Payroll & System Specialist

shn; Toronto; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is seeking a Payroll & Systems Specialist to lead the Workday HCM design and optimization with a primary focus on payroll. You will collaborate with Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT to deliver scalable Workday solutions and system improvements.

The role requires strong Workday architecture expertise, deep payroll knowledge, and experience with integrations and year-end processing.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience with Workday, focusing on configuration, design, or architecture.
• Proven Workday SME or Architect experience with deep Workday framework knowledge.
• Hands-on Workday Payroll experience (or strong transferable payroll knowledge).
• 3-4 years of payroll experience, including full-cycle processing and year-end activities.
• Experience with integrations, data mapping, and system interfaces is a strong asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, configuration, and optimization of Workday HCM with primary Payroll focus.
• Act as SME in Workday architecture, covering system design and integration points across modules.
• Support Workday releases, including impact analysis, testing, and deployment of features.
• Translate business requirements into scalable Workday solutions aligned with best practices.
• Configure payroll elements, pay groups, schedules, and year-end processing in Workday.

Skills

Workday

Payroll

HCM architecture

System configuration

Integration

Tools

Workday

UKG (time & attendance)

Job description

Job Number: JR107065

Job Title: Payroll & Systems Specialist

Union:

Union:

Job Category: Professional

Hospital Location: Consilium Place

Job Type: Permanent, Full time

Number of Positions: 1

Minimum - Maximum Hourly Rate: $46.876 - $54.342

Hours: Days

Across our three hospitals and eight satellite sites, Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is shaping the future of care. Our many programs and services are designed around the needs of one of Canada's most vibrant and diverse communities. We are home to North America's largest nephrology program, as well as the designated cardiac care and spine centre for Scarborough and surrounding communities to the east. We are proud to be a community-affiliated teaching site for the University of Toronto and partner with a number of other universities and colleges, helping to train the next generation of health care professionals. SHN is the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award, from the Canadian College of Health Leaders, for our leading edge work on Communities of Inclusion, Inclusion Calendar, Health Equity Certificate Program and much more. We are also proud to be named Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2023 - 2025 and Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2026. Learn more at shn.ca

Job Description:

Position Overview

The Payroll & Systems Specialist is a key technical resource responsible for the design, configuration, and ongoing optimization of the Workday HCM environment, with a primary focus on Payroll.

This role requires strong Workday architectural expertise, combined with a solid understanding of payroll operations, to support system design, enhancements, and enterprise-wide initiatives. The Specialist will lead the analysis, configuration, and evolution of Workday, ensuring scalable, efficient, and compliant solutions that align with organizational needs.

Working closely with Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT stakeholders, the Payroll & Systems Specialist acts as a subject matter expert for Workday, driving system improvements, resolving complex issues, and enhancing business processes. While payroll knowledge is required, the emphasis of this role is on Workday system architecture, configuration, and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, configuration, and ongoing optimization of Workday HCM, with a primary focus on the Payroll module
• Act as a subject matter expert in Workday architecture, including system design, configuration, and integration points across modules
• Support and coordinate Workday releases, including impact analysis, testing, and deployment of new features and functionality
• Analyze business requirements and translate them into scalable Workday solutions aligned with best practices
• Configure and maintain payroll elements (earnings, deductions, pay groups), pay schedules, and year-end processing within Workday
• Map payroll configurations to GL and cost centre structures and support financial integration requirements
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex system and payroll-related issues, identifying root causes and implementing sustainable solutions
• Partner with Payroll, HR, Finance, and IT stakeholders to enhance workflows, automation, and overall system utilization
• Develop and maintain system documentation, including configurations, workflows, and design decisions and training materials
• Support integrations and data flows between Workday and other systems, ensuring accuracy and reliability
• Provide guidance and training to end users on Workday functionality and best practices
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to optimize payroll processes and system performance
• Support payroll operations as required, including full-cycle payroll processing, reconciliations, and year-end activities
• Perform other duties or responsibilities as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum of 4+ years of experience working with Workday, with strong emphasis on system configuration, design, or architecture
• Proven experience acting as a Workday SME or Architect, with deep understanding of Workday framework, business process design, and module interdependencies
• Hands‑on experience with Workday Payroll (or strong Workday experience with transferable payroll knowledge)
• Minimum of 3-4 years of payroll experience, including exposure to full-cycle payroll processing and year-end activities
• Experience supporting system implementations, upgrades, or enhancements within Workday or similar HRIS platforms
• Strong understanding of payroll processes and how they integrate within an HCM system
• Experience with Workday reporting, data analysis, and/or report writing is an asset
• Experience with integrations, data mapping, or system interfaces is considered a strong asset
• Knowledge of time and attendance systems (e.g., UKG) is an asset
• Experience in large Healthcare organizations (or equivalent) with unionized environment is an asset
• Experience with Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) is an ass