Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist

Payroll Specialist Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end payroll processing for a diverse workforce including salary, hourly, and casual employees in both Canada and the US including reporting of overtime, on-call and call-out pay.
• Validate complex payroll calculations (e.g. retroactive payments, overtime, maternity/parental leaves, live out allowances, payroll adjustments) and update related systems as needed.
• Generate final pay in accordance with local legislations and labor laws as and when instructed by People & Culture (Human Resources).
• Ensure accurate calculation of wages, tax withholdings, and deductions including related to benefits contributions, including 401(k) plans and RRSPs.
• Engage with employees to respond to their queries on matters relating to payroll, in a timely manner.
• Primary contact and liaison with ADP payroll services in Canada and the US, ensuring that outsourced payroll and disbursements are successfully achieved.
• Partner with business leaders to ensure appropriate time codes are established and functioning as expected for hourly time reporting, including base and overtime pay are calculated according to employment standards and legislations.
• Complete one-off pay runs based on business need, including annual incentives, etc.
• Administer employee benefits programs, including enrolment, deductions, and contributions to retirement savings plans such as 401(k) plans in the US and RRSPs in Canada. Ensure compliance with plan rules, regulations, and contribution limits.
• Ensure compliance with relevant payroll laws and regulations in both Canada and the US related to benefits programs, including 401(k) plans and RRSPs. Prepare and submit required documentation for retirement savings contributions and tax filings accurately and on time.
• Facilitate accurate and timely pay of Long Term Incentive Plan benefits in alignment with vesting schedules and in compliance with plan text rules and local tax requirements
• Oversee the reconciliation of all government remittances and year-end filings including T4, T2200, ROE, WCB, EHT, W-2, W-2C, ACA, Form 941 and 940, RRSP, 401K and Texas unemployment taxes.
• Utilize payroll and benefits administration software (e.g., ADP) to process payroll, manage benefits, as well as ERP systems (e.g. Xero) to post payroll data for financial integration.
• Maintain payroll integrations to various software as applicable.
• Generate reports related to payroll, benefits contributions, and retirement savings plans for management review, audits, and compliance purposes. Analyze data to ensure accuracy and identify discrepancies or trends requiring attention.
• Support the Finance team with the implementation of SOX Compliant processes and procedures relating to Payroll across the Group
• Additional duties assigned from time to time by management.

Qualifications:

• Comprehensive knowledge of Canadian and US payroll rules/legislation and employment legislation required, particularly British Columbia, Texas, New York and California
• Certified Payroll Manager (CPM) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation (or equivalent) is a plus
• Experience with benefits programs such as 401(k) plans and RRSP
• ADP and Xero platforms are an advantage but not essential
• Experience in cross-border payroll for both Canada and the US is highly desirable
• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under tight deadlines, be independent and work in a collaborative group-oriented environment with the help of sound judgement in decision-making processes
• Ability to work in a structured and documented way, and proactively assess and reduce risk
• Proficient with Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)