Description
Payroll within Finance is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior Payroll Specialist.
The Payroll Department's primary role is to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, in accordance with legislation and university policies. Work is performed within a collaborative team environment, utilizing in-house software to meet the simultaneous deadlines required for processing payroll for over 10,000 employees and students. The department prides itself on its commitment to accuracy and efficiency, ensuring all direct and indirect payroll processing requirements are met.
The Senior Payroll Specialist position reports to the Payroll Manager, and is a permanent full-time role, working 35 hours per week. This position focuses on the day-to-day operations of payroll in a high-volume, highly specialized, and complex area. The role demands meticulous attention to detail, as the impact of errors can be significant.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Day-to-Day
- Provide in-scope supervision to team members, offering direction and guidance to staff on daily tasks to ensure the team prioritizes effectively, meets deadlines and maintains consistent service.
- Provide coaching and training of the new Payroll Specialists.
- Accurate interpretation, calculation and processing of Payroll and Benefits from numerous sources to ensure payment is produced within specified timelines and results in a correct gross to net.
- Conduct thorough payroll audits to verify that all information is current and accurate, ensuring seamless payroll processing.
- Apply accounting principles to daily payroll processing, including handling complex recoveries.
- Generate and execute daily action reports to process day to day transactions.
- Conduct rotational peer reviews to ensure accuracy and thoroughness in payroll tasks.
- Investigate banking issues such as stop payments, traces, and retrievals, and determine appropriate actions to resolve these issues.
- Continuously review and refine business practices to streamline operations and maximize the efficiency of the new PeopleSoft system.
- Investigate and correct errors such as overpayments and incorrect payments, advising departments on solutions and alternatives in a professional and respectful manner.
- Provide employees with guidance and information regarding their personal pay issues.
- Respond to inquiries from agencies with diplomacy, maintaining confidentiality at all times.
- Offer recommendations and solutions to optimize system usage and ensure consistency in business practices. Participate in meetings to review and improve processes.
- Meet government reporting requirements, including those from Revenue Canada, Service Canada, and FOIP.
- Ensure all transactions are accurate and appropriate for correct year-end reporting.
- Enter pay line and timesheet data, confirm data accuracy, investigate employee concerns, and collaborate with various areas to resolve issues and streamline processes.
- Maintain electronic payroll documents and update employee payroll information in the system.
- Cross train with team members to ensure functional coverage within the department.
- Provide backup support &/or vacation coverage for the Payroll Coordinator.
Teamwork
- Collaborate with Pension/Payroll Analysts and Production Coordinators to address exceptional situations effectively.
- Conduct holistic reviews of payroll data to ensure overall accuracy of employee pay, including peer checking of colleagues' work. T
- Foster a team-based culture that promotes positive interaction between Payroll and Human Resources.
- Share job knowledge with the entire Human Resources department to empower staff with a comprehensive understanding of payroll processes.
- Provide feedback to the Payroll Manager on the performance of Payroll Specialists for development and evaluation purposes.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- PCP Certification with National Payroll Institute is required.
- University degree in business, finance, human resources or equivalent is required.
- Minimum 5 years payroll processing experience in a large, complex organization.
- Current knowledge of Time application standards and practices and the impact to the gross to net payroll processes is required.
- Preferred experience with PeopleSoft HR/Time/Payroll system.
- Excellent understanding of Alberta Employment Standards, CRA and Service Canada regulations and Acts is required.
- Extensive knowledge of university policies and procedures, numerous union contracts, and Government Regulatory procedures is an asset.
- Demonstrated strong communication, customer focus and team collaboration skills required.
- An ability to exercise judgment within established guidelines is required.
- Excellent time management, prioritization, organizational, and analytical skills.
- Excellent attention to details; must have strong listening skills and be able to communicate with the diverse multicultural community of the University.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook and PowerPoint).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Knowledge of University core business systems (PeopleSoft HR, Payroll and Benefits).
Application Deadline: May 26, 2025
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
