Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Position: Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist - Contract
Our client is an established Christian faith-based long-term care organization located in the Markham area. They are seeking an experienced Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist for a 3-month contract, with strong potential for permanent employment. The position will initially require 5 days onsite, transitioning to a hybrid schedule of 2 days in office following a 2–3 week training period.

Our client is seeking a hands-on Senior Payroll Benefits Specialist to oversee payroll and benefits administration for approximately 220 employees. This is an excellent opportunity for a payroll professional who thrives in a hands-on role, works confidently with unionized employee groups, and enjoys improving processes. As part of a small finance team, you’ll have significant autonomy, direct responsibility for payroll accuracy, and the opportunity to strengthen existing procedures while addressing historical records and reconciliation issues.

Key Responsibilities:

Payroll Administration
Manage the full-cycle biweekly payroll process for approximately 220 employees, primarily hourly and unionized, along with a smaller group of salaried, non-union staff.
Review and validate employee timecards before each payroll run, identifying missing punches, discrepancies, and potential errors.
Manage payroll data imports from the employee scheduling system into ADP or the applicable payroll platform, ensuring accuracy and reconciling imported information.
Apply collective agreement provisions and payroll rules accurately, including applicable rates, premiums, and other earnings or deductions.
Ensure payroll is processed accurately and on schedule while maintaining compliance with applicable legislation and internal procedures.
Benefits & Regulatory Compliance
Administer group benefits, including employee enrolments, changes, terminations, and ongoing coordination with benefits carriers.
Complete benefits reconciliations and resolve discrepancies between employee records, payroll deductions, and carrier statements.
Manage WSIB reporting, statutory remittances, and other required payroll filings.
Maintain accurate payroll and benefits records in accordance with applicable regulatory and recordkeeping requirements.
Reconciliations, Audits & Process Improvement
Review and clean up historical payroll and benefits records, investigating discrepancies and resolving outstanding issues.
Support audit requests by preparing payroll documentation, reconciliations, and supporting records.
Identify opportunities to improve payroll workflows, strengthen internal controls, and reduce manual errors.
Document payroll and benefits procedures to support consistency, accuracy, and knowledge sharing across the finance team.
Qualifications & Experience
5+ years of hands-on, full-cycle payroll experience in a high-volume environment with multiple employee groups or pay groups.
Strong experience administering payroll for unionized employees, including interpreting and applying collective agreement provisions.
Solid knowledge of Ontario employment standards, CRA payroll requirements, statutory remittances, and WSIB reporting.

Experience with ADP is an asset; candidates with experience using other major payroll platforms will also be considered.
Strong reconciliation, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate discrepancies and work through historical backlogs.
Exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to manage deadlines while maintaining payroll accuracy and confidentiality.
Experience in healthcare or long-term care is a strong asset.
Certified Payroll Manager (CPM) or Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP) designation is an asset.
Additional Information
Successful candidates must complete a criminal record check and credit check. TB screening may also be required in accordance with the organization's requirements and applicable long-term care practices.
The organization is Christian faith-based and begins each day with a brief Scripture reading broadcast over the public address system.

TMGCT