Compensation Administration Specialist (Contract)

Continuing Education at Conestoga College; Kitchener; Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Continuing Education at Conestoga College in Ontario is seeking a Compensation Administration Specialist to join the Total Rewards Team. This full-time contract role supports accurate and timely payroll, pension calculations, and government reporting, working with HR to implement CAAT and CRA requirements.

The position offers a hybrid schedule with two on-site days at the Kitchener campus and three days remote, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Qualifications

• Two-year diploma in Business Administration or Accounting required.
• Knowledge of Canada Revenue Agency payroll regulations essential.
• Five years of full-cycle payroll experience required; unionized setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Process regular payroll for full-time staff and special payments.
• Balance payroll data with deductions and prepare previews.
• Handle Record of Employment and government reporting tasks.
• Maintain confidentiality and support year-end reconciliation.

Skills

Payroll administration

Confidentiality

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Education

Two-year diploma in Business Administration or Accounting

Tools

ADP HRIS

MS Office (Excel/Word/Outlook)

Macros in Excel

Job description

Position Summary

Full-Time Administration, new contract position (immediate need to January 31, 2028)

As part of the Total Rewards Team and working in collaboration with the broader HR Department, the Compensation Administration Specialist will ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time and will perform confidential and sensitive administrative duties related to compensation administration. This involves the input and import of employee data into the payroll system, balancing the gross pay and deductions generated, and supporting end-to-end payroll processing, including year-end and government reporting activities.

Successful candidates will be required to conduct work within Ontario and must be available to work on campus as required. It is anticipated that this position will meet the needs of the department through a hybrid work arrangement, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with two days on-site at Conestoga's 3065 King Street E office in Kitchener, and three days remote.

Responsibilities

• Interacts daily to handle requests from employees, colleagues, or other stakeholders, including inquiries of a confidential nature
• Interprets and implements Collective Agreement requirements related to full-time status, leaves of absence, sick leaves, resignations, layoffs, retirements, reclassifications, promotions, etc., in conjunction with the Total Rewards Team
• Processes regular pay for full-time employees, plus additional payments such as retroactive pay, overtime, shift premiums, parental leave top-ups, medical absences, ad-hoc payments, special allowances, and expense reimbursements
• Administers pension-related calculations and completes applicable forms related to the CAAT pension plan
• Completes manual payroll calculations, as required, and updates payroll registers for manual pay adjustments
• Collaborates with the HR Systems team to balance Payroll authorizations and utilizes the payroll previews generated from the system to balance prior to transmission of payroll
• Reviews and confirms all reconcilable deductions generated by the system are correct (Sun Life benefits, CAAT Pension, parking, donations, etc.) based on the payroll preview function
• Processes payroll distribution changes, as required, ensuring accurate processing to the General Ledger
• Completes Record of Employment forms for Employment Insurance purposes
• Responds to Service Canada (HRSDC) requests for information (e.g. termination inquiries)
• Monitors and responds to employee inquiries in the team's shared mailboxes
• Supports with year-end reconciliation and reporting activities

Qualifications

• A two-year diploma in Business Administration or Accounting is required
• National Payroll Institute PCP designation is required; National Payroll Institute PLP designation will be considered an asset
• Five years of related payroll experience is required; five years in a full-cycle payroll function is preferred
• Thorough and current knowledge of Canada Revenue Agency payroll regulations, with a demonstrated commitment to compliance and integrity in payroll administration, is required
• Payroll processing experience using an HRIS or payroll system (ADP preferred)
• Must be well versed in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook; Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including experience using Macros, are considered an asset
• Experience in a unionized environment, interpreting collective agreements, is preferred
• Knowledge and experience with accounting principles, mathematical calculations, and general ledger cost accounting and distributions are assets
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and developed interpersonal and organizational skills are essential
• Must be professional, able to maintain strict confidentiality regarding pay and Human Resources matters and thrive in a fast-paced team environment