Sr. Payroll & Benefits Specialist

Title: Sr. Payroll & Benefits Coordinator

Reports to: Director, People & Culture

Posting: #25-068

Department: People and Culture

Compensation: $74k-85k annually; commensurate with experience

Posting Closing Date: November 2, 2026 at 4pm

Pacifica Housing Advisory Association (Pacifica Housing) has been providing safe and affordable homes for almost 35 years and is one of the largest non-profit housing providers on Vancouver Island. As a charitable organization, Pacifica Housing's vision is to provide Equitable housing in pursuit of thriving communities. Our mission is to advance independence of individuals and families through equitable housing and supportive services.

Pacifica Housing is a rapidly growing organization dedicated to meeting the housing and support needs of our community. As such, we are committed to building up our fast-growing team with a culture that supports and drives our people and reinforces our team with caring, responsible innovators. Pacifica owns and/or operates 37 properties in addition to a number of programs. The annual budget is approximately $21M and the total staff complement is around 160 employees.

Pacifica is proud to be a Certified Living Wage Employer by The Living Wage for Families Campaign. A living wage is defined as the hourly amount a family needs to cover basic expenses and is calculated based on the cost of living for that region. Providing a Living Wage is beneficial to the economy, community and employees.

Reporting to the Director, People & Culture, the Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist is the subject matter expert responsible for leading the organization’s payroll and benefits administration functions. The position ensures the accurate and timely processing of payroll, administration of employee benefit and pension programs, and compliance with collective agreements, employment legislation, and regulatory requirements.

The Senior Payroll & Benefits Specialist serves as a key advisor to leaders and employees on payroll, benefits, taxation, pension administration, leave entitlements, and collective agreement interpretation as it relates to compensation practices. This role works collaboratively with People & Culture, Finance, operational leaders, union representatives, external vendors, and government agencies to maintain payroll integrity, support organizational compliance, and drive continuous process improvements.

• Lead the end-to-end administration and processing of bi-weekly payroll for salaried and hourly employees across multiple programs, departments, and funding sources.
• Ensure payroll practices comply with collective agreements, employment standards legislation, Canada Revenue Agency regulations, pension requirements, and organizational policies.
• Interpret and administer payroll-related provisions within collective agreements, including premium pay, overtime, shift differentials, statutory holiday pay, seniority-based entitlements, leaves, and retroactive payments.
• Review and audit payroll transactions to ensure accuracy and timely resolution of discrepancies.
• Maintain payroll system integrity and oversee payroll-related configuration changes, testing, and process enhancements.
• Prepare and submit statutory remittances and payroll reconciliations.
• Coordinate year-end payroll activities including T4s, T4
  
  As, pension reporting, Records of Employment (ROEs), and other regulatory requirements.
• Participate in collective bargaining preparation by providing payroll-related costing, analytics, and reporting support.
• Support payroll audits and respond to requests from auditors, government agencies, and regulatory bodies.

• Oversee the administration of employee benefits, pension, RRSP, and group insurance programs.
• Act as the primary organizational contact for benefits carriers, pension administrators, and third-party providers.
• Ensure accurate enrollment, changes, terminations, and reconciliation of benefit and pension deductions.
• Administer employee leaves including disability, maternity/parental leave, sick leave, WCB claims, and other legislated leaves.
• Provide guidance to employees and managers regarding benefit eligibility, coverage, pension participation, and leave provisions.
• Monitor benefit utilization trends and assist with annual renewals and provider evaluations.

• Develop, maintain, and analyze payroll, benefits, and workforce…