Specialist, Payroll & Pension

Responsible for accurate processing and audit of full-cycle payroll of all City employees and external stakeholders within established deadlines in accordance with prevailing government legislation, policies, procedures and collective agreements. Spearhead and/or support the implementation of payroll and pension project-based initiatives. Administer the OMERS pension plan.

Payroll Processing and Management: Accurately process bi-weekly payroll for City employees, including daily time transfers, time evaluations, and pay simulations. Ensure accurate payroll actions for new hires, transfers, terminations, acting assignments, and Leave of Absence (LOA) and Return to Work (RTW) processes. Handle off-cycle payments, coordinate pay statement distribution, and convert/upload payroll-related files from stakeholders into SAP. Conduct audits to maintain data integrity and ensure compliance.

Compliance and Legislation: Maintain adherence to federal and provincial legislation, collective agreements, City policies, regulations, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Run payroll reports to identify and resolve discrepancies, ensure payroll accuracy, and prepare payroll-related approvals as required. Support internal and external audits to uphold service standards and regulatory compliance.

Reporting and Year-End Reconciliation: Process third-party remittances for government deductions, pension contributions, and benefits payments. Balance GL postings and reconcile payroll transactions for accuracy. Prepare year-end balancing tasks, including taxable benefits, Employer Health Tax returns, retroactive adjustments, T4, T4A, T2200, T4ANR reporting, and pension reconciliation. Validate year-end totals to ensure accurate reporting and submissions.

Pension Administration: Administer the OMERS pension plan, ensuring compliance with pension requirements. Reconcile SAP data with pension records, address discrepancies, and calculate Pension Adjustments (PA) accurately. Provide support for pension-related inquiries and initiatives.

Problem-Solving and Stakeholder Collaboration: Act as a subject matter expert, providing payroll-related guidance to employees while escalating complex issues as needed. Collaborate with HR, Finance, and stakeholders to address payroll discrepancies, resolve operational challenges, and enhance reporting accuracy. Foster strong working relationships to align objectives and ensure effective communication.

Project Contributions and Operational Improvements: Lead or support payroll and pension initiatives, conducting research, analyzing trends, and recommending improvements to streamline processes and service delivery. Participate in ad hoc projects, providing expertise to drive innovation and efficiency in payroll operations.

Audit and Reporting: Conduct regular audit of payroll data to ensure accuracy and compliance with updated statutory, union, non-union and organizational policies. Run different SAP audit reports to provide peers/manager with necessary information or findings.Analyze and audit GL accounts and reconciliation. Evaluate and support pension administration in line with pension requirements, Collaborate with HR and Finance to resolve payroll discrepancies and ensure accurate reporting. Work with both internal and external audits.

· Completion of a four-year, bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources or related fields.
· At least 3 years of experience as SAP HCM or other business ERP
· At least 5 years of experience in full cycle of Payroll and Pension administration in a unionized environment.
· Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certification to substantiate payroll expertise and active membership status with the National Payroll Institute.
· Knowledge about OMERS pension plan.
· Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
· Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and payroll reporting tools.
· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.