Payroll & Benefits Lead - 6 Month Contract

Vaco by Highspring; Toronto; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking a Payroll & Benefits Leader in the Greater Toronto Area to oversee all aspects of payroll, pensions, and benefits for a multi-faceted organization. You will guide a team, ensure statutory compliance, and advise stakeholders across HR and Finance.

The role requires 5+ years in full-cycle payroll and benefits, with Workday experience and PCP certification. On-site in Toronto, with opportunities to optimize processes and controls.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of full cycle payroll and benefits experience.
• Payroll lead experience is required.
• Workday experience is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Payroll & Benefits team, ensuring accurate, timely, confidential, and compliant payroll, pension, and benefits administration.
• Oversee complex payroll processing, benefits, pension, leaves, disability, terminations, severance, year-end activities, and statutory reporting.
• Ensure compliance with CRA, employment standards, pension legislation, internal policies, financial controls, and audit requirements.
• Provide subject matter expertise and advice to HR, management, employees, government partners, and external stakeholders on payroll, benefits, pension, compensation, and legislative matters.
• Manage external payroll, pension, benefits, and consulting providers, including service delivery, issue resolution, system changes, and vendor relationships.
• Identify and mitigate operational and financial risks, strengthen controls, investigate discrepancies, and drive continuous process and system improvements.
• Lead payroll and benefits projects, policy and legislative changes, system implementations, audits, reporting, and organizational initiatives.
• Develop payroll calendars, year-end processes, special payroll runs, financial accruals, and workforce planning requirements.
• Provide employee education and confidential support regarding payroll, pension, benefits, and employment-related matters.
• Coach, mentor, and develop the Payroll & Benefits team, managing workload, performance, priorities, and business continuity.
• Build strong relationships across HR, Finance, government, auditors, consultants, and service providers to support effective program delivery.

Skills

Workday experience

Full cycle payroll

Benefits administration

Payroll lead

Education

PCP required

Job description

• Lead the Payroll & Benefits team, ensuring accurate, timely, confidential, and compliant payroll, pension, and benefits administration.
• Oversee complex payroll processing, benefits, pension, leaves, disability, terminations, severance, year-end activities, and statutory reporting.
• Ensure compliance with CRA, employment standards, pension legislation, internal policies, financial controls, and audit requirements.
• Provide subject matter expertise and advice to HR, management, employees, government partners, and external stakeholders on payroll, benefits, pension, compensation, and legislative matters.
• Manage external payroll, pension, benefits, and consulting providers, including service delivery, issue resolution, system changes, and vendor relationships.
• Identify and mitigate operational and financial risks, strengthen controls, investigate discrepancies, and drive continuous process and system improvements.
• Lead payroll and benefits projects, policy and legislative changes, system implementations, audits, reporting, and organizational initiatives.
• Develop payroll calendars, year-end processes, special payroll runs, financial accruals, and workforce planning requirements.
• Provide employee education and confidential support regarding payroll, pension, benefits, and employment-related matters.
• Coach, mentor, and develop the Payroll & Benefits team, managing workload, performance, priorities, and business continuity.
• Build strong relationships across HR, Finance, government, auditors, consultants, and service providers to support effective program delivery.

About you:

• Workday experience
• 5+ years of full cycle payroll and benefits experience, payroll lead experience
• PCP required

This position for employment is for a current vacancy with Highspring’s client. You must currently reside within the Greater Toronto Area and be permitted to work in Canada to be considered for this opportunity.

Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if one is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

Having said that Vaco by Highspring believes that the salary range referenced reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).