Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Vaco Recruiter Services; Toronto; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Vaco Recruiter Services is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to lead biweekly payroll in Workday for employees in Ontario. You will ensure accurate, timely processing, compliance, and data integrity across payroll, benefits, and pension administration.

You will partner with Finance and HR to support reporting, audits, and process improvements while staying current with CRA, ESA, CPP, EI and other statutory requirements. Strong analytical skills and confidentiality are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive payroll experience in Ontario/Canada.
• Strong knowledge of Ontario and Canadian payroll legislation (CRA, ESA, CPP, EI, EHT).
• Hands-on Workday HCM experience; experience with system integrations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end biweekly payroll processing in Workday for Ontario employees.
• Oversee pension and benefits administration, including vendor relations and reconciliations.
• Manage payroll reconciliations, remittances, T4s, and other regulatory filings.
• Partner with Finance on payroll-related reporting and GL activities.
• Ensure payroll data integrity, audit readiness, and compliance with internal controls.

Skills

Workday HCM

Payroll Administration

Regulatory Reporting

Analytical Skills

Communication

Confidentiality

Education

Post-secondary education in Payroll, Accounting, HR, Business

Tools

Workday HCM

Job description

About the Opportunity

• Lead the end-to-end biweekly payroll process using Workday, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing.
• Oversee pension and benefits administration, including vendor relationships, reconciliations, adjustments, and issue resolution.
• Manage payroll, benefits, and pension reconciliations, statutory remittances, T4s, and other regulatory reporting requirements.
• Partner with Finance on payroll-related reporting, accruals, reconciliations, and general ledger activities.
• Ensure payroll data integrity, audit readiness, and compliance with internal controls and applicable legislation.
• Provide subject matter expertise and guidance to HR, employees, and internal stakeholders on complex payroll, pension, and benefits matters.
• Manage escalated employee inquiries and troubleshoot complex payroll and benefits issues.
• Support Workday payroll configuration, system integrations, data maintenance, and process improvements.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory requirements and recommend enhancements to payroll and benefits processes.
• Prepare standard and ad hoc reporting to support compliance, audits, HR operations, and executive decision-making.

About You

• Post-secondary education in Payroll, Accounting, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in payroll, with strong knowledge of payroll, benefits, and pension administration.
• Strong knowledge of Ontario and Canadian payroll legislation, including CRA requirements, ESA, CPP, EI, EHT, and statutory reporting.
• Hands-on experience with Workday HCM or a comparable payroll/HRIS system; experience supporting system integrations is an asset.
• Strong understanding of payroll reconciliations, financial reporting, general ledger processes, and audit controls.
• Experience preparing T4s, pension adjustments, payroll remittances, and other regulatory filings.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and reconciliation skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage confidential information and handle complex or escalated employee inquiries with professionalism.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with HR, Finance, employees, and external vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvements, maintain compliance, and provide informed recommendations to stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict payroll deadlines.

Pay Range

$40 - $45 / hour

The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan.

You must currently reside within the Greater Toronto Area and be permitted to work in Canada to be considered for this opportunity.