Payroll Specialist

SGS & Co; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Propelis is seeking a Payroll Specialist to administer complex multi-country payroll operations across the Americas, with emphasis on Canada. You will ensure accuracy, compliance and timely payments, acting as a subject matter expert for assigned countries and payroll systems.

You will manage end-to-end cycles, perform detailed audits, liaise with ADP Celergo, UKG and local providers, and support process improvements within the Global Payroll Team.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of multi-country payroll experience.
• Experience with US and Canada payroll regulations.
• Experience with ADP Celergo, UKG and WFM systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll for Americas regions with emphasis on Canada and US.
• 2
• Coordinate payroll audits and ensure accurate monthly and off-cycle processing.
• 3
• Liaise with vendors and in-country providers to meet SLAs and improve processes.
• 4
• Support month-end/year-end filings and payroll reconciliations.
• 5
• Develop SOPs and maintain payroll calendars and process maps.

Skills

Payroll end-to-end

Multi-country payroll

Communication

Problem solving

Excel

Tools

ADP Celergo

UKG

WFM

Job description

As the Propelis Payroll Specialist, your overall responsibility is to administer and coordinate complex multi-country payroll operations across the Americas region, ensuring accuracy, compliance and efficiency. This role reports to the Sr. Payroll Manager. The Payroll Specialist acts as a subject matter expert for assigned Americas payrolls, statutory requirements, payroll controls, complex calculations and vendor management. Working with ADP Celergo/Global View, UKG and local payroll providers in a managed payroll model, the role ensures employees are paid accurately and on time while maintaining the integrity of payroll and workforce data.

Manage end-to-end payroll cycles for assigned Americas countries with the main focus on Canada and provide support across the wider Americas payroll portfolio. Must have U.S. & Canada payroll experience

Key Responsibilities

• Manage EORs.
• Process, review and approve monthly and off-cycle payrolls using UKG, ADP Celergo and/or other in-country payroll systems within a managed payroll model.
• Administer UKG Workforce Management (WFM), including governance of time and attendance data, schedules, absence records, pay rules, exceptions, approvals, interfaces and issue resolution.
• Perform detailed payroll audits, including validation of hires, terminations, salary changes, variable pay, overtime, absences, benefits, deductions and retroactive adjustments.
• Reconcile payroll reports prior to finalization and ensure accuracy of payroll outputs, statutory deductions, employer costs and net pay.
• Ensure compliance with local tax, social security, pension, statutory benefit, employment and reporting requirements across assigned Americas countries.
• Act as a primary escalation point for complex payroll queries from employees, HR, Finance, managers and vendors.
• Liaise with ADP, UKG and in-country payroll providers to ensure timely payroll processing, SLA adherence, issue resolution and continuous improvement.
• Support month-end and year-end payroll activities, including statutory filings, reconciliations, finance reporting, employee documents and audit requirements.
• Develop, maintain and review SOPs, payroll calendars, controls documentation and country-specific payroll process maps.
• Provide guidance and knowledge sharing to Payroll Specialists and support cross-training within the Global Payroll Team.
• Lead or support payroll projects, system implementations, integrations, testing, standardization and process improvement initiatives across Americas.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong end-to-end payroll expertise, including pre-payroll audits, calculation review, statutory filing, post-payroll reconciliation and issue resolution.
• Strong understanding of Canadian, US and Americas payroll regulations, taxation, social security, pensions, statutory benefits and employment-related payroll requirements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex payroll matters clearly and professionally to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Previous relevant working experience (5-8 years) in multi-country payroll, preferably across Americas.

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience navigating global payroll platforms such as ADP Celergo, UKG and WFM systems; hands-on UKG WFM administration experience is required.

High attention to detail and ability to identify variances, reconcile data and improve controls across multiple software platforms.

Strong vendor-management skills and ability to coordinate activities across internal and external stakeholders.

Experience in a fast-paced HR/Payroll environment and ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple jurisdictions.

Team player with the ability to mentor, guide and support colleagues within a regional and global payroll structure.

Role model for Propelis’ values and behaviours.

Advantageous

• Experience with EOR payroll operations and/or payroll vendor transitions across Americas.
• PayrollOrg, CIPP, GPA, NPI or similar payroll association certification.
• Additional language capability is advantageous.
• Experience with payroll transformation, mergers and acquisitions, new country implementations, system integrations or global programme rollouts.

This job description does not form part of the employee’s contract of employment but is provided for guidance. The precise duties and responsibilities of any job may be expected to change over time. Job holders should be consulted over any proposed changes to this job description before implementation.

About Propelis: Propelis is a portfolio of global marketing services and technology companies with a combined legacy of 150+ years, 2,000+ clients, 9,000 employees, and operations across 30 countries. Propelis provides the scale and support of a global organization while preserving the unique culture and identity of each company in its portfolio. For more information visit: www.Propelis.com

EEO Statement: We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We offer equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled.

We strive to make our employment website and application process accessible to all users and applicants. In doing so, we provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation or assistance completing the application process, please contact a member of our Human Resource Team.

The Ontario pay range for this position is $70,000 CAD to $75,000 CAD annually. Ultimately, in determining pay, we will consider the successful candidate's experience, skills, knowledge, and other job-related factors.

We remain committed to ensuring equal opportunity in all aspects of employment, including recruitment. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, particularly those who may contribute to the further diversification of our organization. If you require any form of accommodation during the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to let us know. Together, we strive to foster an environment where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves.

Qualifications

Experience

Preferred

Experience with payroll transformation, mergers and acquisitions, new country implementations, system integrations or global programme rollouts.

PayrollOrg, CIPP, GPA, NPI or similar payroll association certification.

Experience with EOR payroll operations and/or payroll vendor transitions across Americas.