PAYROLL SPECIALIST
BUSINESS SERVICES DIVISION
PURPOSE
Experienced Payroll Specialist with a strong background in administering end-to-end payroll processing using Dayforce; ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness in line with federal and provincial regulations. Skilled in managing payroll records, remittances, benefits, pension, and compensation programs while delivering responsive employee support. Adept at compliance reporting, cross-functional collaboration with Finance and People & Culture teams, and fostering clear communication through training and resource development. Proven ability to maintain operational efficiency, support audits, and contribute to continuous improvement in payroll and compensation administration.
The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a solid understanding of payroll systems and compensation structures. The Payroll Specialistreports to the Director of Finance.
MINISTRY FOCUS
Compassion Canada is a Christian organization, committed to being child-focused, Christ-centered, and church driven. As such, each employee of Compassion Canada shall:
- Agree with Compassion Canada’s core documents, including a Statement of Faith.
- Conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner at work and outside the workplace.
- Participate in regular Staff Gatherings which include spiritual practices like worship, Scripture reading, and prayer.
- Pray with staff when appropriate.
WHAT YOU DO MATTERS
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide exemplary support and service with a neighbour-centric focus which models Compassion’s cultural behaviours.
- Engage with our staff by providing them with resources and demonstrating Compassion’s core values and cultural behaviours.
- Responsible to maintain a personal relationship with Jesus and healthy Christian accountability as someone who is responsible in modelling and influencing the Christian ethos and values of Compassion Canada.
Payroll Processing
- Oversee and process bi-weekly payroll for employees in Dayforce, ensuring timeliness, accuracy and compliance with federal and provincial regulations and organizational policies.
- Maintain and update payroll records, including salary adjustments, bonuses, benefits deductions, and other compensation items.
- Ensure timely and accurate payroll remittances, including statutory deductions, benefits premiums, and pension contributions.
- Collaborate with Finance and People & Culture teams to resolve payroll discrepancies and ensure proper financial reporting.
- Address employee inquiries related to payroll, deductions, reimbursements, pay statements and tax forms in a timely and accurate manner.
- Verify overtime/lieu time, vacation accruals, and leave balances.
- Upload and pay staff reimbursements in Dayforce.
- Prepare Records of Employment (ROEs) and tax slips (T4s, T4 Summary).
Total Compensation Administration
- Assist in the implementation and administration of compensation programs, including compensation structures and total compensation reporting.
- Analyze compensation data and prepare reports to support decision-making.
Pension & Benefits Administration
- Administer employee benefits programs, including employee enrollment/de-enrollment in group health, retirement pension plan, and other perks.
- Liaise with benefits providers, participate in related meetings.
- Coordinate with benefits providers to resolve employee inquiries regarding benefits.
- Ensure compliance with provincial and federal benefits regulations, including pension laws and employment standards.
Compliance & Reporting
- Ensure payroll practices and policies comply with federal and provincial employment laws, CRA regulations, and any charity-specific requirements.
- Prepare payroll reports for internal and external stakeholders, including Finance department, auditors, and regulatory bodies, and submit reports in a timely manner as required.
- Stay informed about legislative changes impacting payroll, compensation, and benefits policies.
- Collaborate with the Finance department to reconcile payroll accounts and assist in audits by providing necessary payroll documentation and ensuring transparency.
Operations
- Provide training, resources, guidance on accessing payroll system (Dayforce) and understanding pay statements, total compensation statements and deductions.
- Ensure year end and new year payroll updates are made within Dayforce (such as the new year’s holiday calendar, tax rates, etc.).
- Proactively curate and support timely communications on payroll, total compensation, pension and benefits through creating and editing content for employee and organizational updates via internal communication channels.
- Perform other related duties and tasks to meet the needs of the Divisional and organizational operations as required.Admin support and cross-training on related P&C duties.
WHO YOU ARE MATTERS
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES
- Solid understanding of Canadian payroll legislation, provincial and federal employment laws, and statutory compliance requirements.
- In-depth knowledge of payroll systems, preferably Dayforce, including year-end processes, ROEs, and T4s and other related document preparation.
- Understanding of pension plans and group health benefits administration including statutory and other compliance requirements.
- Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail, especially when handling sensitive, confidential data and complex payroll calculations.
- Awareness of non-profit sector considerations, including any unique regulatory or reporting requirements.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, for data analysis and reporting
- Demonstrated capacity to collaborate with cross functional teams on multiple projects simultaneously.
- Good written and verbal communication skills with capability to interact with all levels within the organization.
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and staying current on legislative and regulatory changes affecting payroll and benefits.
- Ability to remain flexible and adapt to changing systems, processes, and priorities.
WHAT YOU BRING MATTERS
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Required
- Post-secondary education in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Payroll or other related field, or a minimum of three (3) years' experience in similar capacity.
- Minimum two (2) years payroll administration and processing.
- Experience in administering employee group health benefits and pension plans.
- Experience administering and processing payroll in a software/system.
- Certified Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) designation from the National Payroll Institute (NPI) (formerly Canadian Payroll Association).
Preferred
- Experience processing pay within “Dayforce” HRIS.
- Experience with Canadian payroll legislation and benefits administration across multiple provinces.
- Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation is an asset.
- Continuous learning credentials in area of expertise is an asset.
WORKING CONDITIONS
We aim to build a unified cultural experience for all staff that promotes staff autonomy and an agile workforce, allowing Compassion to adapt to the changing environment and respond to the dynamic needs of the neighbours we serve. As such, we will continue placing a strong emphasis on our remote staff experience, and distributed workforce culture, while leaning into a ‘work from anywhere’ reality that prioritizes:
- Remote-First Employment: All staff who are not in-office essential default to remote work and are classified as Remote Workplace Staff or Hybrid Workplace Staff depending on their distance to the Compassion building.
- Digital-First Engagement: Staff Gatherings will continue to prioritize the remote/online experience.
- Travel is required.
- Overtime may be required.
The foregoing statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.