Senior Office Accountant - Payroll

Position Description

Oversee activity for processing weekly trade payrolls and biweekly staff payrolls, including off‑cycle payrolls and postings. Responsible for tracking, analyzing, troubleshooting, and auditing payroll data.

• Manage process to validate payroll checklists to ensure all processes are completed.
• Authorize positive pay files for all payroll checks issued, ACH files daily, and initiate stop payment requests.
• Verify reporting of contributions to Union Pension and Health plans.
• Conduct scheduled and ad hoc payroll audits on processes and data to ensure data integrity and compliance with company policy and legal requirements, including, but not limited to, union audits, claims reporting, address set‑up audits, and international tax and visa setups.
• Manage bank exception items on all payroll accounts by researching through proper channels to resolution.
• Main point of contact for business units and auditors, coordinate all requests for payroll documents and responses to union audits.
• Analyze and extract union pay‑scale table data from collective bargaining agreements to ensure current and accurate union payroll information.
• Review all weekly, bi‑weekly, and month‑end payroll postings and maintain database to validate completion.
• Maintain activity rates for trade employees with upload template.
• Take active role as trainer and mentor.
• Facilitate cross‑functional team environment to ensure that test data are identified, payroll testing is executed, and validation for system bug fixes and enhancements are completed and communicated accurately and timely.
• Prepare and verify payroll metrics monthly, making sure information is available where necessary; including number of off‑cycle payrolls, late timesheets received, and number of retroactive payrolls processed.
• Present recommendations to payroll managers for resolutions on current outstanding issues and process improvements based on findings.
• Research, resolve and respond to issues with payroll postings from business units.
• Analyze payroll balance sheet and bank reconciliations and ensure entries for correcting reconciliation items are prepared and entered by payroll staff.
• Prepare and deliver training to payroll group as needed.
• Other activities, duties, and responsibilities as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field, and 3 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience; CPP certification preferred.
• Previous experience in international/Canadian environment preferred.
• Excellent knowledge of accounting principles (GAAP) to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Understand accounting implications of various contract terms (e.g. billable/non‑billable, owner/subcontractor).
• Basic understanding of risk management tools and processes (cash position reports, bank reconciliations).
• High degree of organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Proficiency in financial systems applications; SAP experience required, advanced knowledge of MS Excel and working knowledge of MS Access.
• Self‑starter, adaptable and flexible to operate with minimal direction and little or no supervision in complex and changing environment.
• Exercise independent judgment and discretion with ability to identify problems and initiate corrective action.
• Demonstrated leadership, strong dedication to teamwork and integrity within professional environment, and professional written and verbal communication skills.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Performance of the required duties will require physical ability to climb permanent and temporary stairs, use construction personnel hoists, climb ladders and negotiate work areas under construction.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Performing this job requires use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls, sit,…