payroll Compliance Practitioner) or CPM (Certified Payroll Manager) and any other HR certification (PHR, CPHR…).
• Deep understanding of tax regulations, and employment laws in the US and Canada.
• Proven ability to navigate complex payroll and HR challenges, offering innovative solutions while maintaining compliance.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and a strong sense of ownership.
• Strong Google Sheets knowledge, analytical skills and flux analysis.
• Experience with major payroll and HR software such as Workday, Gusto, ADP Workforce Now…

Bonus points if you have: 

• Equity compensation and expat payroll knowledge
• Global mobility practices and employee relocation knowledge
• Experience with benefits management outside the US
• Exposure to payroll processing in other European/African countries
• Experience using BambooHR, Insperity, Dayforce or Payslip

You might be a good fit if you 

• Know the value of an excellent employee experience and are eager to provide support to employees.
• Are excessively detail-oriented and seek to achieve excellence in everything you do.
• Are driven to face tasks head-on, complete them efficiently, and move on to the next ones.
• Are eager to think outside of the box when faced with potential roadblocks.
• Are eager to leverage both internal and external data to guide our decision-making.
• Have previously worked for a remote company and enjoy working independently and within a team.
• Are a self-starter and proactive about achieving ambitious targets.

#LI-REMOTE

Our team

• We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon plus remote team members spread across the world.
• We're deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
• We foster autonomy for our employees. You'll own your projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
• We raised the largest Series A in Africa in 2021. Our world-class investors, include Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator, and Partech Africa.
• We are on Y Combinator's top companies by revenue.

How to apply

Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English and a cover letter describing your interest in Wave and the role.

We review applications frequently and recommend that you apply to the role that most closely aligns with your skills, experience and career goals.

Wave is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.