Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre; Toronto; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP (Pension) Beneficiary

Benefits package

Job summary

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre is seeking a Payroll & Benefits Specialist to ensure accurate, timely payroll and benefits administration across the organization. You will support planning, reporting, and compliance to strengthen budgeting accuracy and efficiency for a multi-site health centre in downtown Toronto.

Reporting to the Manager, Finance, you will manage payroll processing for hourly, salaried, union and non-union staff, maintain HRIS data, and collaborate with benefits

Qualifications

• Applicable post-secondary degree/diploma with strong preference for certification in Payroll Administration (CPA/PCP); or, recognized equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in a Payroll and Benefits capacity either in a finance or Human Resources division.
• Fully competent with an in-house customized Payroll/HRIS system (Ceridian and or Dayforce strongly preferred).
• Ability to work independently often under tight time constraints with high regard for meeting deadlines.
• Above average communication and problem-solving skills.
• Solid understanding and demonstrable experience applying employment standards, provincial legislations and CRA regulations in relation to payroll administration.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook).
• Experience with creating process improvement and efficiency.
• Experience in a unionized environment is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists with planning and analysis of payroll, including yearly deadlines and compliance.
• Provides payroll-related proposals and ad-hoc reports to Manager of Finance and Director of Finance.
• Maintains payroll guidelines, policies, and related documents and forms.
• Processes payroll for hourly, salaried, union and non-union employees across a multi-site centre.
• Analyses and reconciles payroll, benefits, and employee records; manages new hires, status changes, and transfers.
• Creates bi-weekly journal entries, year-end reports, T4 reconciliation, and related analytics.
• Leads year-end payroll and benefits reconciliation for audits.
• Liaises with employees, management, benefits providers, WSIB and HR on inquiries.
• Prepares remittances to agencies; handles source deductions and other required payments; responds to regulatory requests.
• Processes statutory remittances, pension remittances, and year-end reporting while meeting deadlines.

Skills

Payroll administration

Deadline oriented

Communication skills

MS Office

Education

Payroll Certification (CPA/PCP) preferred

Tools

Ceridian Dayforce

Job description

1 Full-Time Permanent Position, 1.0 FTE (35 hours/week)

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

(Parkdale Queen West CHC) is a dynamic, community-based health care organization serving mid-west downtown Toronto. Offering a broad range of services, including primary health care, dental care, harm reduction, health promotion, counselling, and community development programming, we are also committed to serving people who face barriers to health care, and we strive to reduce these barriers. We are seeking an experienced Payroll & Benefits Specialist who shares our passion for making a difference; you see this role as an opportunity to take the next step in your successful career while contributing to a vision of Inclusive Communities. Responsive Healthcare. Healthier Lives.

Why Join Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre?

At Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, every position contributes to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve. As our Payroll & Benefits Specialist, your work will ensure that the dedicated employees delivering primary care, harm reduction, counselling, dental care, health promotion, and community programs are supported through accurate and reliable payroll and benefits administration.

Joining PQWCHC means becoming part of a collaborative, mission-driven organization where equity, inclusion, respect, and continuous learning are at the heart of everything we do. In addition to meaningful work, we offer a competitive compensation package, comprehensive benefits, and participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).

General Responsibilities:

We are seeking a Payroll & Benefits Specialist as a part of the Parkdale Queen West Finance team. The Payroll & Benefits Specialist is responsible for ensuring the accurate, timely, and compliant administration of payroll and benefits programs across the organization. The role also supports planning, analysis, and reporting functions related to payroll to strengthen compliance, budgeting accuracy, and operational efficiency, while helping ensure that the employees delivering essential services to our communities are supported through accurate and reliable payroll and benefits administration.

