Payroll Specialist

Altis Recruitment; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Supportive team environment

Work-life balance

Job summary

A professional recruitment agency is looking for a Payroll Specialist in Ottawa to join a dynamic payroll team. You will manage biweekly payroll for approximately 18,000 employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance in a high-volume, unionized environment. The ideal candidate should possess a minimum of 3 years of payroll experience and ideally hold or be near completion of a Certified Payroll Compliance Practitioner designation. This role offers growth opportunities and a supportive team culture.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of payroll experience in high-volume environments.
• Experience with unionized payroll processing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Process biweekly payroll for a large, complex workforce.
• Manage ROEs, retroactive payments, and payroll adjustments.
• Respond to employee and manager payroll inquiries.

Skills

Payroll processing

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Certified Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP)

Tools

HRIS systems (Oracle PeopleSoft, UKG Dimensions Pro)

Job description

Location: Ottawa, ON (Hybrid – 3 days on-site)

Language: Professional proficiency in English, written and spoken; French an asset

Background Check Requirement: Successful candidate must provide a recent, satisfactory criminal records check

About the Opportunity

Join a dynamic payroll team supporting a large, complex workforce of approximately 18,000 employees across multiple entities. This permanent role offers the chance to apply your technical expertise in a collaborative environment where attention to detail, problem-solving, and initiative are highly valued. You’ll work closely with HR and Finance teams, navigating union agreements, government legislation, and organizational policies to ensure accurate, timely payroll for employees across all levels.

In this role, you’ll be part of an organization that values both professionalism and approachability. The team is supportive, with a good sense of humour and a commitment to mentorship and collaboration. You’ll have the opportunity to develop your payroll expertise, handle complex payroll challenges, and contribute to an efficient, people-focused payroll process.

What’s In It for You

You’ll join a workplace that celebrates teamwork, offers growth opportunities, and supports professional development. Experience a culture that values collaboration, feedback, and balance, while working with an experienced payroll team in a structured, high-volume environment.

Your Responsibilities

• You’ll process biweekly payroll for a large, complex workforce, including unionized employees and multiple entities.
• You’ll manage ROEs, retroactive payments, overpayments, leave calculations, and payroll adjustments, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• In this role, you’ll respond to employee and manager payroll inquiries, providing clear guidance and solutions.
• You’ll collaborate with Finance to understand payroll impact on the General Ledger and support integrated HRIS and scheduling systems.
• You’ll maintain high standards of accuracy and confidentiality while prioritizing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of payroll experience, preferably in high-volume and unionized environments
• Certified Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) or near completion
• Experience processing ROEs, retro adjustments, and gross-to-net calculations
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to exercise discretion and confidentialityExperience with HRIS systems such as Oracle PeopleSoft and UKG Dimensions Pro an asset
• Bilingual in English and French considered a strong asset

Note from the Hiring Manager

“We’re looking for someone proactive who can work independently and foresee issues before they arise. This is a high-volume, complex payroll environment, but we also have a team that likes to have fun and support each other. We want someone teachable, open to feedback, and with a strong work ethic.”