Payroll Specialist

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion; Toronto; On-site; CAD 74,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Public Health Ontario is seeking a Payroll Specialist to manage bi-weekly payroll processing, audits, and compliance with relevant legislation and collective agreements in Ontario. You will collaborate with People Experience, HR and Finance to ensure accurate payroll and timely reporting.

The role requires PCP certification, 5+ years of full-cycle payroll experience, and proficiency with ADP Workforce Now, Workday and MS Excel.

Qualifications

• Three years of community college or an undergraduate degree.
• PCP certification is required.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in processing a full cycle payroll.
• Experience processing unionized payroll in a multi-functional environment.
• Proficiency with ADP-Workforce Now and Workday.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Process bi-weekly payroll in compliance with legislation, policies and collective agreements.
• Audit payroll output prior to transmission to ensure accuracy.
• Review payroll inquiries and provide timely resolutions.
• Prepare and distribute post-pay reports for Finance, HR and Management.
• Review/reconcile pension contributions and year-end reporting.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Confidential handling

Education

Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) Certification

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Workday

Excel

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Working closely with the People Experience Team acts as a point of escalation and provides guidance in response to a range of payroll inquiries (e.g., completion of payroll transactions, contract deductions, payroll earnings, coding of time entry for hours worked, questions on accrual balances re: vacation, overtime) from Agency Managers and staff (all levels) based on application of established payroll processes and practices, Collective Agreements and payroll legislation.
• Plays an active role in reviewing inquiries sent to the Payroll Inbox, in investigating these inquiries and takes necessary actions to bring them to a timely resolution.
• Processes bi-weekly payroll, ensuring compliance with all applicable legislation, PHO's policies and procedures and Collective Agreements.
• Audit payroll output as per established standard operating procedures (SOPs) prior to finalizing and transmitting the payroll, to ensure accuracy.
• Follows-up on payroll issues and resolves any discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Prepare and distribute post pay reports for Finance, Human Resources and Management.
• Reviews and reconciles third party payroll remittances and completes Cheque Requisition.
• Receives and run reports on employee changes entered into the HRIS by the People Experience Team (PEX) and interfaced to the payroll system.
• Reviews and verifies the changes for accuracy, and that transactions are in compliance with the Collective Agreements, Employment Standards Act and payroll control policies.
• Process all applicable payroll requirements as defined by the change to the employee e.g. new hire, rate change retro, top-up, pay adjustments, termination pay, ROE etc.
• Yearend reconciliation and processing of T4 earnings and Employer Health Tax.
• Validate and process Form T2200.
• Review/reconcile pension contributions and finalize Member Data Collection (MDC) reporting for terminations and yearend reporting.
• Calculate and process Pension Adjustments.
• Work with HR to receive an export of the hours to Payroll for processing in a timely and accurate manner aligned with pay period close deadlines.
• Review and correct errors resulting from hours upload to Payroll, pay processing, and take appropriate action to resolve and process.
• Provides support with time entry and accrual updates and investigations.
• Provides advice to Attendance Coordinators and Timekeepers regarding internal policies/procedures on Attendance Management and validates the accuracy of their transactions as required.
• Coordinate with Human Resources and our pension providers to ensure accurate and timely deduction of employee contributions and buyback.
• Assists employees with Online Self Service registration to the Payroll System.
• Provides support to inquiries from PHO Managers and staff regarding a variety of routine attendance and payroll functions, e.g. coding of time, how to process specific transactions, questions on staff balances re: vacation, overtime, etc.
• Working in conjunction with the HR and Disability Management Specialist, ensure that all employees that are on leave are actioned and processed in accordance with the Collective Agreements and applicable policies.
• In conjunction with Finance and the external auditors, gather employee samples and reports needed to aid in the validation of the internal controls and data integrity.
• Collects Payroll mail and distributes accordingly.
• Provides assistance on projects related to the development and implementation of payroll procedures, systems and practices.
• Will be the back up of the Payroll Team Lead position when they are out of office.
• Responsible for the orientation and knowledge sharing / training of new Payroll Specialists and ensure that processes/procedures are done in a standardized approach.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Three years of community college or an undergraduate degree from a university.
• Certification as a Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) is required.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in processing a full cycle payroll.
• Experience processing unionized payroll in a multi-functional environment.
• Proficiency and experience with various computerized payroll systems, and MS Office software including ADP-Workforce Now and Workday.
• Intermediate to advance Excel skills.

Knowledge and Skills

• Analytical with proficiency in using Excel to perform a variety of manual payroll related calculations (e.g., maternity top-up, severances, pensions, retroactive payments).
• Oral and written communication skills to respond to a range of inquiries from management and staff across PHO, clarifying payroll related processes, procedures, the application of policies and payroll related legislation, and to discuss and resolve payroll discrepancies.
• Ability to effectively communicate with auditors during year end audits and to respond to their inquiries.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, within tight deadlines and to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Excellent attention to detail and a consistent high level of accuracy.

Attributes and Competencies

• Works within PHO’s payroll policies, Collective Agreements and payroll related legislation.
• Reviews the accuracy of all payroll pre-processing reports to ensure accurate information prior to transmission to ADP and payment of PHO staff.
• As directed by the Payroll Team Lead, identifies, reconciles and resolves a range of discrepancies and errors (e.g., calculations, authorization, systems) to ensure accuracy of payroll and compliance with policies, Collective Agreements and legislation.
• Frequent requirement to balance competing priorities to meet established payroll deadline demands.
• Has a high degree of confidentiality and the knowledge of when to escalated and when to problem solve.
• Strong problem-solving skills to solve issues in the moment within the scope of the role coupled with conflict resolution skills.
• Occasional requirement to work flexible and extended hours to meet timelines during high workload periods.

Compensation & Details

• Duration: Permanent
• Hours of Work: Full time, 36.25 hours per week
• Compensation Group: Ontario Public Service Employees Union
• Compensation Range :$39.22 - $45.67
• Posting Date: 09-18-2026
• Closing Date: 09-29-2026

Public Health Ontario (PHO) is an agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Ontarians and reducing inequities in health. We link public health practitioners, front-line health workers and researchers to the best scientific intelligence and knowledge from around the world. With our partners in government, public health and health care, we provide the scientific evidence and expert guidance that shapes policies and practices for a healthier Ontario.

PHO has locations across Ontario, including 11 laboratory sites.

PHO is committed to ensuring equity in employment. Our goal is to create a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to ensure our services and communications are accessible to all individuals.

Any candidate who requires a job posting in an alternative format may email a request to [e-mail].

For more information, visit publichealthontario.ca.