Reporting Manager:

Manager, Finance

Specific Responsibilities:

Payroll Administration-Planning and Analysis

• Assesses, establishes and distributes yearly payroll deadlines to Program Managers and ensures compliance
• Provides payroll related proposals and ad-hoc reports as requested by the Manager of Finance and the Director of Finance
• Remains current with all relevant organization’s policies, collective agreements, funders and appropriate government legislation and ensures changes are implemented and that the Finance Manager is aware of these changes. Assesses the impact of any such changes on the Association and brings this analysis to the attention of the Finance Manager
• Establishes benefit cost formulas for each budget year
• Works with the Manager of Finance to recommend, update and maintain payroll guidelines and policies and related documents and forms for the organization

Payroll Processing

• Ensures accurate and timely processing of hourly, salaried, union and non-union payroll in accordance with applicable government legislation and collective agreements for a multi-site community health centre
• Administers, analyzes, and reconciles payroll, benefits administration, and employee records for all stages in the employee life cycle including new hires, transfers, employee’s status changes, etc. while ensuring proper authorization and adherence to standards and policy
• Creates and processes bi-weekly journal entries, year-end reports, T4 reconciliation, processes, and other analytics, as needed
• Leading the payroll and benefits reconciliation process for year-end audit
• Liaison with employees, management, benefits providers, WSIB and Human Resources on payroll and benefits inquiries and administration of programs and plans

Accountability

• Prepares accounts payable requisitions and completes required documentation for remittances to all appropriate agencies for timely submission to avoid payment penalties. This includes source deductions, manual cheque payments and other payments (such as garnishments) which are required by law.
• Maintains ongoing contact with staff, banks, various government agencies, courts, law firms and other external agencies, giving, maintaining and obtaining sensitive information related to payroll inquiries and administration on behalf of the Organization. Acts as the payroll expert of the organization on these matters.
• Responds to requests for payroll information (e.g. Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure) from regulatory and/or government agencies such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Ministry of Finance, WSIB, and Service Canada.
• Calculates and reconciles all claims for subsidized employment and training programs(for example Canada Summer Jobs) and prepares submissions within required time frames so as to avoid fines, penalties, funding withholding, and other consequences to the organization
• Calculates amounts and prepares billing requests to unions for employees’ non-work time on union business.
• Administers the organization’s multiple WSIB and EHT classifications and accounts; processes monthly submissions and allocates expense costs to program budgets; informs appropriate agencies of changes to the reporting structure and the establishment of new accounts.
• Processes statutory remittances, benefit premium calculations, pension remittances and year-end reporting while establishing priorities within strict mandated and multiple timelines.

Other Related Duties

Other duties as assigned that support payroll integrity, financial reporting, and operational compliance.

Qualifications:

• Applicable post-secondary degree/diploma with strong preference for certification in Payroll Administration (CPA/PCP); or, recognized equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in a Payroll and Benefits capacity either in a finance or Human Resources division
• Fully competent with an in-house customized Payroll/HRIS system (Ceridian and or Dayforce strongly preferred)
• Ability to work independently often under tight time constraints with high regard for meeting deadlines.
• Above average communication and problem-solving skills.
• Solid understanding and demonstrable experience applying employment standards, provincial legislations and CRA regulations in relation to payroll administration.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Experience with creating process improvement and efficiency.
• Experience in a unionized environment is strongly preferred.

Compensation:

$54,518 to $70,375 per annum, plus Benefits and HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)

Please also note that the successful candidate will be required to provide a police vulnerable sector check as a condition of employment, however strong consideration is made to the type of offense. Employment is conditional upon having had a full series of COVID-19 vaccinations (2 doses, plus booster within 6-12 months) 14 days before starting employment.

PQWCHC is committed to the principles of access and equity. PQWCHC is committed to reflecting the diversity of the communities it serves, and we highly encourage applicants who reflect Toronto’s Indigenous, LGBTQ2, racial, and cultural diversity. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request. Parkdale Queen West CHC is in full compliance of the Ontario Human Rights Code and does not discriminate on the ground of records of offenses.