Payroll Analyst

Reports To

Associate Director, Controller

The Payroll Analyst leads the Canadian payroll function at Lilly Canada, accountable for end‑to‑end payroll execution and ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while meeting all government tax and reporting obligations. As the primary Canadian payroll contact for Global IT and HR Shared Services, this role drives process improvement through automation and AI, translating changing compliance and business requirements into practical solutions.

This is a hybrid role – onsite presence at our Toronto office will be 10 days or more per month (or at least 50% of the time), determined in collaboration with your manager and based on business needs.

At Lilly Canada, we have three levels for this position based on the candidate’s experience, background, and qualifications.

• Analyst: $63,000 – $92,400
• Senior Analyst: $75,000 – $100,000
• Lead: $93,750 – $137,500

This role is eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as participation in the Lilly Bonus Program.

• Accountability for the efficient and effective execution of all Canadian payroll processes
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable tax laws and proactively stay informed of regulatory changes impacting the company
• Continuously improve payroll processes through automation and system integrations; identify manual processes and streamline through system configuration and AI, ensuring all related documentation is updated accordingly
• Lead annual equity reporting file preparation and processing
• Lead annual corporate bonus file preparation and required processing, including accruals and forecast
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal Centers of Excellence, external tax vendors, and government agencies
• Champion compliance best practices and model a strong compliance culture across the payroll team
• Serve as the primary Canadian payroll lead to Eli Lilly Global payroll business partners and the HRSS team; represent the Canadian affiliate in enterprise payroll forums and project work groups
• Align with HRSS on payroll process improvements, technology enhancements, and policy changes; translate enterprise decisions into effective local implementation through effective project management
• Maintain a broad view of the Canadian payroll landscape – anticipating regulatory changes, system evolution, and organizational shifts – and develop proactive action plans in response
• Project management lead for the Canadian payroll workstream within Workday continuous improvement initiatives, including requirements definition, testing, parallel runs, and post‑implementation stabilization
• Identify, evaluate, and implement improvements to payroll processes and solutions; build the business case for change and drive adoption across the team and with stakeholders
• Support and develop the Senior Expert Coordinator Payroll through regular knowledge transfer, on‑the‑job support, payroll submission backup and structured coverage planning; serve as the primary escalation point for day‑to‑day payroll questions
• Influence the direction of payroll‑related decisions by providing expert analysis, recommendations, and clear communication to Finance leadership and cross‑functional partners

• Own the execution and documentation of all assigned SOx and payroll operational controls; proactively identify and remediate control gaps
• Lead continuous improvement of the SOx and operational control framework as processes evolve with Workday
• Provide guidance to the Senior Expert Coordinator Payroll on control requirements and compliant execution

• Prepare and review payroll journal entries and inter‑company billings; ensure correct accounting classifications in SAP and alignment with Finance standards, reconcile to bank and Workday reporting
• Oversee the preparation and government remittances and reporting (EHT, WSIB, and others) for Canada; resolve government agency inquiries
• Complete and review Blackline payroll account reconciliations and related GL accounts; ensure timely clearance of reconciling items
• Manage payroll accruals; collaborate…